Virginia Tech Football: Hokies to Welcome Fans at 100% in Lane Stadium
The impact of COVID-19 has been severe in the world of sports. Last season, College Football barely took off. Recruiting and preparations for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team was tough, but they manage to get 11 games under their belt. With the sport getting back on track, so too will the festivities for College Football. On Monday, Virginia Tech director of athletic Whit Babcock declared that Lane Stadium will be 100% stadium capacity for the upcoming 2021 College Football season.
Last season, the Hokies had six home games in Lane Stadium, where they had a capacity of 1,000 fans in attendance. The Hokies had 1,000 fans in attendance until the two games of the regular season against #3 Clemson and Virginia. In those games, there were 250 fans in attendance.
The Hokies were 3-3 when playing in Lane Stadium last season, with all three losses coming from ranked teams. Offensively, Virginia Tech averaged 31.7 points per game in Lane Stadium. They scored 33 or more points in four of the six games last year. Defensively, the Hokies allowed an average of 26.8 points per game in Lane Stadium. They allowed an average of 32.1 points per game overall. Even without many fans in Lane Stadium, the presence of being at home was huge for the Hokies.
This year, the Hokies are looking forward to a potential 66,233 fans in attendance. Virginia Tech will have seven home games in 2021, with six of them being in the first seven games on their schedule.
They will kick off the season against the North Carolina Tar Heels in a pivotal week one matchup on September 3rd. The Tar Heels projects to be ranked in the AP Poll top ten or just outside of the top ten when the 2021 season starts. They will then take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders for the first time in program history on September 11th.
After a trip to the West Virginia Mountaineers, the Hokies will have a four home game streak against the Richmond Spiders on September 25th, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on October 9th, the Pittsburgh Panthers on October 16th, and the Syracuse Orange on October 23rd. Their last home game of the season will be against the Duke Blue Devils on November 13th.
The Hokies are 217-82-6 in Lane Stadium as they intend on extending their impressive home record. They are 36-17 in ACC play at home in Lane Stadium and 150-56-6 in non-conference games. Finally, the Hokies are 21-25 at home in Lane Stadium against ranked opponents.
2021 is a critical season for the Hokies’ football program. They will need to make a big comeback by attempting a sellout in one or more games this season. The last sold game for the Hokies on September 23rd, 2017, when Virginia Tech defeated Old Dominion 32-0. Virginia Tech will get their first case for a sold-out game in week one against the North Carolina Tar Heels.