When Virginia Tech hired James Franklin, there were a handful of things they were hoping the former Vanderbilt and Penn State coach would turn around. One of those things, and it's a big one, is getting Lane Stadium to become an opponent's nightmare and hoping again.
If there is someone who could do it, it's Franklin. He'll get his first crack in 2026, right out of the gate when the Hokies kick off the upcoming season under the lights against VMI on Sept. 5. The first game of the James Franklin era is one that fans have been looking forward to since he was officially hired last November. Kevin Skiver of USA Today ranked the 17 ACC stadiums, and Lane Stadium came in at No. 3.
"Lane Stadium in Virginia Tech is a sleeping giant that James Franklin is looking to reawaken. Fitting, given the "Enter Sandman" entrance that has become indelible with Blacksburg's finest taking the field. Virginia Tech may be well removed from when Michael Vick made the Hokies must-watch TV, but the Hokies are hoping they're about to turn a corner. Lane Stadium is dripping in character and is a powder keg with a capacity of nearly 66,000. It just needs a match to light the fuse,'' Skiver wrote.
James Franklin has one job that should be rather easy at Virginia Tech
The match will be lit this year, and Virginia Tech will be back under Franklin. Right now, there are two scheduled night games, against VMI and Pittsburgh in early October, but if things go the way that Franklin and Hokies fans want them to, there could be more in the future this fall.
For the record, Clemson was No. 1, and Florida State was No. 2, right ahead of the Hokies. Surprisingly, Scott Stadium in Charlottesville came in at No. 6, despite it being attended mostly by visiting fans in recent years. Just look at the Virginia Tech takeover Thanksgiving Weekend in recent years. This past season was one exception, but it'll return to being Lane Stadium North under Franklin.
There is no reason that Franklin can't move the Hokies up at least one slot in the not-too-distant future. James Franklin is the right coach to reawaken a sleeping giant.
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