As Hokie Nation prepares to return to Lane Stadium for Year 2 of the Brent Pry era, the Virginia Tech athletics department outlined important fan experience elements for Virginia Tech football's upcoming season on Thursday.
Throughout football season, the following items will be added:
- Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and fries outside of Portal 9
- Brisket Grinders with Fries or Loaded Fries with Brisket in the Southwest corner patio (inside Gate 3)
- Philly Cheesesteaks from "City Steaks" outside Portal 104
- Rookie's Ice Cream sandwiches in six locations, including Portals 5, 9, 16, lower (two locations) and upper South End Zone concourses.
- A new "walking taco" outside of Portal 1
- A personal BBQ pizza in the BBQ stands outside Portals 5, 18, 35 and the lower South End Zone concourse.
- Benny Marzano's Pizza outside of Portal 19
- Subway Sandwiches outside of Portals 15 and on the South End Zone concourse
- Self-service popcorn stations at Portals 17 and 18
- Ice cream floats in the Upper South End Zone concourse
Fan-Friendly Concessions
In response to the demand for more affordable concessions options, Fan-Friendly Concessions returns. Hot dogs and fountain drinks will be offered in every stand, in addition to other fan friendly options like nachos, popcorn and water. These options can be found outside of Portals 6, 15, 20, 23, 29, 35, 102, and the Upper South End Zone concourse.
Coca-Cola fountain drinks and bottled water will be at all permanent concession stands. Premium sandwich options will still be available as well as Lane Legs (turkey legs), which will be available in its typical space in the Southeast corner of Lane, with additional portable locations outside of Section 9 and Section 12.
Beer & Seltzers
Back this year, Lane Stadium will offer beer and seltzers for purchase on the concourses. Available options include:
- Fightin' Hokies Lager
- New Fightin' Hokies Hefeweizen
- Bells Two Hearted IPA
- Bud Light
- Coors Light
- Miller Lite
- Michelob Ultra
- Pabst Blue Ribbon
- White Claw Black Cherry
- High Noon Pineapple
- Twisted Tea
All fans will be required to show proper identification to purchase any alcohol in Lane Stadium.
Group Ticket Opportunities
Virginia Tech Athletics offers group tickets to any groups of 10 or more who would like to attend ticketed events in Blacksburg (while supplies last). Depending on group size and wishes, the athletic department can create memorable and unique experiences such as prize packs, pregame sideline access and more. Group leaders have the opportunity to work with a dedicated account executive to assist with obtaining tickets, planning and gameday experiences. Group packages are selling fast so group leaders are encouraged to act quickly. Click here to be contacted about your group.
Upper South End Zone
Both concession stands in the Upper South End Zone will be exclusively Fan-Friendly items. There will also be an alcoholic beverage station.
Group seating will largely be in this space, as we look to reinvigorate the environment.
Cashless Concessions
In efforts to improve the flow and speed of transactions on all concourses of Lane, Virginia Tech Athletics concession stands will continue to utilize cashless payment methods. This practical adjustment designed to minimize wait times eliminates the exchanging and handling of currency as the overwhelming majority of concession stand purchases are already made via credit card.
To those who wish to still pay in cash, the west side Hokie Shop will have a limited amount of gift cards available for cash purchase. Gift cards will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis only in denominations of $25, $50, $100, and $200.
Mobile Ticketing
Lane Stadium transitioned to a mobile-first venue for ticketing prior to the 2021 season. The new and improved HokieSports mobile app and My Account portal provides fans with an easy way to manage tickets and includes an additional level of security, guarding against fraudulent and counterfeit tickets. Additionally, season ticket holders can now add their entire season ticket to your phone's wallet by only needing to download one ticket for each seat on your account with the all-in-1 pass.
Visit HokieSports.com/MobileTickets for more information.
Student-Only Entrance
With the student section in Lane Stadium remaining general admission seating for all games, Gate 7 will continue to be an exclusive student entrance in an effort to speed up entry times. Students who wish to sit in the North End Zone must enter through Gate 7 in the Northeast corner of Lane to receive a wristband. Wristbands will be provided upon entry for those wishing to sit in the North End Zone and will be first-come, first-served. Additional student seating will continue to be available on the East side in Sections 1, 3 (even seats), 21, 23, 25 , 27 and 29 (even seats).
Student season tickets are sold out for the 2023 football season. Students without season tickets are encouraged to enter the single game ticket lottery.
Gate 8 Closure
Beginning in 2022, Gate 8 on the East side of Lane Stadium was closed. This is part of an effort to improve flow around the venue and provide additional support at other gates to improve ticket scanning times. Based on ticket scanner traffic, Gate 8 is consistently the least-used gate for entry into Lane Stadium. Deploying those resources elsewhere will allow stadium staff to provide better service at the seven other entrances into the venue.
Lane Stadium Construction
Construction of Lane Stadium on the West side by the tower entrances is ongoing, with a fence marking off the construction area, but Gate 4, Gate 5 and the Northwest Tower entrances will all still be open.
Metal Detectors
Metal detectors will be utilized this upcoming season at all ticket-holder entrances. Fans will be able to walk through the metal detectors without having the hassle of taking things out of their pockets. Visit here for a list of what is and not permitted into the stadium.
Interactive Map
An interactive map will be in the HokieSports app to help enhance your experience getting to, from and around the stadium and everything else you need on gameday.
Virginia Tech Bookstores
Fans can purchase the latest Tech gear at five locations around Lane Stadium, including in front of Cassell Coliseum, at Hokie Village and at the trailer in Lot 4, as well as in Lane at on the West side and South End Zone.
Digital Seat
Fans can find QR codes on their seats this season which, once scanned on a mobile device, can access the game program, team rosters and stats. The QR codes also allow fans to enter promotions and giveaways, like the chance to win a premium item at every game, as well as file incident reports.
Maroon & Orange Memories
Hokie Nation will once again be able to purchase exclusive experiences to enhance their gameday. Watch the iconic Enter Sandman on the sideline, feel the excitement of the tunnel walk, or take a picture with your favorite mascot, the HokieBird. Make memories for a lifetime by checking out this fall's Maroon & Orange Memories and upgrade your gameday experience!
Hokie Village
Hokie Village returns and will be another great way to experience pregame festivities going on in Blacksburg on a football gameday. It is located on the turf soccer/lacrosse practice field and can be accessed by the Beamer Way gate entrance located directly across the street from the West Side of Lane Stadium. The event, which is free admission, begins 3.5 hours before kickoff – with the exception of a noon kick time; 3 hours – and stays open up to 45 minutes before game time. Live music is planned for all games this season and fans can enjoy food trucks and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) all season long, with some additional options available in the circle drive on the West Side of Cassell Coliseum. At various games throughout the season, fans will find face painters, inflatables and photo opportunities.
Hokie Walk
Hokie Nation will be able to welcome the Hokies football team as they arrive in Blacksburg once again this year. The buses will arrive on Beamer Way outside of Lane Stadium approximately 2 ½ hours prior to kickoff.
March To Victory
The Marching Virginians lead the March To Victory from the Marching Virginians Center to Lane Stadium approximately 90 minutes prior to kickoff. Joined by members of the HighTechs, Corps of Cadets, and Skipper, the march leaves the Marching Virginians Center at the top of Chicken Hill, winds through Lot 5, on to Sterrett Drive between Lots 2 and 3, and along the sidewalk outside of South End Zone into Lane.
Tailgating Hassle-Free
Virginia Tech Athletics continues to partner with RevelXP in order to take the trouble out of tailgating by providing an exclusive, fun gameday experience for their guests. They offer tailgate packages to accommodate groups of all sizes. Offerings include tents, tables, chairs, coolers with ice, TV and media service, food and beverage options and their very own bellhop service. Learn more about tailgate packages and find the right solution for your pregame festivities!
Chairback Seats
Current season ticket holders are able to purchase chairback seats for their Lane Stadium seat. Hokie Seats will also be available at Gate 6 on a per-game basis for $10 each; cash or credit card will be accepted for these purchases.
In-Game Host
In-game host Bailey Angle is back this season, engaging with students when gates open and playing games with fans on the video board during media timeouts.