Editor’s note: As we count down to the start of the college football season, FOX Sports Carolinas ranks the game-day experience around the Atlantic Coast Conference. We start unveil the top choice on Tuesday, Aug. 21. (item rankings are based on a scale of 1 through 10):
3 – Lane Stadium, Virginia Tech (66,223)
Beauty (4): Actually, Lane looks a lot better when its full of bodies because it’s more impressive that way. This isn’t the most attractive facility by any stretch. The outside is much more impressive than the inside.
Tailgating (8): Excellent tailgating where folks park just about anywhere to get it done. They are passionate and often tailgate in the worst weather conditions in the ACC. Tailgating is an extremely important part of the experience in Blacksburg.
Buzz (9): The fans begin building the buzz for a game long before kickoff and carry it right through to the end of games. This is another situation where it’s all fans, not just the younger ones.
Fans (8): They support this team quite well, and it’s really surprising Lane Stadium isn’t well into the 70,000s in capacity. Tech can fill that capacity, especially when the ACC improves.
History (4): Built in the 1960s, Lane didn’t house any big games until the 1990s for the most part. But it has its own reputation with the atmosphere and has a tremendous future in front of it.
Remark: Most fans around the nation probably think this place holds 80,000-plus fans, that’s how great of a job Hokies fans do during home games. The “Enter Sandman” entry by the team has become a trademark, and that alone makes the Virginia Tech experience worth the trip.
