April 14th through the 16th was a beautiful weekend in Blacksburg, with the 2023 Virginia Tech Spring Game wrapping up the practice season for the football team. And while that single game was the center of attention on Saturday, there were a myriad of other events to engage fans over the three days of the weekend.
The Virginia Tech Monogram Club, an alumni group specifically for former athletes, hosted several outstanding events for its members, while the University had more on tap during its “Hokie Hi” weekend. The full slate provided fans – and parents who were there for Spring Family Weekend – with plenty of options to enjoy being a Hokie as they made their way “home” for the three days!
“For Those to Come” Golf Outing
The excitement started Friday morning at the Monogram Club’s “For those to Come” golf tournament. For the second straight year, this event drew current and former athletes and their guests for a fun day on the links. This year’s tournament was held at the Roanoke Country Club and featured over 80 participants.
As if playing a round of golf with former and current NFL players and other former Hokie football greats isn’t enough (not to mention the other Hokie athletes in attendance), some of the current football coaches made their way to the venue after their practice and rode around the course greeting all the golfers.
I must admit, as a golfer myself, I was a little concerned when a caravan of carts came down the cartparth full speed, headed toward my group at the green. But my feelings of, “Oh no, are we in trouble for playing too slow?” were quickly replaced with smiles of delight when I recognized JC Price in the first cart! What a thrill to have Coach Price and other Tech legends Xavier Adibi, Jarrett Ferguson, and Pierson Prioleau personally interact with us on the course!
This event is an opportunity for the Monogram Club to raise money for their scholarship endowment fund. Outgoing Monogram Club president Brian Walter sees it as “a way to allow alumni athletes to collectively ‘pay it back’ through endowed scholarships.” Walter was extremely happy to see so many alumni from nine different Virginia Tech teams. He was pleased to get “such a wide range of participation from various sports, since typically the weekend is heavily focused on football.”
Walter also acknowledged the help of the sponsors – “Such folks like Atlantic Union Bank and Breakthru Beverage, which are two top sponsors. Without these, the tournament would not be as successful.”
One sponsor was the Sons of Saturday. Co-owner and co-host Pat Finn was happy not just to sponsor the event but also to play in it. He said, “We at Sons of Saturday have been proud to sponsor the event in both years running because of the opportunity to help build the Monogram Club’s scholarship fund.” He also noted the appeal of “participating in an event with people from the VT community that we would not get to interact with on an everyday basis.”
And judging by this video that was tweeted by the Virginia Tech Football account, it appears as if the former players really enjoyed the event too…
Reunions never get old 😌#ThisIsHome pic.twitter.com/X6p5RuJE4P
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) April 15, 2023
(Editor’s note: if you are a former athlete and are not a member of the Virginia Tech Monogram Club, you should strongly consider joining. There are so many benefits year round. Use this link for more information on the Club.)
“For Those To Come” Reception
Later Friday night, the Monogram Club and Trey Edmunds and family hosted the “For Those to Come” reception in the Sanghani Players Lounge. Opening remarks were made by Trey Edmunds, then he was followed by Monogram Club planning committee member Blair Nelson. After that, guests were treated to a greeting by Head Coach Brent Pry then former Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster!
The atmosphere was casual, as guests were able to mingle with members of the coaching staff, former athletes, and of course, the Edmunds brothers, Trey, Terrell, and Tremaine (and their mother Cookie). Between this reception and the Benefactor Gala right after it, the coaches and players were very busy mingling with the fans, providing a great chance for alumni to connect with the staff and continue to build the Hokie community.
Sons of Saturday Spring Jam
On any given Friday night in Blacksburg, there are a plethora of options for alum to spend their time and money. Champs, PK’s, Sharkey’s, the Cellar, TOTS (that’s the Balcony to us old folk!) …I could go on and on…but last Friday night, the place to be was McClain’s at First and Main as the Sons of Saturday hosted their second annual Spring Jam.
Why is this significant? Because it was an extension of the day’s events of mingling with the Tech athletes. Former running back David Wilson was the featured guest, but plenty of other Hokie athletes, past and present, were there to celebrate the weekend. And this was yet another social event where alumni and current students could meet, socialize, network, and continue to build that special community that is Hokie Nation.
3.2 for 32 Run in Remembrance
Speaking of that special community, Saturday morning’s annual 3.2 for 32 Run in Remembrance was once again both a moving and exciting event. If you have never participated in this run/walk, put it on your Hokie bucket list! Runners and walkers of all experience are welcome on this course, and it will give you the best of all Hokie worlds.
The race started on the Alumni Mall next to Squires Student Center. An estimated crowd of around 10,000 Hokies lined the streets, both eager and nervous to start. At precisely 9 am, the white balloon arch went up, and ten thousand people went silent. It was a very moving moment. Immediate silence from thousands of people. It was quite a powerful tribute to the 32 Hokies who lost their lives 16 years earlier. (There was a midnight candlelight vigil on the Drillfield later that night as well).
Once the maroon and orange balloon arches went up, each wave then took off, and the somber mood slowly turned to excitement. By the time the runners made their way to Washington Street, that excitement was almost peaking, as a small cadre of Marching Virginians greeted the waves of people turning onto Beamer Way.
Shortly thereafter, runners went through the tunnel to Lane Stadium, touching the infamous “Reach for Excellence” Hokie Stone, and emerged onto Worsham Field. A few dozen football players greeted the runners with high-fives as they made their way down the sideline, and some participants were lucky enough to stop for photos with the Hokie Bird!
That never gets old! It is always a thrill for any Hokie fan to go through that tunnel, touch that stone, and step foot on the hallowed ground of Lane Stadium.
The powerful tribute to start the race and the sheer joy of experiencing Lane Stadium, combined with the deep sense of community before and after the race, should be enough to make the Run in Remembrance a must for any Hokie at least once in their lives.
Spring Game
At high noon on the campus of Virginia Tech, the parking lots opened and Spring Game tailgating officially began. And because this was the Spring Game, there was a different vibe in the air. Finn put it best when he said, “There’s a different energy in the air for Spring Game – to me, there’s less hype and pressure around the football team getting a win, and it’s a little less overwhelming. The focus seems to be on building the community and coming back HOME!”
Finn later added to that on the Sons of Saturday “Spring Game Reactions” podcast when he said (at the 35:08 mark), “Winning doesn’t matter. Losing doesn’t matter. And it will not dictate your mood for rest of the day or the rest of the weekend.” That last comment resonates with so many Hokie fans, and because of that, there is more fun amidst a much more casual atmosphere at the Spring Game.
In addition to the typical tailgating in the lots adjacent to Cassell Coliseum and Lane Stadium, Hokie Village opened at noon and had plenty of games and attractions for the kids while providing live music and food options as well. For those not interested in pre-gaming, they could have watched Virginia Tech women’s lacrosse play Clemson at noon at Thompson Field.
For Monogram Club members, a general membership meeting was held at 1 pm, followed by a picnic at the Beamer-Lawson indoor practice facility. Numerous football alumni gathered inside and enjoyed their reunions with each other before heading to the tunnel and taking to the sideline for the Spring Game.
And of course, the game itself ended the organized festivities, as approximately 20-25,000 fans came to Lane Stadium to watch in person. And kudos to the students for filling out the student section!
Coach Pry reflected on Spring Game weekend and he was really on point with his summation: “It has been an awesome weekend. The way this place comes together. It’s a great example of what Virginia Tech is all about.”
Still reminiscing about Hokie Hi Weekend… Thank you to everyone who came out to the Monogram Club events! pic.twitter.com/Js2g2uTVoe
— Virginia Tech Monogram Club (@VTMonogramClub) April 18, 2023
Make a Virginia Tech Spring Game Weekend a Priority!
If you are a Hokie and you have never been back to campus for the Spring Game, put it on your calendar for next year! It is obviously not just about the football game. There are so many planned events that it is easy to be busy the entire weekend. And if you would rather not have such a jam packed schedule? Then go to College Ave or Main Street on Friday night, or go to any one of the baseball games that were at English Field. Then on Saturday, take in the casual but fun atmosphere of the Spring Gameday.
And of course, participate in the Run in Remembrance.
Finn’s take is that “Spring Game weekend is the best weekend of the year at Virginia Tech.”
He is not wrong. Experience it for yourself next year!
To read more of my articles on Virginia Tech football, click here.
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