Though the regular football season ended (along with our winning streak) at the UVA game, the season isn’t quite over yet. After our 45-0 win over Georgia Tech on November 16th, Virginia Tech became bowl eligible for the 27th consecutive season, which happens to be the longest active bowl eligibility streak in college football. No biggie though.
While bowl eligibility would be exciting for any Hokie fan, it’s especially exciting for the Marching Virginians, because it means we get to take a field trip to perform one final show this season! While there were rumors about a trip to the Orange Bowl, all speculation was hushed after Dr. Polly’s exciting announcement: “We’re going to the Belk Bowl!”
A Bit of History...
Trombone player Alex Eng holding a sign to thank Bud Foster at the Wake Forest game; Source: Alana Hassett
The Hokies’ last trip to the Belk Bowl was in 2016, ending in a thrilling win over Arkansas. This year, we are set to play against the Wildcats of the University of Kentucky, from the Southeastern Conference. The bowl game will be played in the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, at noon on New Year’s Eve. For a little background information, the Bank of America Stadium is home to the Carolina Panthers (the area’s NFL team) and is also where the ACC Championship game was played this year.
The last time Virginia Tech played Kentucky was in 1987, ending in a win for Kentucky. To put it into perspective, the last time we played Kentucky was Frank Beamer’s first season as head coach. This matchup against Kentucky is also significant for another reason: it is the final game in Bud Foster’s long career as Virginia Tech’s defensive coordinator. Though we dedicated the game against Wake Forest to Bud Foster, it wouldn’t hurt to say it one more time: thanks, Bud.
Preparation for the Belk Bowl
To prepare for our performance at the Belk Bowl, the MVs had one last practice at the MVC for the 2019 season. The rehearsal was two hours long and started at 10am, making it the first practice in sunlight in months. Because the Marching Virginians are performing for both pregame and halftime, there was a lot to do during our rehearsal. We wasted no time and started with pregame, running along with the cadence to get set in the shape of the Commonwealth. From there, we ran through Superman and the accompanying bow, through Carry Me Back, through VPI Victory March into into the shape of the big VT, into the HOKIES spell-out, and then into Tech Triumph to get us off the field.
Jessica Stewart and Nikki Jean dress warmly for the final rehearsal of the 2019 season; Source: Emery Poulsen
A few days prior to the bowl rehearsal, a survey was sent out, asking the MVs which song we’d like to perform during halftime for the Belk Bowl. Given the choice between Sucker, Moldau, Star Wars, and Livin’ Sandman, the MVs chose Sucker. Is anyone surprised? Rehearsing Sucker was sort of like relearning how to ride a bike; it started off a little rocky, namely because the last time we performed it was in September, but the muscle memory came back surprisingly quickly and we were able to get a full run, marching and playing, by the end of rehearsal, that wasn’t half bad. After Sucker, the MVs got to do the Hokie Pokie one last time on the Marching Virginians Field, and then we gathered in close for the final huddle of the 2019 season! Dr. Polly shared some important announcements about the Belk Bowl and thanked us for taking time during our holiday seasons to come out and support the Hokies. Like anyone would want to pass up this final opportunity to perform a show with 330 of their closest friends! The huddle felt a little surreal because it’s something we’ve been doing every day since August, and it’s hard to believe that we have to wait another eight months to do it again.
Transportation
Because the Belk Bowl falls in the middle of the holiday season, the Marching Virginians will be scattered around Virginia, and sometimes further. To help get the in-state MVs to Charlotte, there are buses leaving from Blacksburg, Hampton, Vienna, and Purcellville, with stops in places like Richmond, Roanoke, and Harrisonburg. Riding any of the buses will put you in Charlotte in the evening of December 29th. For out-of-state MVs, flying is always an option! If you find yourself too far to drive in the days leading up to the Belk Bowl, you can fly directly to Charlotte at no cost to you! Also at no cost to MVs attending the Belk Bowl: free bowl game swag! In the past, MVs have gotten things like jackets and sweatpants with the corresponding bowl logo on them. This exciting tradition means a lot to the band, and you will undoubtedly see MVs proudly wearing their bowl swag for months and years to come.
When in Charlotte...
Once in Charlotte, the MVs will stay in the Holiday Inn Charlotte Center City, which is located about a mile from the Bank of America Stadium. After a restful night’s sleep the evening of the 29th, the MVs will rehearse at 10 am the next morning, December 30th. Later in the day, a pep band of around 50 MVs will head over to EpiCentre, a mall in downtown Charlotte, for the Belk Bowl Fan Central. At around 7 pm, the Hokie pep band will alternate playing tunes with the Wildcats’ pep band to get the city of Charlotte excited about the upcoming football game! Labeled as the official fan party of the Belk Bowl, Hokie fans and Wildcats fans alike will be crowded into EpiCentre on gameday eve to take part in the excitement.
Gameday!
On gameday, the Marching Virginians will begin our pregame show about 15 minutes before kickoff, performing after Kentucky’s band. We will then head to our seats in section 121 of the stadium, which is located in the east endzone. We’ll cheer on the Hokies as they battle for the Belk Bowl Trophy, perform our halftime show, and then cheer on the Hokies some more.
After all, we’re called the Spirit of Tech for a reason.