An enduring tradition
Virginia Tech is known for many things — groundbreaking research, globally prominent departments, eminent scholarship, service to society. But beyond those strengths and distinctions, it’s the university’s traditions that connect Hokies across generations and around the globe.
Some Hokie traditions date back decades while others are far newer. The burnt orange and Chicago maroon as Virginia Tech’s school colors? They date back to 1896, whereas the Cheesy Nights tradition during final exams was introduced in 2011.
The HokieBird has been around for many decades, but the current version of the mascot made its debut on Sept. 12, 1987, during Virginia Tech’s football season opener against Clemson, when the HokieBird rode onto the field in a white limousine, escorted by two students dressed as Secret Service agents.
A NEW COLLAB
This fall, a new collection of merchandise co-branded with Metallica debuted, featuring designs inspired by the band’s logo and original sketches by Virginia Tech doodle artist Steven White. Interested Hokies can select their favorite items for purchase through the Virginia Tech bookstores, the Hokie Shop, the Hokie Sports Shop, and on the Metallica website
And just a few weeks after the merchandise debuted, Metallica made the announcement that Hokie fans had been anticipating for more than two decades. On May 7, 2025, the legendary band will perform at Lane Stadium as part of their M72 World Tour.
And then, there’s “Enter Sandman,” a tradition that literally moves Hokies. Hailed by Hokie fans and athletic afficionados as one of college football’s most powerful entrances, “Enter Sandman” dates to Aug. 27, 2000, when Virginia Tech installed its first videoboard in Lane Stadium and needed a new walkout song.
And the iconic jumping that is now a time-honored part of the “Enter Sandman” entrance? Well, that’s really an accidental or perhaps more accurately, an incidental response to the music that stuck. A little over a year after the debut of the new musical entrance, on Dec. 1, 2001, a Marching Virginian band member began to hop around to warm up during a cold snap. Other band members joined in. That spontaneous act evolved into the legendary electrifying entrance that now invigorates home games and eventually spread to the basketball teams’ entrances in Cassell Coliseum.
Accompanied by fireworks and pyrotechnics, “Enter Sandman’s” noise and fanfare even cause the stadium to shake—occasionally setting off seismographs.
“Enter Sandman” has been on Hokie playlists for everything from graduations to Homecoming tailgates. And even weddings.
Metallica first introduced “Enter Sandman” in 1991 as the lead single from their self-titled album. It hit No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 that same year and later earned platinum status. The “Enter Sandman” music video was only the second music video from Metallica and premiered on July 30, 1991.
THE HOKIE COUPLE: KRYSTAL AND DAMIEN MCCANTS
More than sixteen years ago, as Krystal and Damien McCants envisioned their nuptials, including their entrance to the post-wedding reception, they agreed that Virginia Tech, their alma mater, would be featured prominently.
So, as the first notes of the music heralded the newlywed couples’ arrival, the other Hokies at the reception didn’t miss a beat. They started jumping.
The McCants wedding was in many ways an homage to the place where they met, fell in love, got engaged (specifically, in the gazebo by the Duck Pond), and, they say, the place they became the people they are today.
In addition to the Enter Sandman entrance, the newly married couple cut a cake embellished with a sugary Virginia Tech athletic logo, drank from embossed Virginia Tech champagne flutes, and danced in a room filled with maroon and white decor.
“Being a Hokie catapults you into your future,” said Krystal McCants, who graduated in 2003 with a degree in accounting.
Her husband Damien McCants, who earned a mechanical engineering degree from the university in 2003 and an MBA in 2014, agrees.
“Our Virginia Tech educations created a sense of community even as we left Blacksburg to pursue careers,” said Damien, who also notes that his Virginia Tech lunch carrier is often an ice breaker.
The Hokie couple has maintained strong connections to their alma mater. Krystal serves on the Pamplin College Advisory Board, and Damien is chair of the Mechanical Engineering Advisory Board.
In giving back to the university that they feel has influenced every part of their lives, they have an opportunity “to be a part of its future growth and direction,” Damien said.
“Our education set us up for success. Staying involved in meaningful ways honors what Virginia Tech means to us,” Krystal said.
“As alums looking back, we have a perspective that can be beneficial for current students,” Damien said. “We have some professional wisdom, and some tips for life after graduation.”
“My advice to students today would be to take advantage of services through the career center, get involved in student organizations, and maybe most importantly, get to know the faculty. That’s where you begin to build the community that supports your continued success long after your short four years in Blacksburg.”
The McCants hope that their involvement inspires other alumni.
“Everybody wins if people give a little time or talent,” said Krystal. “Giving isn’t always financial. At first as we were starting out, our time was all we had to give. Now, we can also support the university financially. Virginia Tech opened doors for us, and now it’s our turn to open those doors for others.”
Krystal, who is a partner at Yount, Hyde, and Barbour in Falls Church, Virginia and Damien, who works for DPR Construction admit that they don’t get back to Blacksburg as often as they once did.
But when they do, it still feels like coming home.