Virginia Tech Looks To Keep Command Inside Cassell Coliseum In 2024-25

Tucker Terry

Staff Writer

October 30, 2024

When people think of Virginia Tech, football pillars such as Frank Beamer, Michael Vick and Lane Stadium often come to mind. 

The Hokies were heralded as a football powerhouse for decades as Beamer consistently produced winning seasons and bowl game appearances. As the legend of Beamer Ball grew, so did the traditions of Enter Sandman and the Lunch Pail, and Lane Stadium became nationally recognized as one of the best home fields in all of college football. 

However, Lane isn’t the only venue in Blacksburg known for producing a strong advantage for the home squad. In both men’s and women’s basketball, Hokie fans are accustomed to seeing wins almost every time they step foot in Cassell Coliseum.

Ever since Cassell hosted its first game — a 91-67 blowout for Tech against Alabama on Jan. 3, 1962 — it has been a reliable location for Hokie wins. Virginia Tech men’s basketball’s all-time record in Cassell Coliseum is an impressive 623-206.

That trend has continued under head coach Mike Young. Over the last five seasons, the Hokies are 61-18 on their home floor.

“That place is hard for a visiting team to come into with the Cassell Guard up there and this incredible fan base,” Young said. “In my first year here, I was out and about on the recruiting trail in July, and [Roy Williams] grabbed me by the arm and said, ‘Cassell Coliseum is the hardest place in our league that we go into.’ I've heard that same sentiment from others in the Atlantic Coast Conference. It's a wonderful home court. It's a wonderful place to play.”

Last year in particular, the Hokies dominated on their home floor to the tune of a 15-2 record. 

“It’s a lot about Cassell,” Hokies sophomore guard Jaydon Young stated. “The students for one, the rest of the fans for two and just being in that little environment for three. It’s pretty hard to play in, but for us it’s a lot of fun because everyone is supporting, everybody loves us.” 

Unlike Lane Stadium, which is known as one of the biggest stadiums in the ACC, Cassell Coliseum is relatively small, with a maximum capacity of 8,925. However, small and compact stadiums can make for some of the loudest and most intimidating home environments. 

“It’s just loud, everyone’s all up on top of you. it echoes," redshirt sophomore center Patrick Wessler said. “We love it, obviously, because they’re there for us. Having all those people there for just us 15 guys is an inspiring thing.” 

Many of the traditions from Virginia Tech football are also present at a home basketball game. Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ rings over the loudspeakers for Hokie fans to jump to and sing along with during every tipoff. Even during tournament games, in which any bias is prohibited, the Virginia Tech student section sings ‘Sandman’ acapella to give the Hokies their usual benefits of a home game.

The students that work to make this home environment what it has become are known as the Cassell Guard. The group, which began in 2009, is led by selected students who are extremely passionate and attend every home game. It has become a nationally recognized organization that plans events to make home games as fun as possible, and gives the Hokies their greatest possible home court advantage.

One of Tech’s biggest issues in recent years has been its struggles on the road. 

“Now, we’ve got to do a better job of going away from home, away from the friendly confines of Cassell and winning games,” Young conceded. “That's a big deal. We went 2-8 in the league a year ago and that’s just not good enough. It’s the difference between an NCAA tournament berth and not going to the greatest tournament on Earth.” 

For the Hokies to go dancing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022, they will have to continue their stellar play at home, and figure out to pick up some challenging road wins in ACC play. At the very least, it is safe to say that Virginia Tech will continue its winning ways at home, with Hokie Nation faithfully on their side.