How old is virginia tech

Polytechs - Vir-gin-ia. Rae, Ri, V. During , a committee was formed to find a suitable combination of colors to replace the original colors of black and gray, which made athletic uniforms resemble prison garb. The committee selected burnt orange and Chicago maroon because no other college was using that particular color combination. Burnt orange and Chicago maroon was first worn during a football game against Roanoke College on October 26, The name was already popular when Floyd Meade, a local resident, trained a large turkey to pull a cart at a football game in Throughout the years, trained turkeys would continue to gobble on command and perform stunts.

When the Gobbler nickname fell out of favor, student George Wills sketched new designs for a class project. The updated mascot appeared at a football game in September The current HokieBird, which conveys power and strength, debuted in September Did you know? Students who dress as the HokieBird remain anonymous until commencement, when they reveal their secret by wearing HokieBird feet during the procession into Lane Stadium.

Maddux Class of and his neighbor, Mattie Eppes. It was officially adopted by the student body in December Chorus: Just watch our men so big and active Support the Orange and Maroon. We know our ends and backs are stronger, With winning hopes, we fear defeat no longer.

To see our team plow through the line, boys. Sparks Class of composed music and L. Chase Class of wrote lyrics for a student contest. Chorus: So stand and sing, all hail to thee. VT, all hail to thee. Verse: All loyal sons and daughters, one, We raise our banner to the sun; Our motto brings a spirit true, That we may ever serve you. The tradition of students jumping up and down during the song started on December 1, , when a Marching Virginians band member started jumping during the song and was joined by his colleagues.

In , the original lunch pail was acquired by the mother-in-law of co-defensive coordinator Rod Sharpless. The pail once belonged to a coal miner, and after the record-setting defensive season, the lunch pail became an iconic element of the Hokie football lore.

The battered and rusting pail, which now contains the names of the 32 Hokies who died in the tragedy on April 16, , travels wherever the Hokies go, and its care is entrusted to a defensive leader. During its existence, the university has operated under four different legal names. The founding name was Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College.

Following a reorganization of the college in the s, the state legislature changed the name to Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute , effective March 5, On June 23, , the legislature followed suit, officially changing the name to Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

Virginia Tech is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. NCAA Division I-A men's varsity sports at Tech are football, basketball, baseball, soccer, indoor and outdoor track, swimming and diving, wrestling, tennis, golf, and cross country. Learn more at HokieSports. An extensive recreational program provides opportunities for participation in numerous activities.

The university also offers intramural sports and club-sports programs that allow students to compete against programs from other colleges and universities across the country.