Thanksgiving week is a time for togetherness and love across the Commonwealth — except for on the football field.
Virginia’s final regular season game is Saturday against in-state archrival Virginia Tech. Tons of Cavalier families and Hokie families will descend upon Scott Stadium as part of their Thanksgiving weekend festivities. A victory guarantees Virginia a spot in the ACC Championship game. A loss means the Cavaliers are essentially eliminated from the College Football Playoff.
There’s just one problem. Beating Virginia Tech is no easy feat.
Virginia has won the Commonwealth Cup just twice this century — and is 38-62-5 in the 105 meetings to date. For most of recent history, the Cavaliers have reenacted the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving football scene. In said hypothetical reenactment, Virginia is Charlie Brown, the Hokies are Lucy and the ever-elusive rivalry win is the film’s football.
This year, though, the tide could change. A sea of 50,000-plus fans is expected at Scott Stadium — but not all of them will be wearing orange and blue. And not all families are united in their choice of football garb, as some families have members on opposite sides of the Commonwealth Clash.
Take Class of 2024 alumna Anna Keating, who won five national championships as a swimmer for the Cavaliers while her brother, Brendan, attended Virginia Tech.
“One nice thing about this rivalry is how it brings my family together for majority of sporting events,” Anna said. “Any sport where there is a duel between the two universities, we are finding some way to watch it together or talk about it as a family.
As the final game of the regular season — and during Thanksgiving week, nonetheless — the Commonwealth Clash is a perfect activity for a Cavalier-Hokie family.
“The rivalry, if anything, has made my brother and I closer because it gives us something to bond over every year,” Anna said in a written statement. “We have gone to the game almost every year since 2021 so it’s usually a fun family affair to do around Thanksgiving.”
The Clash is especially exciting for a family of multiple Virginia and Virginia Tech supporters. Second-year College student Sydney Schrage and her father Steve support Virginia, while Sydney’s mother, Nancy, and sister, Emma, are Hokies.
Steve downplayed the rivalry, saying it is fun but perhaps “more important” to Virginia Tech fans and that the real Virginia rivalry is with North Carolina. But joking aside, Saturday will be a day of fun and friendly banter.
“20-plus Virginia Tech and U.Va. friends are going to the game and tailgating in family and friends divided activities,” Nancy said.
Steve agreed about the itinerary, but added a key note at the end.
“We are planning to tailgate and then cheer on the Cavaliers to the ACC Championship game,” Steve said.
The Virginia Athletics experience now includes a rare football delight — a “win-and-in” scenario for Cavalier football. For the first time since 2019, Virginia is essentially competing in a play-in playoff game. A win keeps CFP hopes alive. Many are aware of that fact, but nevertheless, attending the Commonwealth Clash is exciting on its own.
Sydney, who remembers Virginia’s 5-7 finish after a 4-1 start last season, shares her father’s point of view. Her mother and sister, donning orange and maroon, do not. The tiebreaker of sorts, then lies with her oldest sister, Kyra, who is a senior at James Madison. The pitch to cheer for the Cavaliers? The fact that Virginia has seldom been a CFP contender.
“My older sister that goes to JMU isn’t rooting for anyone in particular, however she should root for U.Va. because we haven’t won against Tech in years and it’s rare our football team has such good standing,” Sydney said.
Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, these divided houses agree that this week should be about Thanksgiving more than what is referred to as “hate week.” When asked to describe one kind thing about the rival, Virginia Tech fans praised Bodo’s, White Spot, wineries and “equal intelligence.” Virginia fans praised school spirit, Enter Sandman and “better dining halls.”
“Being so close to the Virginia Tech campus from U.Va. made it easy for both of us to visit each other for events such as swim meets, graduations or different ceremonies,” Anna said. “If we had gone to other schools I’m not sure if we would have been as active in all of those events that we had.”
On the football field, though, there is no love lost for the Cavaliers and Hokies. Virginia has won this rivalry game just twice in the 21st century and will look to turn the tide with CFP hopes brightly illuminating the horizon.
“[Our family] should root for U.Va., U.Va. will need all the support they can get,” Brendan said.
The sister with five national championships, though, has an uncounterable retort — Virginia has 35 more national championships than Virginia Tech.
“I always make a joke to my brother that my teammates and I alone have five more than his entire school,” Anna said. “He doesn’t like that joke.”
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