5 must-do steps to best experience a college football game at Virginia this fall

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The 2026 college football season is just around the corner, and the Virignia Cavaliers are a part of a select few programs that will kick off their year before the bulk of the nation. Tony Elliott is coming off his best year so far as the headman for the Cavaliers, coming off an eleven-win season and an appearance in the ACC Championship game.

After a successful season in 2025, excitement surrounding the program feeds into the Virignia faithful for the 2026 season, especially with the added bonus of a proven, talented roster taking the field this year. After a decade-plus of leg room and spacing out being considered a perk of going to a UVA football game, all signs point to a positive change in attendance starting with Week 0 against NC State, where all trends and signs point to a sellout. Associate AD- Revenue Generation & Marketing, Eric Ward says, “The Sell Out Scott campaign continues to progress really well, we are tracking on a fantastic crowd, and have every expectation that we are executing the plan we laid out to actually sell the game out.”

Ward added that “we have blown past where we finished season ticket sales last year, with steam continuing to pick up. I anticipate finishing with a much larger year-over-year jump than last year, which was itself the 2nd-largest in over 2 decades.”

With that, we are bound to see some new faces at Scott Stadium this season. I am not here to tell you how to have fun at a football game; I am here to give you my two cents from a guy who has mastered the ability to have fun at a Virginia football game and is familiar with all the changes around Scott Stadium and the overall fan experience for this coming season.

Step One: Get to Charlottesville early

This will forever and always be my number one. Saturdays in the fall are meant for college football. Being a fan is the only task you are assigned to that day, and part of being a good fan is showing up and showing up early; it serves as a benefit to you as well. You will have more time to tailgate, more time to walk around and take in the beautiful campus that THE University of Virginia has to offer, and, maybe most importantly, you will have more time to mentally prepare yourself, surrounded by the comfort of like-minded fans for the pigskin war that is about to take place inside that beautiful stadium planted in the middle of campus.

Step Two: Create some sort of tradition

If you don’t have this already and you have been attending Virginia football games for a while, then shame on you. IF you are new to this, then listen up. Create a tradition that is niche to the University of Virginia. Whether it’s a shot at Boylan Heights with your group before the game to ensure victory, a quick stroll through The Corner to calm your nerves before kickoff, or a toast at your tailgate. Do something, anything, because a tradition that is niche to your team and the place you are at will keep you coming back and get you even more amped for the upcoming game.

Step Three: Arrive at the stadium well before kickoff

There are many perks to this, but this has been one of the main issues I have seen. Thirty-five minutes before kickoff is my ideal time when attending Scott Stadium as a fan, and I recommend you do the same. It gives you plenty of time to hit up any of the highly sought-after food trucks in Scott Stadium, check out the new merch options, and just scan the premises/take in all the beauty Scott Stadium has to offer, all in plenty of time to get to your seat before all the pregame events take place.

Step Four: Don’t forget to bring your heart

If you enter into the gates of Scott Stadium this year as a Virginia football fan, you must also bring your heart that bleeds Orange and Blue. Part of being loud and making things difficult for the opposing team is being part of bleeding Orange and Blue. We saw this multiple times last season against Washington State, Florida State, and Virginia Tech, and it was a thing of beauty. I was lucky enough to capture it through my camera lens, and I believe it should be framed in Scott Stadium as a reminder of what is expected of every fan who attends a game.

Step Five: Get ready to learn The Good Old Song, buddy

Knowing the lyrics is expected; belting them out is mandatory. You should be loudest after a Virginia score and a Virginia victory, and what better way to test the limits of your vocal cords than the masterpiece that is named “The Good Ole Song.”

If you follow these steps this season at Scott Stadium, I am confident your overall experience will be satisfactory.

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