Skydiver Crashes Into Scoreboard At Virginia Tech Spring Game

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The Virginia Tech Spring Football Game had a rather scary interruption today as a skydiver that had flown in for the event crashed into the Lane Stadium scoreboard.

According to WDBJ in Blacksburg, Virginia, three skydivers parachuted into the stadium but a sudden kickup of wind caused problems. While one of the skydivers successfully landed on the field as planned, the wind pushed a second onto an adjacent practice field. But the third skydiver landed on the scoreboard and while he seems to have avoided injury, he was left dangling by his parachute.

Per the report, firefighters showed up on the scene and were able to get the man down safely within half an hour.

But the scene was absolutely surreal for the man fans and attendees at the game, which had to be delayed by a little over an hour.

Rescue is on the scene to help save the sky diver who hit the video board before Virginia Tech’s spring game pic.twitter.com/OshkCXMeFC

— EvanGWatkins247 (@EvanGWatkins247) April 18, 2026

"Bad Juju"

Thankfully the skydiver survived, so fans felt free to make jokes about the whole situation. It's safe to say they had plenty of those waiting in the wings, particularly about it being a very bad omen for the start of head coach James Franklin's tenure:

"Not an ideal start to the James Franklin era. Bad juju," one user on X remarked.

"That can NOT be a good omen," wrote another.

"The James Franklin era has officially started," a third said.

"This is so VT it hurts."

"This better not be one of those 'coaches stuck in the elevator' omens for the year."

The James Franklin Era

Franklin began his head coaching career at Vanderbilt University in 2011, where he quickly transformed one of the SEC’s most challenging programs. He led Vanderbilt to three straight bowl appearances and back-to-back nine-win seasons, achievements that elevated his national reputation. His ability to rebuild struggling programs and compete in the SEC (with the conference's historically worst team) made him one of the top rising names in college football.

In 2014, Franklin became head coach at Penn State University, where he restored the Nittany Lions to national prominence after years of scandal and decline. Under his leadership, Penn State won the 2016 Big Ten Championship and has remained a consistent contender in the College Football Playoff conversation.

Unfortunately, the program began to plateau and while the team was consistently in the national title conversation to start seasons, they rarely wound up competing for them. His tenure with the Nittany Lions ended with a 104-45 record after a 3-3 start to the 2025 season.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Apr 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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