Skydiver crashes into Lane Stadium before Virginia Tech James Franklin’s spring football debut
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The debut of Virginia Tech Hokies football under new head coach James Franklin began with an unexpected and dangerous pregame incident on Saturday, as a skydiver crashed into the Lane Stadium scoreboard, delaying the spring game by more than an hour.
The parachutist was part of a three-person pregame demonstration team scheduled to land on the field ahead of the 3 p.m. ET kickoff. Wind gusts pushed one of the skydivers off course. While one landed safely on the field and another drifted to a nearby practice area, the third, carrying a large American flag, collided with the scoreboard and became suspended between the letters “C” and “H” in the “Virginia Tech” signage.
Video footage showed the impact-damaged part of the scoreboard structure, with pieces of lettering falling and exposing internal lighting. The skydiver remained stuck for approximately 20 to 45 minutes, during which he released the American flag and a smaller parachute into the stands below. Emergency responders, including local and university personnel, used a crane to safely lower him to the ground.
Virginia Tech confirmed that first responders reached the individual within around 15 minutes and that he was treated on-site and released without serious injury. Officials later stated he did not require hospitalization. The parachuter was reportedly seen with his arm in a sling but remained in stable condition.
The incident postponed the start of the Hokies’ final spring scrimmage, which drew a record crowd at Lane Stadium. Once things settled down, play resumed as normal, with the Maroon squad defeating the White team 30-21.
The event was Franklin’s first public appearance leading the program after being hired in November 2025. He previously spent over 11 seasons at Penn State, where he led the program to six double-digit-win seasons and a College Football Playoff semifinal. Franklin takes over a Virginia Tech program that went 3-9 in 2025 and has not reached eight wins in any season since 2019.
During the scrimmage, Franklin addressed fans, stating expectations for the Hokies to “shock the world” in the upcoming season. The team added 49 new players in the offseason, including several transfers from the Nittany Lions, and assembled a top-25 recruiting class. Virginia Tech is scheduled to open its 2026 season on September 5 at home against VMI.
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