I had UVA football season tickets from 2001 to 2009. I had to drop them when I was working races every Saturday and Sunday in the fall.
Now that I have retired, I can get to some of the UVA home games that do not conflict with races. With my grandson’s getting older, either of them can accompany me.
This past Saturday evening, UVA opened their 2021 season in Charlottesville against William and Mary. I wanted to take my oldest grandson with me. But in discussions with my daughter about the spike in COVID, she preferred he stay home.
UVA’s policy requires wearing masks in concourses, concession lines, and restrooms. They are not necessary while in our seats.
I did not need to go through Richmond to get my grandson. So, I headed directly to Charlottesville via Orange and Cismont.
Since 1975, I’ve been driving this route, initially going to parties at Mary Washington College and later heading from Fredericksburg to Charlottesville and parts west.
Back in my college days, we knew that the Town of Orange was a speed trap as speed limits go from 55 to 45 to 35 to 25mph. And for 46 years, I’ve been able to slow down and creep through town.
I may have been distracted, talking with Meg on the phone, I may have been just following the cars in front of me, or I don’t have a good feel of speed in my new car. Anyway, when I saw the police car coming towards me, I looked at my speedometer. 44mph in a 25 zone. Oops.
Her lights popped on. Fortunately, I only got a warning. Being an old white guy with a positive 5 points on my driving record is a benefit. I tried to remember when was the last time I was pulled over for excessive speed, 1993.
I made it to the parking lot at JPJ by 6:15 pm. Traffic in town was light, and based on the number of cars in the lot, I would not have known there was a game in the city.
Usually, cars pack this lot. Of course, since 2009, I’ve only been to Tech games.
Around 6:40 pm, I walked the mile to Scott Stadium. There were only a few people wearing masks on the walk, and the one guy who sneezed didn’t cover. I guess he was born in a barn.
We were supposed to be masks at the stadium from when we stood in the entry line until we were in our seats. I did pull up my gaiter. Most others did not bother.
UVA has instituted a “digital-only” ticket policy. This procedure reduced the number of staff and touchpoints. I had to learn how to use G Pay to load and use my G Pay Wallet tickets.
Walking through the concourse, most were maskless. I made my way to my seat, arriving about 20 minutes before kick-off.
Looking around the stadium, the student section and the north hill were filling up. The student section in the upper deck only had a few seats filled. UVA required COVID vaccinations for all students and staff. The university disenrolled about 300 students for not being vaccinated without a valid exception. It would be interesting to see COVID data from student health.
Watching the TV broadcast, the producers angled their crowd shots toward the student section, making the stadium look full. Looking to the upper deck and the south end zone, there were many empty seats and a mostly empty upper deck. My initial guess was 35,000 in attendance.
UVA is a very liberal school. It was one of the hotbeds of the PC movement in the 1980s, along with UW-Madison. Liberal in accepting of others and following the safe science. Still, there are stories from the Black Student Alliance that give me the feeling that we are still in the 1960s. And, the “not gay” cheer inserted into the Good Old Song makes me wonder. I’m the old white male conservative blamed for this hate. I hoped we had progressed.
The game went well. William and Mary went three and out for their first five possessions and did not get a first down until 8 minutes remaining in the first half. UVA has had difficulties against FCS first opponents in recent years. After a sluggish first quarter, Coach Mendenhall had the team prepared. UVA had no turnovers and only two penalties and rolled to a big win.
Between the first and second quarters, they introduced the NCAA Champion UVA Women’s Swim team. The team included four medalists from the Tokyo Olympics.
Either I’m losing my hearing, or the crowd was not very loud. Even the volume from the student section did not filter over to my seats. And, I could not hear the referee’s mic at times.
It was strange that they played recorded versions of the Cavalier Song and the Good Old Song after scores. The band was in the stands. I’m sure they know the music. The band did have a marimba section as part of the half-time show. That’s unique.
By the fourth quarter, the student section cleared out, heading to the library to study. The announced attendance was 42,982, with probably 12,000 in the student section. I’m glad to see they are supporting their classmates.