UVA Football coach Tony Elliott told me a few years back, shortly after arriving in Charlottesville, that he hoped to enter Scott Stadium to a packed house someday.
This Saturday, Elliott may come close to finally getting his wish.
The ‘Hoos, now 8-1, 5-0 in ACC play, will race out of the locker room as the ACC’s top team when they host Wake Forest Saturday evening for a 7 p.m. kick-off.
The Cavaliers are a perfect 5-0 in Scott Stadium this season.
Quite a turnaround for Elliott, who started the season with a 6-12 mark in his first three seasons in Charlottesville.
More about that ‘packed-house’ possibility
For the record, the official capacity of Scott Stadium is 61,500.
The largest Scott Stadium attendance was 64,947 for UVA’s 2008 season opener against a star-studded Southern Cal squad.
The fire marshal must have been out of town that particular Saturday.
This season, the largest crowd for a home game has been 56,107, against Washington State in mid-October.
In fact, the only other game to exceed 50,000 this year was the FSU game on a Friday night in September.
That may change Saturday night.
A UVA Athletics Ticket Office representative told me this morning that ticket sales for Saturday’s game had been building momentum all week.
When asked if reaching 60,000 was within reach, the reply was, “Yes, if things keep moving the way they are.”
The weather looks perfect for Saturday evening in Charlottesville, with clear skies and a mid-60-degree temperature forecast at game time.
Elliott may be thisclose to getting his packed-house wish.
All-time biggest Scott Stadium crowds
- 64,947 vs. Southern Cal on Aug. 30, 2008
- 63,701 vs. Miami on Nov. 12, 2004
- 63,344 vs. Virginia Tech on Nov. 19, 2005
- 63,106 vs. Florida State on Oct. 15, 2005
- 63,072 vs. Maryland on Nov. 6, 2004