They’re in different strata of the college football world now, but for decades, the annual Virginia Tech-VMI game was the “Military Classic of the South,” a Thanksgiving Day tradition hosted almost every year in Roanoke from 1913 to 1971.
With the two programs set to meet in a Sept. 5 season opener in Blacksburg, University Libraries at Virginia Tech is offering fans an inside look at the history behind one of the state’s oldest rivalries
The collection curated by the library features hundreds of artifacts donated by former players and their families tracing the history of the series from its inaugural game in 1894 through its final regularly scheduled contest in 1984.
The materials include game programs, photographs, newspaper clippings, playbooks, student publications, trophies and memorabilia.
“It was a heated rivalry and a very important game,” said Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame member Mike Burnop, who played against VMI twice during his career with the Hokies.
“This game meant something to us. There was a lot on the line, it seemed like every year,” said Burnop, a long-time voice of Virginia Tech Athletics on the school’s radio broadcasts.
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Chris Graham
