By Stephenson Beck
The inaugural home opener of Scott Stadium, Virginia’s newly renovated stadium, was a disappointment for some Virginia fans who attended.
But for loyal BYU fans, the game turned out beautifully.
The 61,500 seat stadium was filled to near capacity, and that included close to 2,000 BYU fans, said Dori Allred from Ashburn, Va.
A pep rally was held 20 minutes from the stadium, which included President Merrill J. Bateman, the cheer squad and Cosmo, Allred said.
Allred took her family on the long trip, which included her son Chad, a BYU sophomore leaving on a mission in November.
“It took three hours to get there. I would have traveled five or six hours for that game,” Allred said.
Some fans drove even more than that.
BYU fans traveled from Arizona, Washington, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey, said Teresa Barker from Sterling, Va. Barker had friends come from Detroit for the game.
“I would be guessing it probably took 12 to 14 hours each way for them,” Barker said.
After the game, the BYU fans stayed in the stadium to cheer on their team.
“The players came right next to the stand and acknowledged the fans,” said Valerie Reese, from Ashburn, Va. “Then LaVell and his wife came over and waved to the crowd. It was really neat that they were so appreciative of the fans who drove a long way. It was worth every penny.”
Some BYU fans from around the country take unusual measures to follow their favorite team.
Reese did so on her mission, which was during the 1984 National Championship season.
“On Sundays I would wake up an hour early, sneak over to the neighbor’s porch, unfold their paper, read the sports section, fold it back and put the rubber band back on, then sneak back over to my place,” Reese said. “Then it was guaranteed that half the mission would call me that night to get the score.”
