Virginia Tech fans pack downtown Blacksburg for March Madness

BLACKSBURG, Va. (WDBJ) - It felt like a fall Saturday in Blacksburg as hours before tip-off of the Virginia Tech-Texas NCAA Tournament game, Tech students packed the downtown area.

“We got here at 1 o’clock, bar was empty, hour later it was packed. I’ve never seen Hokie energy as much as it was right now,” said David Conroy, a senior at Tech.

“Coming here, just seeing the town up and coming, everyone in Hokie gear once again. Especially in the spring, usually you only see this in the fall,” said Jason Mizia, a junior at Tech.

The excitement was there before the game against Texas tipped off, and lines were out the door at bars like Sharkey’s.

“I know it’s only the first round but I think what happened last weekend gives us a lot of confidence for tonight, which is very helpful,” said Abby Larson, a senior at Tech, who is also on the VT Swimming and Diving Team.

“We’re all celebrating together, everyone’s so hyped for it,” said Haley Gordon, a junior at Tech.

But it just wasn’t the Hokies’ day. A strong second-half from Texas saw the Longhorns beat Tech 81-73.

“It’s tough. It’s sad but I’m still happy for the boys and I’m glad we got our first ACC Championship,” said Mizia.

“We’ve been here for four years and really haven’t won much since. So the fact that we came out here this season winning the ACC, that was big,” said Mason Moriarty, a senior at Tech.

Though it didn’t go the way they wanted, Hokie fans still have high hopes for the basketball team’s future.