Virginia Sports
The University of Virginia football team trounced North Carolina State 34-8 in its August 29 season opener in front of a sold-out crowd at Scott Stadium.
Hopes were already high for the Hoos ahead of Saturday’s game, the first sell out since 2008, with UVA coming off the 2025-26 season with the most wins in program history and much success in the transfer portal. The Cavs’ decisive win against the Wolfpack reinforced fans’ excitement, but Head Coach Tony Elliott, who has led the Hoos for five seasons, says there’s more to be done.
“Several years ago when we showed up as a staff, this is what we envisioned that it felt like pregame,” he said at a press conference after the game. “You know it when you feel it. … It hopefully proves to everybody what we’re capable of here.”
“My hope is that every time we show up to Scott Stadium, that’s the energy that we create,” Elliott added, “because, truly, you can see now the guys feed off of it and they play to that energy.”
Virginia’s next football game is September 11, when UVA faces Norfolk State at Scott Stadium after a bye week. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm.
Learning legacy
Efforts to revive the local chapter of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library are in full swing following the death of the music icon, with Martin Horn Helps the new affiliate, according to an August 28 announcement. As of August 31, more than $2,500 has been donated through MHH. Thousands of kids statewide have joined the free monthly book program since Parton’s death, per Quick Start Children of Virginia, bringing enrollment up to 97,600 in the Commonwealth.
To learn more about or support the local chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, visit martinhornhelps.org/dolly-parton-imagination-library.
