What the heck is a Hokie?!
In 1896, Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College changed its name to Virginia Polytechnic Institute. In order to celebrate the name change, the school held a contest to produce a new school cheer for its fledgling football program (Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical began club play in 1891). Virginia Tech senior O.M Stull won the contest with his “Old Hoki” cheer, which is still used today. Stull later admitted the term “Hoki” had no specific meaning, but was just a nonsense word that he had made up to grab some attention for his cheer. The tactic worked, as the letter “e” was eventually added and the “Hokie yell” personified the school’s spirit until the late 1970s, when “Hokie” became the official nickname for Tech’s teams. Today, the term “Hokie” simply describes a loyal Virginia Tech fan. The Hokie Bird Tech Football: The Past Virginia Tech first grabbed national attention in 1905, when the “Gobblers” (its former nickname) went 9-1 behind future College Football Hall of Fame
