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Virginia Tech game could break attendance record

Posted at 8:23 AM, Oct 10, 2013
and last updated 2013-10-10 08:39:51-04

BRISTOL, Tenn. (WTVR) – It’s an event that has been talked about for years, a football game at Bristol Motor Speedway, where a record 160,000 fans could be in attendance. It would be the largest crowd to ever watch a football game of any type.

For over a decade Bristol Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith says he has tried to turn his NASCAR track into a football stadium for one game, Virginia Tech Hokies against the Tennessee Volunteers.

Now it appears Smith finally has everything in place to announce it, this coming Monday.

CBS’ Bruce Feldman reports that Hokies Athletic Director Jim Weaver and Tennessee have agreed to play football in 2016 at Bristol Motor Speedway.  The field would be placed in the infield.

Bristol Motor Speedway holds about 160,000 fans for NASCAR, the speedway is about halfway between the two campuses, making it an ideal spot for fans of both teams. About 110 miles northeast of Knoxville, Tenn., and 125 miles southwest of Blacksburg, Va.

This will be the first time the two schools have met since the 2009 Peach Bowl, and the ninth meeting ever. Of course the last meeting to take place during the regular season was in 1937.

This September, Michigan announced a record crowd of 115,109 for its defeat of Notre Dame, breaking a record from 2011, the previous time the teams played at Michigan Stadium.