Blacksburg, Va. (September 6, 2024) – Virginia Tech announced the launch of a new officially licensed merchandise collaboration with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group Metallica that pays homage to the band’s “Enter Sandman” hit played at each home football game. This specially designed co-branded collection features Virginia Tech’s trademarks, original sketches by university artist Steven White, and identifiable elements of Metallica and their iconic song. 

Introduced in 2000 as the soundtrack for the football team’s pregame hype video, the playing of “Enter Sandman” at Lane Stadium has become a beloved tradition for the Hokies. The new merchandise collection, produced through university licensee Original Retro Brand, honors this tradition and seeks to elevate it through co-branded products reminiscent of classic, vintage concert merchandise, allowing fans to share the thrill of rocking the stadium both on and off campus.

Regarded by many as college football’s most powerful entrance, “Enter Sandman” was an accidental tradition that began when Virginia Tech installed its first videoboard in Lane Stadium and needed a new team entrance song for its August 27, 2000, game. The song was quick to catch on with fans, and the rhythmic jumping came into play during one particularly chilly night game in 2001 when the Virginia Tech band members started jumping up and down while the song played to keep warm. Now accompanied by fireworks and pyrotechnics, “Enter Sandman’s” noise and fanfare has been known to shake the stadium to the level of setting off area seismographs. 

“There is absolutely nothing like the experience of “Enter Sandman” on a game day in Blacksburg, and our fans have been wanting product honoring this tradition for years,” said Renee Alarid, Director of Brand Management and Trademark Licensing, Virginia Tech. “We are thrilled to work with Metallica and our licensing partners to deliver this specially curated collection to our passionate Hokies fans.” 

The new Virginia Tech x Metallica Collection was developed by Virginia Tech’s Licensing and Athletics Department in collaboration with CLC, the nation’s leading collegiate trademark licensing company and the university’s exclusive licensing agency. CLC leveraged its industry relationships on behalf of Virginia Tech to bring together the band and leading sports fashion licensee Original Retro Brand to create this vintage-style collection.

“Enter Sandman and the unmatched fan intensity at Lane Stadium is one of the great experiences in college sports, and we’re excited to collaborate with Virginia Tech to expand this amazing tradition to a customized merchandise collaboration with Metallica,” said Nicole Armentrout, CLC’s SVP of Marketing. “Our goal is to help bring unique experiences and traditions like this one into the marketplace so that passionate Hokie fans can relive and showcase the great moments well beyond game day.”

Virginia Tech x Metallica merchandise is available for sale at the Virginia Tech bookstores, the Hokie Shop, the Hokie Sports Shop, Campus Emporium, Alumni Hall, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

The collection will also be featured at a special pop-up shop event hosted by licensee Original Retro Brand and its signature Airstream trailer. Fans can purchase this exclusive merchandise on September 6 on College Avenue near Lyric Theatre and September 7 in Hokie Village before the football home opener against Marshall.

“This merchandise collaboration is a testament to the powerful connection between music, sports, and fashion, and we’re beyond excited to be help deliver it,” Rob Johnson, Vice President, Original Retro Brand. “By blending Metallica’s iconic imagery with Virginia Tech’s storied athletic tradition, we are creating something truly unique that resonates with fans on multiple levels.”

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. As the Commonwealth of Virginia’s most comprehensive university and a leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers about 280 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 38,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students across the commonwealth. The university fulfills its role as a land-grant institution by fostering a collaborative environment that integrates technology into all disciplines, so that the Virginia Tech community can serve as a force for positive change around the commonwealth, the country, and the world.

Media Contact:

Tammy Purves, CLC, tammy.purves@clc.com, 770-799-3275.