Life on Center Street

BLACKSBURG, Va. (Oct. 30, 2025) - Center Street is known by Virginia Tech students as a hub for tailgating on Football game days, made possible by the people and organizations that reside there.

“Center Street is the lifeblood of the Virginia Tech tailgating community,” Robbie Morgan, Center Street resident, said. “This is honestly the most fun place to be in all of Blacksburg on a gameday, and really this is where the students congregate, and this is where everyone wants to be.”

Hundreds of people come to Center Street during game days, and along with them comes their trash. Those living on the street and hosting tailgates have to make extra preparations to accommodate, including Chase Hensley, another Center Street resident.

“We typically make sure we put up fences, and make sure we have people in place in case other people try to come in,” Hensley said. “We also make sure there are an ample amount of porta-potties and there’s people assigned to pick up trash after a tailgate.”

Residents also work with the Blacksburg Police Department and the Virginia Tech Police Department to keep the street managed. Officers are present around the area on game days handing out water, setting up porta-potties and remaining diligent if anything were to go wrong.

Hensley shared that tailgates along the street are the safest option for the school and the students because of the police management and quick ability to reach students, as so many are in the same area.

Despite the added responsibilities and thoughtfulness that are required going into each game day, residents share that there’s no place they’d rather be.

“If you are somebody who really enjoys the socialization aspect of college, there’s not a better place to live in all of Blacksburg,” Morgan said.

According to Morgan, each game day participant should come with their Virginia Tech uniform, consisting of a Peter Millar polo, khaki shorts and white shoes. He also urges people to come with a willingness to have a good time without the expectation that it will be a normal tailgate.

Many of the residents are also members of Fraternity organizations, which sign up with the Interfraternity Council to tidy up the street on a specific day. They, along with Fraternity and Sorority Life, will task two to three organizations with this process per game day, and provide about 10 people total. Clean up begins around 9 a.m. the following day. Doing so ensures the litter does not get out of hand.

Even so, trash inevitably gets left behind along the street and by Fraternity and Sorority houses. Much like the preparation work, residents have shared that the benefits of living in one of the largest student tailgate areas outweigh the extra clutter around the street, and is something they knew before moving there.

“There’s a lot of people around it's very packed, it's really fun, and very loud. But all good things,” Heather Hughes, Center Street resident, said.

Going to Center Street is a long-standing Virginia Tech game day tradition that is carried on by the hard work of its residents.