Collegiate Times

In anticipation of successful football seasons, travel agencies in the Blacksburg and Roanoke area have established package deals for Hokie fans who want to travel to bowl games and championships all over the United States.

University Travel, the official agency of the Virginia Tech Hokie Club and Beamerball.com in Blacksburg, has offered travel packages to fans for over 15 years.

This year's ACC Championship package, offered to all Virginia Tech fans, includes a luxury motor coach providing transportation to and from the game and hotel rooms, Hokie Club Headquarters hotel The Crowne Plaza Riverwalk, and an ACC Championship name badge.

University Travel is willing to offer such a package for these games because, "it's the business we're in, and it's what we do and what we love," said Sara Brown, president of University Travel.

As of Nov. 29, 397 of the 400 packages for the ACC Championship have been sold to fans. In the case of a win in Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, University Travel will offer another package for the Orange Bowl game.

This package would consist of a three-night schedule including flight arrangements, hotel room, police escort to the stadium, and a party. The packages are arranged so that they can be applied to any bowl game Virginia Tech may go to. Motor coaches maybe made available depending on the game, as well.

"We love Hokies, and following Hokies," Brown said.

Two other agencies have also worked to provide Hokie fans with ACC Championship and/or bowl packages. Martin Travel in Roanoke will offer Orange Bowl packages to fans, provided a Jacksonville win from Virginia Tech, which will become available on Saturday after the game. The package would include a three-night stay at one of two hotels, a chartered flight from Roanoke and tickets.

The price of the package hasn't yet been set, but will range between $1,000 to $1500 per person. Like University Travel, Martin Travel has been offering packages like this for over 15 years.

With a few packages left, the Motorcoach bound for Jacksonville will leave tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. The package includes the Motorcoach transportation and a two-night stay in a hotel.

Following the game on Saturday, bowl packages will become available on Sunday night or Monday morning for whichever bowl Tech competes in.

"It would be a wonderful thing for the school and team to win and go to the orange bowl. We need to have a lot of Hokies down there to support the team," said Bonnie Martin, Travel Counselor of World Travel Services.

These packages provide Hokie fans with an easier way to pay for transportation, automatic hotel reservations and tickets. The willingness to provide packages by these companies comes from long time support of the team.

The package will be open to anyone who wants to buy it and can be manipulated to fit the desires of the customer.

"They can be bundled and unbundled and you'll be able to pick what you want to do," said Mel Ludovici, president of Martin Travel.

So far, approximately 2000 people have pre-registered for the bowl. Anyone interested in attending the bowl game can go to the site and pre-register now.

Brown says that pre-registering allows fans to know after the game in Jacksonville that they are set and ready to go for bowl season.