Hokies
Hokies is the official name of Virginia Tech's sports teams. Fans, students, and alumni of Virginia Tech are also referred to as Hokies. The Hokie Bird, modeled after a large turkey, has been the official sport mascot of Virginia Tech since 1961.
Origins
According to the school handbook, the Hokies name originated in the 1890s. In 1896 the team was in need of increased spirit and attendance. A competition was held for a spirit cheer and O.M. Stull, a member of the Class of 1896, invented the word "Hokie" as part of the winning cheer, now known as the Old Hokie. "Hokie" was a nonsensical word used as an attention-getter in the cheer. Stull received a $5 prize. Around 1908, Tech students began referring to student athletes as "Gobblers" because of the way they "gobbled" up ample servings of food at the dining halls. In 1913, a local boy serving as a clown mascot had a large turkey pull him in a cart at football games. From then on, fans and sportswriters associated the gobbler with Tech's athletic teams, and for many years the school's official name for its sports teams was the Fighting Gobblers; though the term Hokies was widely used, the official designation was only changed in the mid-1980s by then-football coach and athletic director Bill Dooley. A costumed Gobbler mascot (now the Hokie Bird) was introduced during games in 1962, and has been a symbol of school spirit ever since.