Jared Shanker, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Virginia Tech checks out 'Battle at Bristol' field

The game won’t be played for another 16 months, but the anticipation is building for what is being hailed as "The Battle at Bristol."

On Sept. 10, 2016, Tennessee and Virginia Tech will travel to Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, and play inside the venue that has become famous for hosting some of NASCAR’s most exciting races. On Sunday, pictures of the field's outlines were posted to Twitter.

Bristol officials are expecting a crowd in the ballpark of 150,000, which would shatter the previous NCAA single-game attendance record of 115,109, which Michigan set in 2013.

The Volunteers and Hokies are rebuilding, but 2015 is expected to be a turnaround season for both teams. By 2016, Tennessee’s young players will have all the experience they need, and the Hokies should have an ACC-championship caliber roster that year.

However, if neither team offers much excitement on the infield playing surface, maybe school administration can occupy interests by trading paint on the track a few times at 120 mph.

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