A new era of UVA sports kicks off this weekend when UVA football hosts Richmond! Do you want to learn more about our beloved orange and blue before the season starts so you have some insights to share with your friends next time you watch a game? If so, check out 100 Things Virginia Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, written by local alumnus Brian Leung (COL 2005 & LAW 2008).
The book covers 100 stories of the most memorable people, games, and moments in UVA sports history. It starts with a story about the great Ralph Sampson, 3-time NCAA Player of the Year and arguably the most dominant athlete who ever attended UVA. The next 99 stories cover everything from the highest of highs, such as UVA football reaching the #1 national ranking in 1990, to the lowest of lows, including top ranked UVA basketball’s fateful 1982 loss to Chiminade. The book also features several lesser known stories, such as UVA threatening to leave the NCAA in 1950, that will teach UVA fans more about the program we already know and love.
Triumph Books had a series on traditions and stories that fans of several large college and professional teams should know and do, but they were missing a volume on UVA. As a lifelong UVA sports fan and dedicated young alumni leader who currently serves as President of UVA’s Young Alumni Council and formerly served as Sports Chair for the UVA Club of Washington, Brian was the perfect candidate to write the book. Triumph Books approached Brian about writing the book in February 2015. Brian spent the next year and a half conducting extensive primary and secondary research, interviewing noteworthy UVA sports figures such as Terry Holland, who wrote the introduction, and reading nearly every newspaper article written on UVA sports in the past 100 years. Brian compiled his research into an entertaining and educational collection of the best, worst, and strangest things that UVA fans have ever experienced.
Regardless of whether you are a first year UVA fan or a seasoned veteran, 100 Things Virginia Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die will be an entertaining read.