It’s Week 11, and Charlottesville is buzzing. The Virginia Cavaliers are having one of their most electrifying seasons in decades, going unbeaten in ACC play, sitting at 8-1. It’s the kind of season that has alumni pulling out their old jerseys. The stakes are extremely high when Wake Forest arrives in town for the community is witnessing something extraordinary after years of waiting.

Virginia Athletics aren’t taking any chances in expectation of an almost near-capacity crowd. They’ve installed Open Gate advanced screening technology, which is intended to make entrance up to three times faster. It would be a miracle for anybody who’s ever stood outside Scott Stadium with kickoff only minutes away. Every gate now has additional ticket scanners, ensuring fans don’t have to wait in line to get in.

In anticipation of a near-capacity crowd, Virginia Athletics has implemented several changes to today’s experience.

Open Gate advanced screening technology is expected to increase security speed by 3x.#GoHoos

— Virginia Cavaliers (@VirginiaSports) November 8, 2025

Even after the game, UVA has extra shuttle vans to assist fans in returning home. All of this is a part of the program’s growing effort to provide a top-notch game-day experience to match the team’s on-field success.

And honestly, this team deserves every bit of that energy. Even in the face of three thrilling overtime games and close finishes, the Cavaliers have managed to win. It feels like history is being written with each snap. It seems quite unreal that they are the only ACC team now projected in the CFP debate.

Virginia faces its biggest test

The Virginia Cavaliers are now officially a part of the national College Football Playoff discussion and are no longer just the silent overachievers of the ACC. Tony Elliott’s team has converted close calls and they are currently undefeated in ACC conference play. Elliott said, “And truth be told, it doesn’t matter what you rank today.You wanna worry about the one after that first week in December. That’s really what the focus is. And so what happens today doesn’t matter, right?” But for a team that hasn’t started this strong in 35 years, it makes sense why the city is buzzing.

But not everyone believes that the Cavaliers are a dream team. Virginia is constantly on upset alert, according to analysts like Josh Pate and David Pollack. They warn that the team’s close victories and late-game magic won’t last forever. Pate referred to the clash with Wake Forest as “their first true test as a playoff contender.” His worries about turnovers and complacency caused his “upset alert” meter to score a six out of 10. “I put Virginia on upset alert every week. They’re gonna be in a close game. That’s absolutely going to happen,” Pollack said, reflecting the same thing. The message? The line between creating history and heartbreak is pretty thin.

Yet Virginia’s story may not end that soon. The Cavaliers have battled through every storm, under quarterback Chandler Morris and a defense that never collapses. They are ranked at No.14 which is their highest in the playoff era. Joel Klatt claims that the CFP committee “hates the ACC,” but that won’t matter if Virginia continues to win. The only ACC team with real control over its destiny is the Cavaliers. They have just three games left until their much-awaited journey to Charlotte.