Ohio State to Join Virginia Tech in Honoring Slain WDBJ-7 Journalists

Just days after the Virginia Tech athletics department announced its football team would don patches honoring the slain journalists from WDBJ-7 in Monday night’s season opener with defending national champion Ohio State, the OSU athletics department has been permission to wear the patches as well.

Ohio State asked permission to wear the patches on Labor Day night, and were promptly granted permission by the Hokies.

The patches are white with a large No. 7 in the middle for WDBJ-7, based in Roanoke. The No. 7 will is surrounded by teal and maroon ribbons on either side — the teal honoring reporter Alison Parker’s favorite color, and the maroon honoring cameraman Adam Ward’s alumnae status from Virginia Tech. The patches will be placed on the back of each helmet for both teams.

The game in Lane Stadium in Blacksburg will also be preceded with a 30 second moment of silence in the memory of Parker and Ward.

“Ohio State expressed a desire to show its solidarity with Virginia Tech in remembering the vibrant lives of Alison Parker and Adam Ward,” Virginia Tech Director of Athletics Whit Babcock said in a recent news release. “Coach Beamer and I both agreed it was a wonderful gesture on the part of Gene Smith (Ohio State AD), Urban Meyer (head coach) and the Buckeyes. We hope fans of both teams join us in hopefully providing some solace to the friends, families and co-workers who continue to miss Alison and Adam.”

The game between Virginia Tech and Ohio State is slated to kick off on Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day) at 8 p.m. Last year, Virginia Tech was the only team to defeat Ohio State on its path to a 14-1 record and national championship.

Image credit: Virginia Tech athletics department