Editor's note: This story has been updated to indicate that the Ohio vs. Virginia game is scheduled to move to Nashville, Tennessee, due to the forecasted effects of Hurricane Florence. Click here to read more.
Correction appended.
Ohio is scheduled to travel to Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday for a 3:00 p.m. tilt with Virginia. However, due to Hurricane Florence's forecasted effects, the game is scheduled to be moved to Nashville, Tennessee.
Whether the game will be played in Charlottesville or not, the football program isn't the only thing Virginia has to offer. Here are five fun facts about the University of Virginia:
1. Jefferson’s child
Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the U.S., founded the University of Virginia. Jefferson pushed for the university at various times during his presidency, and he was adamant it be established.
The cornerstone was laid for the first building, which would later be the University of Virginia, on Oct. 6, 1817. Freemasons, a band and judges joined Jefferson, James Monroe and James Madison for the building’s commencement.
2. Woman in charge
Carla Williams, Virginia’s athletic director, is one of the few female athletic directors in Division I sports. She followed Craig Littlepage, who was with the Cavaliers the 16 years prior to Williams’ tenure.
3. Upset(s) for the ages
Entering the 2017 NCAA basketball tournament, a No. 16 seed had never beaten a No. 1 seed. But then the University of Maryland, Baltimore County was matched up with the top seed in the entire tournament field: Virginia. The Cavaliers were a 20.5-point favorite, and they lost to UMBC by 20 in one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history. UMBC went on to the Sweet 16, while Virginia was sent home early, shocked by the loss. Virginia was also on the losing side of another huge upset in college basketball history. The Cavaliers, led by two-time National Player of the Year Ralph Sampson, were stunned by Chaminade, a NAIA school in Hawaii, in 1982.
4. Edgar Allan Poe — and others
Although Edgar Allan Poe didn’t graduate from the University of Virginia, he attended it from Feb. 14, 1826 to Dec. 15, 1826, when he dropped out. While he was enrolled, he penned a letter detailing the Rotunda’s potential completion. Other famous people — who actually graduated from UVA — are: former Sen. Robert Kennedy, FBI Director Robert Mueller, 28th President Woodrow Wilson, 32nd President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Charles T. Pepper (the original Dr Pepper), Katie Couric, Pulitzer Prize winner Lane DeGregory and Tina Fey.
5. Nationally ranked town
Yes, Charlottesville, Virginia, has been in the news for the wrong reasons over the past 13 months, but it’s actually a great place to be, according to National Geographic. Charlottesville is on the list of top 20 small cities in the U.S. Tucked into the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, Charlottesville is known for its history, foliage and the beautiful “grounds” at UVA. Don’t call it a campus. The university doesn’t like that. It’s “grounds.”
Correction: A previous version of this article included incorrect information about when the university opened and who was there. The report has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
