<p>[UVA</a> Rated No. 1 Party School by Playboy - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather](<a href=“http://www.nbc29.com/story/19635233/uva-rated-no-1-party-school-by-playboy]UVA”>http://www.nbc29.com/story/19635233/uva-rated-no-1-party-school-by-playboy)</p>
<p>That discussion has been going on for 40 years. There are plenty of colleges that are true party schools, but UVa is not at the top of the list as far as quantity. If I see students of a college regularly going out and doing heavy drinking on Monday, Tuesday, Wedn. nights, etc., then that is a party school.</p>
<p>I think someone at Playboy made this up to get more people talking about the ranking. We are OOS and the UVA students I know complain that they have much harder classes and more work while their friends back home who went to our state school are partying away. UVA students have fun but by no means are they the top party school.</p>
<p>Personally, I find it hard to believe UVa is the #1 party school. This is not to say that UVa isn’t a lot of fun (it totally is!), but when I think of the #1 party school, the UVa of 2012 doesn’t come to mind. The UVa of 1982 does. Now, this article highlights when UVa truly was the #1 party school. </p>
<p><a href=“http://uvamagazine.org/retrospect/article/1982_the_rise_and_fall_of_easters/#.UGPlEbRvnL9[/url]”>http://uvamagazine.org/retrospect/article/1982_the_rise_and_fall_of_easters/#.UGPlEbRvnL9</a></p>
<p>Now, all of this was well before my time, but I’ve heard sooooo many stories from alums who were UVa students in the 1970’s and 80’s who can attest to the legendary party weekends on Grounds (i.e. Easters, Mid-Winters, Mid-Summers), which people drove cross-country to party at UVa. So, personally, if there aren’t tens of thousands of students partying in Mad Bowl these days, then UVa can’t truly be #1 (or at least the #1 of yesteryear).</p>
<p>I also want to add that from the stories I’ve heard from alums and old UVa deans, the party scene at UVa back in the 70’s & 80’s were so over-the-top that Playboy back then didn’t even rank UVa as the #1 party school. They had a footnote that said, “That one institution, the University of Virginia, is a class all by itself.” I think the University of Virginia of today doesn’t resemble that old UVa at all. I think UVa is a lot more academic these days.</p>
<p>Globalist: </p>
<p>Believe it or not, but back in 1981, I actually spent an hour going through microfilm of Playboy magazines in the bowels of Alderman trying to find that supposed statement about UVa being in a league by itself. (By the way, there is no thrill in looking at blury black and white microfilmed pictures of women). The statement about UVa didn’t exist. Over the years, I’ve heard alums from other colleges make the exact same claim. Good story, but urban legend. </p>
<p>In any case, there was way too much alcohol consumption back then, but it was mainly confined to the weekends.</p>
<p>Wow, I love the intel. It’s great that you did the research. LOL. It was even a dean who told me that.</p>
<p>Charlieschm, </p>
<p>Hmmm…that’s so strange that CC put my last comment at the top of the thread even before the OP’s post. Perhaps it’s bug with the CC iPhone app.</p>
<p>TheSaber dot com (a forum for UVa sports fans) was actually talking about this yesterday, debating if this was urban myth. One member finally came forward with the information that it was Sports Illustrated (9/15/80), not Playboy, that made the comment. I won’t quote the entire text as it’s it’s too long (against TOS). The full length is here:</p>
<p>[TheSabre.com</a> - Football Message Board Message](<a href=“University of Virginia football, basketball, and recruiting | TheSabre.com”>University of Virginia football, basketball, and recruiting | TheSabre.com)</p>
<p>The important part is as follows:
</p>
<p>Now, SI may have indeed printed this, but it wasn’t true. If the text is valid, this is most certainly where the rumor started.</p>