Ticket sales for football game between Tennessee and Virginia Tech, set for Sept. 10, 2016 at Bristol Motor Speedway remain brisk.

It's not just the fans the teams that are buying them either.

Race fans also are eager to see one of that sport's most unique venues transformed, according to a report Tuesday from the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Bristol Motor Speedway Executive Vice President Jerry Caldwell told the paper that sales to BMS season ticket holders have exceeded expectations. Wednesday, the next phase of the sale begins when anyone who attended a Sprint Cup or NHRA event this year can make a ticket deposit.

"Obviously, Tennessee fans and Virginia Tech fans are really enthusiastic and excited about this and they've been clamoring for tickets," Caldwell said, according to the News Sentinel. "But what's really blown me away is that we have some fans that are so enthusiastic that don't have an allegiance to one team over the other. They know this is going to be an epic event that people are going to be talking about 50 years from now. A lot of (BMS) season-ticket holders from other states -- Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California -- they want to be here for the event."

From the News Sentinel:

Tennessee sold out its 40,000 seat allotment by January of 2014 for the game scheduled for Sept. 10, 2016. Caldwell said Virginia Tech is ahead of schedule selling its 40,000 tickets.

Ticket sales to the general public will begin sometime next spring or summer. Caldwell estimates, though, that only a limited number of seats will remain at that point.