Five Opponents We Would Like to See on Future Virginia Tech Football Schedules

Scheduling is of course a big deal in college football, especially with the expanded playoff and the ACC's new tiered system of revenue sharing. Getting marquee out of conference opponents in potential primetime games is something that every ACC school is going to be doing going forward and there are not many gameday situations that are bettter than Virginia Tech hosting a big time team in Lane Stadium under the lights.

This season, Virginia Tech is starting the year off with one of those games in Atlanta, GA against South Carolina and have future home and home series set up with Ole Miss, Alabama, Arizona, BYU, and of course every other year, they are going to be playing Notre Dame as part of their scheduling agreement with the ACC.

With that in mind, here are some opponents we would like to see on future schedules for the Hokies or teams we would like to see stay on the schedule for future dates.

James Madison

Scheduled for the 2026 season, James Madison and Virginia Tech have met just seven times despite their close proximity of roughly 140 miles. While the Hokies dominate the series with a 6-1 advantage, the Dukes hold the latest victory, having upset Virginia Tech in their most recent clash back in 2010.

Maryland

Virginia Tech and Maryland last squared off in the 2021 Pinstripe Bowl, but their most recent regular season meeting dates back to 2013. Despite being neighboring states and having played 32 times in their history, with Maryland holding a narrow 17-15 edge, the teams have met only eight times since 1950.

Tennessee

Neighboring Virginia Tech to the west Tennessee has not faced Virginia Tech since 2016. That matchup was the Battle at Bristol which set the record as the most attended college football game in history, drawing 156,990 fans to Bristol Motor Speedway. Despite sharing a regional connection, the two teams have met only nine times, with their last game at one of their home stadiums dating back to 1937. Reviving this rivalry — even at a neutral site — would offer the Hokies a prime opportunity to play spoiler.

West Virginia

The most-played matchup in this group, Virginia Tech and West Virginia have met 54 times since their first showdown in 1912. The Mountaineers lead the all-time series 30-23-1 and currently hold the Black Diamond Trophy, awarded to the winner since 1997. Once an annual matchup — played every year from 1973 to 2005 — the rivalry has tailed away since Virginia Tech's move to the ACC. Making this rivalry a regular matchup again would bring back the meaning of the Black Diamond Trophy.

Wisconsin

Originally scheduled as a home-and-home series in 2006, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin have postponed their matchup multiple times due to scheduling conflicts. The series was initially set for 2008 and 2009, then rescheduled for 2016 and 2017, followed by 2019 and 2020, then 2024 and 2025, before finally landing on 2031 and 2032. If the latest dates hold, the Hokies will host Wisconsin in Blacksburg in 2031 and travel to Madison in 2032. Having never faced each other in program history, the long-awaited showdown could deliver an exciting battle between the Big Ten and ACC.

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