Virginia Tech Football: Several Future Games vs. Old Dominion No Longer Scheduled

“As we continue to evaluate and align our future non-conference schedules with the evolving landscape of college football, we’ve made a strategic decision — mutually agreed upon by both programs — to alter the number of games in the series [with Old Dominion],” Babcock said in Virginia Tech's press release. “We’re grateful for the competitive games we’ve shared and we appreciate the flexibility and partnership from Old Dominion as we work to adapt in this new environment.”

One interesting tidbit to note: per the Hokies' press release, they have pledged to host a men's basketball game against Old Dominion by the 2027-28 season. Per Tech Sideline's Andy Bitter, there was also no buyout involved in regards to cancelling the four football contests and per Pilot Online's David Teel, the original contract "called for $500,000 in damages for each canceled game," but that "the guarantees the Hokies will pay Old Dominion for the three remaining Blacksburg dates supersede the original deal."

The reason to see why Virginia Tech is shortening its amount of games against the Monarchs comes down to the perception of the ACC. The conference, which likely slots in as the third-strongest of the Power 4 behind the SEC and the Big 10, is now more in need of stronger out-of-conference games, rendering the majority of contests against Group of 5 and FCS squads archaic. Due to television contracts and the House vs. NCAA settlement, it also makes more sense for the Hokies to schedule games against teams with higher profiles, since that leads to more money from the television viewership.

Yes, Old Dominion only lost to South Carolina by four in its season opener. However, it also went on to finish 5-7, coming in at No. 4 in the Sun Belt Conference's East Division. If Tech was to continue scheduling games against the SBC, Marshall and James Madison would be adequate selections, though there's undeniably more value in taking an out-of-conference tilt against a Big 12, SEC or Big 10 school nowadays with the advent of revenue sharing.

Rescheduling more regional Power Four opponents, like West Virginia, could also help rekindle old rivalries. The scheduling shift also allows the Monarchs to construct a more favorable non-conference schedule that could lift them to a bowl game.

“We are incredibly thankful to Virginia Tech for the original commitment of a 13-game series, which was executed in 2012. Such a competitive partnership is rare these days and speaks to the first-class Virginia Tech administration and coaching staffs.” Old Dominion Director of Athletics Dr. Wood Selig said in the Monarchs' press release. “Our relationship with Virginia Tech has always been cordial and based on mutual respect, and this collaborative scheduling initiative reflects our joint commitment to positioning each of our institutions in the best possible fashion. We have converted the three games at Virginia Tech into guaranteed games for Old Dominion which will allow ODU to support our football program and student-athletes at a much higher level than had we left the contract as it stood. It also allows us to construct a more balanced non-conference football schedule that will benefit our program and our fans."

Additionally, including a men’s basketball matchup benefits the Monarchs, as it’s a guaranteed game rather than one that could be canceled.

“This is an instance where ODU football gets an assist by helping our men’s basketball program play a guarantee game in Blacksburg that will benefit ODU men’s basketball similarly to the guaranteed games in football,” Selig said. “Such an opportunity may not have been possible without the football contract restructuring.”