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The Virginia Tech Hokies football team represents
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six regi ...
in the sport of
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
. The Hokies compete in the
Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
(FBS) of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
(NCAA) and the
Coastal Division The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
of the
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
. They previously competed in the
Big East The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
. Their home games are played at
Lane Stadium Lane Stadium is a college football stadium in the eastern United States, located on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. The playing surface of the stadium is named Worsham F ...
, located in
Blacksburg, Virginia Blacksburg is an incorporated town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 44,826 at the 2020 census. Blacksburg, as well as the surrounding county, is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of ...
with a seating capacity of over 65,000 fans. Lane Stadium is considered to be one of the loudest stadiums in the country, being voted number two in ESPN's 2007 "Top 20 Scariest Places to Play". It was also recognized in 2005 by Rivals.com as having the best home-field advantage in the country. Since beginning football in 1892, the Hokies have won over 700 games and appeared in 33 bowl games, including the 2000 BCS National Championship game. The Hokies rank 23rd among all Division I college football teams for most wins. The program had a streak of 27 consecutive bowl appearances, starting with the
1993 Independence Bowl The 1993 Independence Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Indiana Hoosiers at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 31, 1993. The 18th edition of the Independence ...
and lasting through the
2019 Belk Bowl The 2019 Belk Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 31, 2019, with kickoff at 12:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. It was the 18th edition of the Belk Bowl, and was one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football se ...
. This was fourth-longest streak of consecutive bowl game appearances in college football history. The program has also claimed eleven conference titles (3 South Atlantic, 1 Southern, 3 Big East, and 4 ACC) and produced eight All-Americans.


History


Early history

Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (now
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
) first played football on October 21, 1892 against St. Albans Lutheran Boys School (
Radford, Virginia Radford (formerly Lovely Mount, Central City, English Ferry and Ingle's Ferry) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of 2020, the population was 16,070 by the United States Census Bureau. For statistical purposes, the Bureau ...
). The game took place on a plowed off wheat field that was "about as level as a side of Brush Mountain". The Hokies won their first game 14–10, but were defeated 10–0 eight days later on a return trip to Radford. The first several VAMC teams wore cadet gray and black, but in
1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that ...
the colors were changed to Burnt Orange and
Chicago Maroon ''The Chicago Maroon'', the independent student newspaper of the University of Chicago, is a weekly publication founded in 1892. During autumn, winter, and spring quarters of the academic year, ''The Maroon'' publishes every Wednesday. The pape ...
– a color combination that was unique among educational institutions at the time. The
1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...
,
1901 Events January * January 1 – The British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia federate as the Commonwealth of Australia; Edmund Barton becomes the first Prime Minist ...
, and
1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 19 – The first west–east transatlantic radio broadcast is made from the United States to England (the first east–west broadcast having bee ...
teams lost only to rival Virginia. Star player Hunter Carpenter returned to Virginia Tech in
1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia ( Shostakovich's 11th Symphony ...
, after a year at the
University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC S ...
, for a last shot at beating Virginia. Carpenter helped lead VPI to a 9–1 record, the best in school's history up to that time. He was never named to the
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
team only because Walter Camp, who named the team at the time, said he would never name a player who he had not seen play. The 1909 team claim a southern championship. This is the first season the team was referred to in print as the " Gobblers,” which became the official nickname in 1912.


SAIAA years (1912–1921)

At the end of the 1911 season, VPI joined the
South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association The South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SAIAA) was an intercollegiate athletic conference with its main focus of promoting track and arranging track meets. Its member schools were located in the states of Maryland, Virginia, North ...
(SAIAA). They won the conference in
1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * J ...
and
1918 This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events ...
. After 1921, the SAIAA was dissolved and six of its schools became founding members of the
Southern Conference The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly k ...
.


SoCon years (1922–1964)

From 1925 to 1928, Tech was led by
Frank Peake Frank W. Peake (May 15, 1903 – January 15, 1978) was a college football running back for the Virginia Tech Hokies of Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Peake's College Football Hall of Fame coach Andy Gustafson, said he never saw his equal ...
and the "Pony Express"
backfield The offensive backfield is the area of an American football field behind the line of scrimmage. The offensive backfield can also refer to members of offense who begin plays behind the line, typically including any backs on the field, such as the ...
. He was joined by Scotty MacArthur, Herbert "Mac" McEver and Tommy Tomko. In 1927, during a 6–0 upset of the Colgate Red Raiders in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, Peake ran for nearly 200 yards and scored the game's only points. During one three-game stretch, he accumulated rushing and return yardage of 306, 314 and 353 yards. He was credited with gaining 1,761 yards in eight games. 930 were from scrimmage, and 831 on punts and kickoffs. In 1928 the game against
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
he came off the sideline with an injured hip to return a punt for a touchdown. In 1932, Tech upset
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
7–6.
Bill Grinus William Grinus (February 25, 1911 – March 28, 1983) was a college football player. He was a prominent tackle for VPI from 1930 to 1932, captain of the 1932 team, a season in which he was selected All-Southern. In that season's upset of ...
blocked the tying extra point. Virginia Tech's first post-season bowl appearance was in the
1947 Sun Bowl The 1947 Sun Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the VPI Gobblers (now the Virginia Tech Hokies) of the Southern Conference (SoCon) and the independent Cincinnati Bearcats. It took place on January 1, 1947, at Kid ...
in
El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the ...
against the
University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,0 ...
. Tech had a 3–3–3 record that year, and was the third choice after Border Conference champions
Hardin–Simmons University Hardin–Simmons University (HSU) is a private Baptist university in Abilene, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (Southern Baptist Convention). History Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist ...
and runner-up
Texas Tech Red Raiders The Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University, located in Lubbock, Texas. The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders, while the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raider ...
both declined the bowl invitation. Tech lost that game 18–6. Another first for the Gobblers came in 1954 when they had their first, and only, unbeaten season in school history. The team was 8–0–1 and finished ranked 16th in the Associated Press post-season football poll. The team's lone blemish was a 7–7 tie against William & Mary in Blacksburg, Virginia. Despite the team's success, it did not appear in a post-season bowl game. The 1963 team captured Tech's only outright SoCon championship.


1970s

In the 1970s, Tech briefly adopted an aggressive passing offense under head coach
Charlie Coffey Charles Edward Coffey (June 28, 1934 – August 24, 2015) was an American football player and coach. A native of Shelbyville, Tennessee, Coffey attended the University of Tennessee to play football for Robert Neyland. While at the University of ...
; quarterback
Don Strock Donald Joseph Strock (born November 27, 1950) is a former American football player and coach. He played professionally as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) with the Miami Dolphins (1973–1987), Cleveland Browns (1988), and Ind ...
set virtually every passing record in the Hokies' book and would hold many for 30 years or more. Success, though, remained elusive.


Bill Dooley era (1978–1986)

In the early 1980s, football coach and athletic director,
Bill Dooley William Gerald Dooley (May 19, 1934 – August 9, 2016) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1967–1977), Virginia Polytechni ...
spearheaded a campaign for a new look and name for the mascot, which debuted at the 1981 football game against Wake Forest. The turkey-like figure was referred to as "the Hokie mascot", "the Hokie", and "the Hokie bird" (derived from the "
Old Hokie "Old Hokie" is a spirited cheer, often used by fans of Virginia Tech's athletic teams. It was coined by Oscar M. Stull (Class of 1896) in a winning student body contest entry to mark the changing of the university's name from Virginia Agricultural ...
" cheer), which resulted in changing the official designation of the Virginia Tech mascot to the Hokies. Dooley led the Hokies to the program's first-ever bowl win, in the
1986 Peach Bowl The 1986 Peach Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the North Carolina State Wolfpack from on December 31, 1986. The game was the final con ...
over NC State, but he also earned the program NCAA sanctions that led to his resignation that very offseason (after which he promptly sued the school).


Frank Beamer era (1987–2015)

Though many hoped for recently departed Maryland coach
Bobby Ross Robert Joseph Ross (born December 23, 1936) is an American former football coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel (1973–1977), the University of Maryland, College Park (1982–1986), the Georgia Institute of Technology ...
, athletic director Dutch Baughman turned to
Frank Beamer Franklin Mitchell Beamer (born October 18, 1946) is a retired American college football coach, most notably for the Virginia Tech Hokies, and former college football player. He is the father of current South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane ...
, a Hokie alumnus and defensive back from 1966 to 1968. Beamer had worked his way up the assistant coaching ladder since his 1969 graduation before spending six seasons in the head job at
Murray State Murray State University (MSU) is a public university in Murray, Kentucky. In addition to the main campus in Calloway County in southwestern Kentucky, Murray State operates extended campuses offering upper level and graduate courses in Paducah, H ...
. Among the assistants Beamer brought with him from the Racers was linebackers coach
Bud Foster Robert Eugene "Bud" Foster Jr. (born July 28, 1959) is a retired American college football coach and former player. He currently serves as a Special Assistant to Athletics Director Whit Babcock. Following the 2006 season, he received the Frank B ...
, who had joined Beamer's first Murray State staff as a graduate assistant immediately upon his own graduation there. Virginia Tech joined the Big East Conference for football play in 1991 (later joined for all sports in 2000). The Hokies were competitive in the new league early on, but could never beat annual foe, the Miami Hurricanes, despite having a 6-6 record vs. the Hurricanes during the Big East years. In 1993, the Hokies earned a trip to the
Independence Bowl The Independence Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually each December at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. The Independence Bowl ...
in
Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is ...
, its first bowl game under Beamer. With a win in that game, the Hokies notched only the fourth nine-win season in school history at the time. It became the first of 23 straight bowl games under Beamer, until he retired in 2015. ;1995 season After finally beating the Hurricanes during the 1995 regular season, the 13th ranked Hokies clinched a berth in the
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed only ...
in –the program's first appearance in a major bowl game. They the 9th ranked Texas Longhorns 28-10. This was a signature win for the Hokies, capping the most successful season to date; it became turning point for the program as a whole. ;1999 season Virginia Tech's most successful football season was in
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
under the guidance of redshirt freshman quarterback, Michael Vick. Among other amazing moments, on November 3, the Hokies came from behind on the road, to win against the
West Virginia Mountaineers The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams that represent West Virginia University, an American university located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I. The Mou ...
. Vick led a desperate last minute drive that culminated in a dramatic
Shayne Graham Michael Shayne Graham (born December 9, 1977) is an American football coach and former placekicker. Graham played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech. He made his professional debut in Ma ...
game-winning field goal. The 22–20 victory has since become known as the "Miracle in Morgantown." The team completed the year with its first ever undefeated regular season, finishing with an (11–0) record. On January 4, 2000, the Hokies faced the
Florida State Seminoles The Florida State Seminoles are the athletic teams representing Florida State University located in Tallahassee, Florida. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level ( Football Bowl Subdivi ...
in the
2000 Sugar Bowl The 2000 Sugar Bowl was the designated Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game for the 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season and was played on January 4, 2000, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The Florida State Semin ...
for the national championship. A back and forth game, the Hokies trailed 28–7 late in the second quarter but came back to take a 29–28 lead at the start of the fourth. However, they were not able to hold on and the Seminoles won 46–29. The Hokies finished third in the AP Poll and second in the Coaches Poll–in both cases, the highest final ranking in school history and the highest ever for a Division I team from the Commonwealth. The following season, in 2000, the Hokies were again contenders for the national championship, but a loss to No. 3
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
in early November, in a game in which Michael Vick was limited because of an injury, cost them a trip to the
Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in ...
. The Hokies later went on to defeat the
Clemson Tigers The Clemson Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ...
41–20 in the
2001 Gator Bowl The 2001 Gator Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Clemson Tigers and the Virginia Tech Hokies at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida on January 1, 2001. The game was the final contest of the 2000 NCAA Div ...
in
Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which th ...
. At the start of the 2004 season, the Hokies faced the No. 1 and eventual national champion
USC Trojans The USC Trojans are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, California. While the men's teams are nicknamed the ''Trojans'', the women's athletic teams are referred ...
in the
BCA Classic The Black Coaches & Administrators (BCA) is a non-profit organization whose primary purpose is "to foster the growth and development of ethnic minorities at all levels of sports both nationally and internationally". It currently is focused on athl ...
played at
FedExField FedExField (originally Jack Kent Cooke Stadium) is an American football stadium located in Summerfield, Maryland, east of Washington, D.C. The stadium is the home of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 u ...
in
Landover, Maryland Landover is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 25,998. Landover is contained between Sheriff Road and Central Avenue to the so ...
. The Hokies kept the game close, but eventually lost 24–13. The regular season ended with the Hokies winning the ACC championship in their first year in the conference and a return to the Sugar Bowl and a match-up with the
Auburn Tigers The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associ ...
. Auburn, the SEC champion and one of three undefeated teams (USC and Oklahoma being the other two), took a 16–0 lead into the fourth quarter. Led by senior quarterback Bryan Randall, the Hokies scored 13 points but fell just short of the comeback when the Tigers recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock. The 2005 season saw many ups and downs, but would end in disappointment. Taking over for Bryan Randall was Marcus Vick, younger brother of Hokies great Michael Vick. The Hokies started off the season 8–0, including victories over
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
and ACC rivals
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
and
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...
. Going into the tenth week of the season, the Hokies were ranked 3rd in the country behind USC and Texas and would face the 5th ranked
Miami Hurricanes The Miami Hurricanes (known informally as The U, UM, or The 'Canes) are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic A ...
at home. In anticipation of the match-up,
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's College Gameday would broadcast the game nationally from Blacksburg on
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
. The Hurricanes controlled the game and limited Marcus Vick to only 90 yards passing to win 27–7. Marcus Vick led the Hokies and went on to win the ACC Coastal Division title, but lost in the
ACC Championship Game The ACC Championship Game is an annual American college football game held in early December by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) each year to determine its football champion. From its inception in 2005 to 2022, the game pit the champion of t ...
to
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the sta ...
. The Hokies again trailed the Seminoles by double digits at halftime, 27–3, but a Vick led comeback brought the score to 27–22 with 1:45 left in the fourth quarter. The Hokies were unable to recover the onside kick and lost their chance at a BCS Bowl berth. The Hokies closed the season against the upstart
Louisville Cardinals The Louisville Cardinals (also known as the Cards) are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. The Cardinals teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning in the 2014 season. While playing in the Big East C ...
in the
2006 Gator Bowl The 2006 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Louisville Cardinals and the Virginia Tech Hokies at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, on January 2, 2006. The game was the final contest of the 2005 footbal ...
. Virginia Tech won 35–24, but the game would become infamous for a play that would contribute to Vick's expulsion from the team. Late in the first half, with the Hokies trailing 17–10, Vick was tackled by Cardinals defensive end
Elvis Dumervil Elvis Kool Dumervil (born January 19, 1984) is a former American football defensive end and linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He played college football at Louisville, where he won the Bronko Nagurski Tr ...
. After the play, Vick stomped on Dumervil's leg, apparently out of anger. Four days after the game, Virginia Tech officials learned of two misdemeanor charges of speeding and driving on a suspended or revoked driver's license that Vick received on December 17, 2005. Vick, who was forced to sit out the 2004 football season by the university due to previous legal incidents in his college career, was dismissed from the team on January 6, 2006, with the university citing "a cumulative effect of legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play.". Redshirt sophomore quarterback
Sean Glennon Sean Glennon (born September 5, 1985) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Virginia Tech. Glennon, was named the starter following the dismissal of Marcus Vick and held that job until being replaced by Tyrod ...
was set to take over for Vick in the 2006 season. Although consecutive losses to Georgia Tech and Boston College knocked the Hokies out of contention for the
ACC Championship Game The ACC Championship Game is an annual American college football game held in early December by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) each year to determine its football champion. From its inception in 2005 to 2022, the game pit the champion of t ...
, the Tech team finished the season strong, winning six in a row and being invited to the
2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl The 2006 Chick-fil-A Bowl was a college football bowl game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. With sponsorship from Chick-fil-A, it was the 39th edition of the game previously (a ...
in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
. In the annual ACC vs SEC match-up, the Hokies played the
Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...
. At halftime the Hokies led 21–3, but four second half Glennon turnovers helped the Bulldogs in coming back and winning 31–24. After the April 2007
Virginia Tech shooting The Virginia Tech shooting was a spree shooting that occurred on April 16, 2007, comprising two attacks on the campus of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. Seung-Hui Cho, an u ...
s that stunned the campus and nation, the remainder of Tech's spring practice was canceled. The Hokies, led by running back Brandon Ore on offense and linebackers
Vince Hall Vincent Larry Hall (born December 3, 1984) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Virginia Tech. Hall was also a member of the Buffalo Bill ...
and
Xavier Adibi Xavier Oyekola Adibi (born October 18, 1984) is an American football coach and former player. He is a defensive analyst at Virginia Tech, and was previously the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M University–Commerce. He played college football ...
looked to be in contention for a berth in the National Championship. The
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
home opener against the
East Carolina Pirates The East Carolina Pirates are the athletic teams that represent East Carolina University (ECU), located in Greenville, North Carolina. All varsity-level sports teams participate at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division ...
was the subject of College GameDay, and the Hokies prevailed in an emotional, albeit shaky, game 17–7. They then traveled to
Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the county seat, parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, E ...
to play the
LSU Tigers The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...
. In a game that saw Glennon replaced by true freshman quarterback
Tyrod Taylor Tyrod Diallo Taylor (born August 3, 1989) is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Virginia Tech, leading the Hokies to the 2009 Orange Bowl as a Sophomore ...
, the Hokies were completely dominated, only managing 149 total yards against the Tigers' 598. Taylor scored the only touchdown of the night after an 8-play, 65-yard drive. Taylor continued to start until an injury removed him from a 43–14 blowout of
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
. In a Thursday night match-up with
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...
, Glennon reclaimed his starting position. In a game plagued by rain storms and wet conditions, the Hokies took a 10–0 lead late into the fourth quarter. However, Eagles quarterback Matt Ryan spurred a late Boston College comeback, leading two TD drives in the final five minutes for a 14–10 win. Despite the devastating loss, Virginia Tech rebounded to win the remainder of its regular season games and claim the Coastal Division crown. A rematch with Boston College in the
ACC Championship Game The ACC Championship Game is an annual American college football game held in early December by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) each year to determine its football champion. From its inception in 2005 to 2022, the game pit the champion of t ...
saw Tech fall behind early, tie the game by halftime, and then grind out a tense 30–16 win to advance to the
Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in ...
in
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
. After 29 seasons as head coach of Virginia Tech, legendary coach
Frank Beamer Franklin Mitchell Beamer (born October 18, 1946) is a retired American college football coach, most notably for the Virginia Tech Hokies, and former college football player. He is the father of current South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane ...
retired following the conclusion of the 2015 season. He coached the Hokies to 23 consecutive bowl games, including a national championship appearance, along with seven conference championship titles. Beamer signed an 8-year contract with Virginia Tech, serving as an ambassador for the Athletic Department. During Beamer's tenure at Virginia Tech, putting points on the scoreboard became a full team effort with the offensive, defensive and
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
units. Often when the team scores one or more non-offensive touchdowns, the style of play is described as "Beamerball". Since Beamer's first season in 1987, a player at every position on the defensive unit has scored at least one touchdown, and 35 different players have scored touchdowns on Virginia Tech's special teams. Sometime before the 1995 season, defensive coordinator
Bud Foster Robert Eugene "Bud" Foster Jr. (born July 28, 1959) is a retired American college football coach and former player. He currently serves as a Special Assistant to Athletics Director Whit Babcock. Following the 2006 season, he received the Frank B ...
wanted to give his defense something to rally around, an identity. A battered metal
lunch pail A lunch box (alt. spelling lunchbox) refers to a hand-held container used to transport food, usually to work or to school. It is commonly made of metal or plastic, is reasonably airtight and often has a handle for carrying. In the United ...
was chosen as a symbol of a no-name, blue-collar defense. Each week a list of goals in put in the lunch pail and a player is chosen to have the honor of carrying the lunch pail onto the sidelines. The Lunch Pail Defense Foundation was founded to fund academic scholarships for students from the area near Blacksburg, Virginia.


Justin Fuente era (2016–2021)

On November 27, 2015, former
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
Head Coach,
Justin Fuente Justin James Fuente (born July 30, 1976) is a former American football coach and player. He was the head football coach at Virginia Tech from 2016 to 2021. He was the 2016 ACC Coach of the Year. Fuente was the head football coach at the Universit ...
was named the new head coach of the Virginia Tech Hokies. Fuente took over the team from the retiring, legendary coach
Frank Beamer Franklin Mitchell Beamer (born October 18, 1946) is a retired American college football coach, most notably for the Virginia Tech Hokies, and former college football player. He is the father of current South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane ...
, following the 2015 Independence Bowl game. The Hokies finished Fuente's first year in 2016 with a regular season record of 9-3 and an overall record of 10-4. The Hokies became ''Coastal Division Champions'' for the 6th time and the first time since 2011. The Hokies played Clemson in the
ACC Championship Game The ACC Championship Game is an annual American college football game held in early December by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) each year to determine its football champion. From its inception in 2005 to 2022, the game pit the champion of t ...
, losing 42-35. The team went to the
2016 Belk Bowl The 2016 Belk Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played on December 29, 2016. The game featured the Arkansas Razorbacks of the Southeastern Conference and the Virginia Tech Hokies of the Atlantic Coast Conference. It was the first a ...
, in Charlotte, NC, defeating
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
, 35-24. Fuente was named the ''2016 ACC Coach of the Year'' and he received many other accolades for the 2016 season. Fuente was fired with two regular season games remaining on November 16, 2021 after compiling an overall record of 43-31 in six seasons.


Brent Pry era (2021–present)

On November 30, 2021, the Hokies hired Penn State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach
Brent Pry Brenton James Pry (born April 1, 1970) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach at Virginia Tech. He previously served as the defensive coordinator at Penn State from 2016 to 2021. He played college footbal ...
as the new head coach.


Conference affiliations

*
Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...
(1892–1897) *
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) football programs were members of this conferen ...
(1898) * Independent (1899–1911) *
South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association The South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SAIAA) was an intercollegiate athletic conference with its main focus of promoting track and arranging track meets. Its member schools were located in the states of Maryland, Virginia, North ...
(1912–1921) *
Southern Conference The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I. Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly k ...
(1922–1964) * Independent (1965–1990) *
Big East The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
(1991–2003) * ACC (2004–present)


Head coaches


Championships


Conference championships

Virginia Tech claims 11 conference championships. † Co-champions


Division championships

Virginia Tech won the ACC Championship in its inaugural season in the league in 2004. In 2005, the ACC Conference created two divisions, the ''Atlantic'' and ''Coastal'', and a championship game between the divisions was established. Virginia Tech has appeared in the
ACC Championship Game The ACC Championship Game is an annual American college football game held in early December by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) each year to determine its football champion. From its inception in 2005 to 2022, the game pit the champion of t ...
as the winner of the Coastal Division six times. Virginia Tech won the Coastal division in 2005 and played
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the sta ...
in the ACC Championship. Florida State won, 27-22. During the 2007 season, the Hokies once again took the Coastal division to set up a rematch of their earlier loss to
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...
. Virginia Tech prevailed 30–16. History repeated itself in 2008, when the Hokies defeated
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...
by a score of 30–12 after having lost to the Eagles during the regular season. In 2010 Virginia Tech went undefeated in league play, defeating Atlantic Division winner
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the sta ...
in the league championship game in Charlotte, North Carolina, 44–33. In 2011 Virginia Tech lost to Clemson for a 2nd time that season, their only two season losses. In 2016, Virginia Tech would fall short to Clemson, making a 3rd loss. † Co-champions


Bowl games

Virginia Tech has played in 34 bowl games. The Hokies have appeared in several
Gator Gator is a slang word for alligator. Gator may also refer to: People nicknamed Gator *Mike Greenwell (born 1963), American Major League Baseball player nicknamed "The Gator" *Ron Guidry (born 1950), former Major League Baseball pitcher * Gator ...
,
Peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, n ...
,
Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or do ...
,
Belk Belk, Inc. is an American department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North Carolina, with nearly 300 locations in 16 states. Belk stores and Belk.com offer apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, a ...
,
Military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
and Orange bowls. Their overall record in bowl games is 13–21 through the 2021 season.


Rivalries


Virginia

Virginia Tech and Virginia first met in 1895 and have played annually since the year 1970. Since 1964, the game has always been played at either
Lane Stadium Lane Stadium is a college football stadium in the eastern United States, located on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. The playing surface of the stadium is named Worsham F ...
or
Scott Stadium Scott Stadium is a stadium located in Charlottesville, Virginia. It is the home of the Virginia Cavaliers football team. It sits on the University of Virginia's Grounds, east of Hereford College and first-year dorms on Alderman Road but west of ...
on the campuses of the two universities. But the series has at times been played in
Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...
(1903, 1904, and 1957);
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...
(1940, 1941, and 1942); and Roanoke (in 17 of the 19 years between 1945 and 1963). At 97 games, it is the longest series for the Hokies and second-longest for the Cavaliers, after the 118 game series between Virginia and
North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...
known as the
South's Oldest Rivalry The South's Oldest Rivalry is the name given to the North Carolina–Virginia football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Virginia Cavaliers football team of the University of Virginia and the North ...
. The game counts for 1 point in the '' Commonwealth Clash'' each year, and is part of the greater Virginia–Virginia Tech rivalry. Virginia Tech leads in the Commonwealth Cup series 17–3 and the football series 58–38–5 as of 2019. Three times this game has determined the Coastal Division champions with VT winning in 2007 and 2011, and UVA winning in 2019.


West Virginia

The Hokies and West Virginia Mountaineers met 51 times between 1912 and 2005. The two teams played as conference foes from 1991 to 2003 as members of the
Big East Conference (1979–2013) The Big East Conference was a collegiate athletics conference that consisted of as many as 16 universities in the eastern half of the United States from 1979 to 2013. The conference's members participated in 24 NCAA sports. The conference had ...
. They met every year from 1973–2005. The ''Black Diamond Trophy'' is the
trophy A trophy is a tangible, durable reminder of a specific achievement, and serves as a recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are often awarded for sporting events, from youth sports to professional level athletics. In many sports medals (or, i ...
that goes to the winner of the game. It was introduced in 1997 and was meant to symbolize the Appalachian region's rich
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...
heritage (the phrase "black diamond" is often used as a term for coal.) Virginia Tech held the trophy in six of the nine years in which it was contested. The last two games played where on September 18, 2021, in Morgantown with West Virginia winning 27–21, and September 22, 2022, in Blacksburg with West Virginia winning 33–10. There are no further games scheduled in the series after the 2022 season. West Virginia leads the series 30–23–1 as of 2022.


Miami

The Hurricanes and Hokies first met on November 13, 1953 in Miami.
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
and
Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...
have met in two bowl games, the
1966 Liberty Bowl The 1966 Liberty Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the VPI Gobblers (now the Virginia Tech Hokies) and the Miami Hurricanes, both independent programs. The eighth edition of the Liberty Bowl, it was played on De ...
and 1981 Peach Bowl. The two teams have played annually since 1992, and the rivalry developed when the Hokies became a member of the
Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
for football in 1991. When the
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
(ACC) expanded in 2004, both Miami and Virginia Tech became members of the ACC. Both teams continue to compete annually as part of the ACC's Coastal Division. Miami leads the series 22–15 as of 2022. The last game between the two teams was October 15, 2022 in Blacksburg, and Miami won 20–14. The two teams will next play during a yet to specified date in the 2025 season at Miami's home stadium,
Hard Rock Stadium Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I coll ...
in
Miami Gardens Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its west ...
.


Georgia Tech

One of the Hokies' younger rivals is
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...
. Prior to the Hokies joining the ACC in 2004, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech had only met once previously (an additional scheduled meeting was canceled due to extreme weather). Since the ACC adopted divisional format for football, one of these two teams had represented the ACC Coastal Division in every
ACC Championship Game The ACC Championship Game is an annual American college football game held in early December by the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) each year to determine its football champion. From its inception in 2005 to 2022, the game pit the champion of t ...
except the 2013 season when
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
won the Coastal and 2015 when
UNC UNC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to: Education * University of Northern California (disambiguation), which may refer to: ** University of Northern California (Santa Rosa), in Petaluma, California, United States ** University of No ...
won it. Over the years, the rivalry has become a significant annual matchup in the ACC, specifically when both teams are in both regularly in the AP Top 25 and the race for the Coastal Division championship. Virginia Tech leads the series 10–7 as of 2019, with Virginia Tech winning the past meeting.


Boston College

The Boston College-Virginia Tech football rivalry began in 1993 with a 48–34 Boston College win in Chestnut Hill when the two teams began
Big East The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...
conference round-robin play. When the two schools moved to the
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...
the rivalry continued as the two schools were chosen as permanent cross-divisional rivals. The teams played twice in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons, as both teams won their respective divisions of the ACC and played each other in the conference championship. Although the Eagles defeated the Hokies in both the regular seasons those two years, Virginia Tech won the
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple Inc., Apple's first iPhone (1st generation), iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakis ...
and
2008 ACC Championship Game The 2008 ACC Championship Game was a college football game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Boston College Eagles. The game, sponsored by Dr Pepper, was the final regular-season contest of the 2008 college football season for the Atlan ...
played between the two schools. Virginia Tech leads the series 19–10 as of 2020, with Virginia Tech winning the past meeting.


VMI

Virginia Tech and VMI first met in 1894 and played annually from 1913–71, usually in Roanoke on
Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
. Like the current rivalry between VMI and
The Citadel The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one of six senior military colleges in the United States. ...
, the match-up was referred to as the
Military Classic of the South The Military Classic of the South is an American college football rivalry game played between The Citadel and the Virginia Military Institute. The first game between the two military schools was in 1920. The game has been played nearly continuo ...
, due to the military heritage of both schools. Starting again in 1973, the teams would continue to play on a yearly basis, making multiple appearances together in the
Tobacco Bowl The Tobacco Bowl (or Tobacco Festival Bowl) was a college football bowl game that was held in Richmond, Virginia from 1949 to 1982. It was not a postseason bowl game, and it typically featured regional teams from Virginia, North Carolina and South ...
(1974, 1976) and
Oyster Bowl The Oyster Bowl is a regular season college football game played annually in the Hampton Roads-area of Virginia. The game has featured match-ups between high school, NCAA Division III, and at present, NCAA Division I teams, at various points in ...
(1980, 1982, 1984). The 1984 Oyster Bowl is the last time they played each other. However, in 2017, Virginia Tech and VMI agreed to a one-time rivalry matchup on September 5, 2026 at Lane Stadium. At 79 games, it is the second-longest series for the Hokies and fourth-longest for the Keydets. Due to the long pause of the VMI-VPI series, the
Virginia–Virginia Tech rivalry The Virginia–Virginia Tech rivalry is an American college rivalry that exists between the Virginia Cavaliers sports teams of the University of Virginia (called Virginia in sports media and abbreviated ''UVA'') and the Virginia Tech Hokies s ...
has emerged as the dominant one in the state. Virginia Tech leads the series 49-25-5 as of 2019, with Virginia Tech winning the past six meetings.


Individual award winners


Players

;
Sammy Baugh Trophy The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of state auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More t ...
(quarterback) *
Don Strock Donald Joseph Strock (born November 27, 1950) is a former American football player and coach. He played professionally as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) with the Miami Dolphins (1973–1987), Cleveland Browns (1988), and Ind ...
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...
;
Bronko Nagurski Trophy The Bronko Nagurski Trophy has been awarded annually since 1993 to the collegiate American football defensive player adjudged by the membership of the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) to be the best in the National Collegiate Athl ...
(defense) *
Corey Moore Corey Moore (born March 20, 1979) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) during the early 2000s. He played college football for Virginia Tech, earned unanimous Al ...
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
;
Dave Rimington Trophy The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best American football center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979 to 1982. A member of the National College ...
(center) * Jake Grove
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...
;
Lombardi Award The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lomba ...
(lineman or linebacker) *
Corey Moore Corey Moore (born March 20, 1979) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) during the early 2000s. He played college football for Virginia Tech, earned unanimous Al ...
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
;
Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...
(interior lineman) *
Bruce Smith Bruce Bernard Smith (born June 18, 1963) is an American former football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Virginia Tech, where he was ...
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...


Coaches

;
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award The American Heart Association (AHA) Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards are an annual awards banquet that is hosted each year in January, in Houston, Texas, by the AHA.For a list of American Heart Association offices, by state, go to: There are two aw ...
*
Frank Beamer Franklin Mitchell Beamer (born October 18, 1946) is a retired American college football coach, most notably for the Virginia Tech Hokies, and former college football player. He is the father of current South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane ...
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
;
George Munger Award The George Munger Award is presented to the NCAA Division I college football coach of the year by the Maxwell Football Club. The award was named after former University of Pennsylvania head coach George Munger. People who voted for the winners o ...
*Frank Beamer – 1999 ;
Joseph V. Paterno Award The Joseph V. Paterno Award was a coaching award that was awarded to Frank Beamer in 2010. Originally the award was intended to be awarded annually to the college football head coach who best exemplified "Penn State head coach Joe Paterno’s dedi ...
*Frank Beamer –
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
;
Broyles Award The Broyles Award is an annual award given to honor the best assistant coach in college football. First awarded in 1996, it was named after former University of Arkansas men's athletic director Frank Broyles. The award is presented in Little R ...
(assistant coaches) *
Bud Foster Robert Eugene "Bud" Foster Jr. (born July 28, 1959) is a retired American college football coach and former player. He currently serves as a Special Assistant to Athletics Director Whit Babcock. Following the 2006 season, he received the Frank B ...
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
;
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award is an annual college football award given to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision head coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. The award is named for Bobby Dodd, ...
* Frank Beamer 1999


Future opponents

Announced opponents as of October 22, 2021. # The 2024 game with Vanderbilt will be played at
Nissan Stadium Nissan Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, it is primarily used for football and is the home field of the Tennessee Titans of the Nati ...
in
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...
, TN. # The 2025 game with South Carolina will be played at
Mercedes-Benz Stadium Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Opened in August 2017 as a replacement for the Georgia Dome, it serves as the home stadium of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League ( ...
in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, GA.


Further reading

* Beamer, Frank and Colston, Chris. ''Turn up the Wick''. 223 pages. Epic Sports: 2000. . * Easterbrook, Gregg. ''The King of Sports: Football's Impact on America''. 354 pages. St. Martin's: 2013. . * Schlabach, Mark. ''What it Means to be a Hokie''. 272 pages. Triumph Books: 2006. .


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Virginia Tech Hokies Football American football teams established in 1892 1892 establishments in Virginia