On Monday, Virginia Tech’s 2022 football schedule was released on the ACC Network. New head coach Brent Pry opens his season at Old Dominion in September, and his first home game is vs. Boston College.
Highlights include two Thursday night games, including one for the Black Diamond Trophy in September vs. West Virginia, a three-game stretch of North Carolina, Pitt and Miami in the middle of the season, and Virginia in Lane Stadium on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
The Hokies open their season in Norfolk, Va. at Old Dominion. Monarchs head coach Ricky Rahne and Brent Pry were on James Franklin’s staff together at Penn State, so Pry will see a familiar face in his Virginia Tech debut. It’s also a chance for the program to redeem itself for its horrid defeat at ODU in 2018.
Tech opens its ACC slate against Boston College in week two. NFL prospect Phil Jurkovec returns at quarterback for the Eagles, who enter their third season under head coach Jeff Hafley. The Hokies then have two non-conference games, the first against Wofford, the former school of men’s basketball head coach Mike Young.
It’ll be a short week for Tech after that with West Virginia and the Black Diamond Trophy rolling into town on Thursday, Sept. 22. The Hokies and Mountaineers met in Morgantown, W. Va. in 2021 for the first time at a non-neutral site since 2005. WVU got out to an early lead and hung on to a 27-21 win, so this game provides VT an opportunity to get some revenge.
On the first day of October, the Hokies’ schedule really kicks into gear. Two road games at North Carolina and Pitt fall before a home date vs. Miami
Tech lost in a 56-45 shootout in its last trip to Chapel Hill in 2020, but won three straight road games in the series prior to that. Heinz Field has always been a troubling place for the program to play, and Tech is 1-4 against Pitt since the Panthers joined the ACC in 2012. The lone win came back in Oct. 2016, a 39-36 thriller. That year is also the last time the Hokies have beaten Miami in Blacksburg. It was a Thursday night blowout (37-16) in Justin Fuente’s first season, but the Hurricanes lead the series 4-1 since.
Tech has an open week in mid-October before a Thursday night showdown at NC State. It’s the first meeting in Raleigh since 2010, when the Hokies got down 17-0 to the Wolfpack but came back and won 41-30. Tyrod Taylor led the way and had an infamous 71-yard run in the second quarter that gave the team the spark it needed. Virginia Tech has won five consecutive games against NC State, including a 45-24 win in the 2020 season opener.
After that, it’s the battle of the Techs. Georgia Tech travels to Blacksburg to open up November (week 10), and the Hokies haven’t beaten the Yellow Jackets at home in the last three tries. VT has won the last two games in the series, however. In Atlanta in 2021, Fuente & Co. pulled out a 26-17 victory thanks to Tre Turner’s 187 receiving yards, fifth-most in a single game in Virginia Tech history.
Two road trips – at Duke, at Liberty – fall before the Battle for the Commonwealth Cup in Lane Stadium vs. Virginia.
Tech’s never lost in Durham as a member of the ACC in eight tries. As for the Flames, it’ll be the third meeting all-time between the two programs, the first in Lynchburg. The clash with the Cavaliers will be the 104th in the series, and Virginia Tech hasn’t lost in Blacksburg to the Cavaliers since 1998. That’s 11 straight home wins.
Here are links to complete information on all ACC football schedules, via TheACC.com:
Chris Coleman will have a column with his thoughts on Virginia Tech’s schedule on Tuesday morning.
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If you look at past results, this is a tough schedule. Whether it should be or not. The glory days are long gone, the fair/good days also, and, after last year, VT resides in the also-ran group they didn’t run very hard.
Each game this year is a challenge be it Liberty, Wofford, mighty ODU, or the tough ACC schools that we used to routinely beat. Wouldn’t it be nice to accept this and maybe enjoy some of the season.
Best of luck to the coaches and team as you start over.
ODU, Wofford, and Liberty. LOL. Not sure which is worse that we actually play all 3 of these schools in one season or the fact that we aren’t for sure we can win these games. In any case, it’s pathetic.
What is worse is that only one of those games is at home. Of course that might actually be a blessing, no one would show up. Sell more tickets at home with other teams
If you play ODU and/or Liberty, you better beat ’em. Bad. And, if we lose, I don’t care that Liberty has an NFL QB.
I do find it hard to believe we’re playing AT ODU and AT LIBERTY the same year. What’s that all about?
It looks like the complaint desk is in full swing today. Would you rather have a more challenging schedule for the new coaching staff? The easier schedule allows the coaches to sort out what’s right and wrong with the team, while also benefitting some of the in-state schools (I’m sure a politically expedient move) without having to pay them (gives Tech that much more money to pay for other items in the budget).
Come on man…you like this schedule?
Already making plans for that hype game AT ODU?
I’d hope you can agree it’s disappointing
The thing I find baffling, is that the opponents were known ages ago (like years). So, how is it that people are still reacting so negatively to the opponents.
Yea, we get it. I would never schedule Liberty either, but there it is. My frustration was expressed in 2019 (I think) when this was a known opponent for 2022. Today, I am just intrigued by the dates and that fact that we have a non-conference game in November.
Not an exciting schedule at all but I agree that the new staff doesn’t need to be playing murderer’s row in 2022.
Playing 3rd tier in-state AWAY vs a reasonable schedule isn’t exactly murderers row.
I have no idea why someone would feel obligated to defend this schedule.
The funny thing is that the opponents have been known for years. It’s been on the future schedules page on TSL forever. All we learned last night was the dates of the conference games.
Exactly. I love the comments of “why are we playing ODU”. Well, we’ve known for over 5 years now. It’s a pretty solid home schedule with the exception of Wofford.
IMHO this is the worst Tech schedule I have EVER seen. Could be a disaster for Coach Pry! I mean REALLY?
At ODU and at Liberty?
Seriously Whit? Pathetic
We should not be playing either program, but I’m really upset about the LU series. That one is terrible
Whit on the phone scheduling the away game at Wofford for next year.
Well….the liberty game will be a tech home game essentially. We will overrun Lynchburg
:the liberty game will be a tech home game essentially. We will overrun Lynchburg>>>>
IF Liberty sells them to VT fans. Guarantee Liberty has a sales scheme to keep the tix in the Church. Same was said about the game VT played at ODU – and lost. Lots of VT fans were there – but it wasn’t Lane East.
Was there no way to move Wofford to October? The SEC understands that playing these games later in the season can be almost a bye week.
We should set up some game with VMI and W&M, maybe even some games against high schools in the area to get even more ridiculous. Why are we playing at ODU?! LOL. So stupid
NC ST para says last meeting since 2010. I believe this should be last time played at NC St.
Yeah, we played them at home in 2015 after a rain delay.
Yes—big t storm before 7 pm Friday game.
Once again half our home games in September. With a salting of home games the next 2 months.
Yeah 1 home game in October sucks
agreed
ACC has done this to us more often than not over the years.
Nothing will ever redeem the loss to ODU back in 2018- what a disgrace for all HOKIE fans!
and what exactly does 2018 have to do with 2022? the past is the past
I still want to throw up everytime I see games AT Odu and Liberty. I talked to a buddy the other day who played D1 football and told him that we played at Odu and at Liberty next yr. He laughed and said..you mean they are coming to Tech right? I said, nope..AT both. He was like, What idiot decided to do that? That only builds up other state programs and creates recruiting sells for them, and zero benefit for VT.
Agree. Busch League
I don’t like ODU, Liberty, and Wofford in the same season. That is not good for the program.
At least that is my opinion.
Couldn’t agree more. Upcoming football schedule is one of the worst in many years. It’s sad enough to play both Liberty and ODU away, but hey, we make that up with our stellar home schedule- not.
we have BC, WVU, Miami and UVA at home… all the rivalry games
“rivalry” in the case of BC
You can thank our athletic director for the brilliant in state OOC scheduling. He seemed to think that cutting the payout to “buy” games was more important than the long term trajectory of our program and it’s image.
Well, he made the gamble and so far we’ve stubbed our toes TWICE losing to both Liberty and ODU. At least the Liberty loss was at VT.