When the ACC released the dates for each team's 2026 football game, there were some dates that were up in the air for Virginia Tech in James Franklin's first season in Blacksburg. As is the case in recent years, the Hokies will begin their season with their three non-conference games in the first three weeks against VMI and Old Dominion at home, while they finish the stretch at Maryland.
Then things get real once ACC play opens in late September. Virginia Tech's front end of their slate is manageable, but for the second straight year, they face a gauntlet in the back half, especially in November. It's safe to say that the schedule makers for the ACC didn't do them any favors.
When the schedule was released earlier this season, there was one game on the Hokies' slate that was TBA, which meant it would be played either on Friday night or Saturday. On Friday, the conference finalized one date, while the date of another was moved.
Virginia Tech football gets final two ACC game dates set
Two road games for the Hokies were finalized in terms of the day of the games, SMU and Miami, in the month of November. On Friday, the ACC announced that Virginia Tech's trip to SMU in Dallas will be played on Friday, Nov. 6. Two weeks later, when the Hokies head to South Florida to play Miami, it will be played on Saturday, Nov. 21, rather than on Friday night, Nov. 20, as originally scheduled. These are not bad decisions for Franklin and his team.
The trip to SMU will be coming off Virginia Tech's bye week on the last weekend in October. As far as facing the Hurricanes again, it'll be played on the final weekend before the Commonwealth Clash for the second straight season.
Virginia Tech will play a pair of Friday night games in 2026, one in October on the 2nd against Pittsburgh in Blacksburg, then at SMU a month later. In between, there are going to be some interesting ACC games both at home and on the road, including a trip to Northern California to play the California Golden Bears. The times for the games will be released at a later date. Here is the full revised schedule for the Hokies.
- Sept. 5: vs. VMI
- Sept. 12: vs. Old Dominion
- Sept. 19: at Maryland
- Sept. 26: at Boston College
- Oct. 2: vs. Pittsburgh
- Oct. 10: at California
- Oct. 17: vs. Georgia Tech
- Oct. 24: at Clemson
- Nov. 6: at SMU
- Nov. 14: vs. Stanford
- Nov. 21: at Miami
- Nov. 28: vs. Virginia
Some games on the schedule are interesting in terms of what times they will be played. The season-opener against VMI at home will be a day game or a night game for Franklin's first game as head coach? Then the trip to Cal in October. Will that be an afternoon kick back in Virginia, or will they drop that one into a late slot? Remember, two years ago, when the Hokies went out to Stanford, they played a 3:30 EST game.
Overall, a Friday night game in Dallas and a Saturday game in Miami in November is what Hokies fans should love.
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