After coming up short on making the NCAA Tournament last March, Virginia Tech men's basketball coach Mike Young decided to step up the competition with his non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season.
Over the last couple of months, some of the Hokies' non-conference games were dropped, including matchups with Iowa and West Virginia, but on Wednesday morning, the Virginia Tech men's basketball X account dropped their complete non-conference schedule, and it's a tough one compared to past seasons.
Mike Young puts together tough non-conference schedule
Putting together a tough non-conference schedule was something that Young needed to do. He needs to collect some wins before ACC play begins that will serve as good résumé wins come Selection Sunday next March.
The key games that could help the Hokies' résumé are a Nov. 10 neutral-court game against Iowa and a Dec. 5 true road game at West Virginia. Virginia Tech will host Ole Miss as part of the SEC/ACC Challenge on Dec. 1, while they will also play Central Florida out of the Big 12 on Dec. 19 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Hokies will also head to the Charleston Classic on Nov. 20 and Nov. 22 to play two games against either Dayton, Minnesota, Northwestern, Utah, or Oklahoma State.
To round out the non-conference schedule, Virginia Tech will host Coppin State (Nov. 3), Mercer (Nov. 5), Mount Saint Mary's (Nov. 13), Richmond (Nov. 16), Old Dominion (Nov. 27), Maryland Eastern Shore (Dec. 10), Radford (Dec. 13), and VMI (Dec. 21).
non-con is locked in! 🦃🔒
— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) August 12, 2026
➡️ https://t.co/AQVSMhtGtO pic.twitter.com/nJAucsxZ71
Looking at those matchups, there are going to be more résumé chances than in past seasons. Many more. There is no doubt that Young is stepping up the Hokies' non-conference schedule to improve his team's chances of getting into the new 76-team NCAA Tournament field in 2027.
Iowa made a nice run in last season's tournament, while winning a true Big 12 road game would look mighty fine on a résumé. You know that Virginia Tech forward Amani Hansberry and assistant coach Chester Frazier will have that game circled on the 2026-27 schedule.
Expectations were high going into last season for the Hokies with some Transfer Portal additions and incoming freshmen, but after an 11-2 start through the non-conference schedule, things went downhill after a New Year's Eve win over Virginia at home, when Young and his team were on the bubble. They suffered three devastating ACC losses that ended up costing them an NCAA Tournament berth after being bounced in the first round of the ACC Tournament in overtime against Wake Forest.
With the field expanding, it doesn't guarantee Young and the Hokies anything in terms of getting into the expanded field. However, Young is putting together a schedule before conference play begins that can be very beneficial come March.
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