Virginia Tech to hit the road to face a very familiar foe in the ACC/SEC Challenge

Through the first two years of the ACC/SEC Challenge, the results haven't been great for Mike Young and the Virginia Tech men's basketball team. They haven't exactly had an easy schedule. In the first year, they traveled to Auburn to take on a talented Tigers team; this past season, they hosted a Vanderbilt team that made the NCAA Tournament.

With a new look and more talented roster, the Hokies found out their 2025-26 ACC/SEC Challenge opponent, and once again, they'll be playing a very familiar opponent, but this upcoming season, it'll be on the road.

Virginia Tech to hit the road at South Carolina for the ACC/SEC Challenge

For the third year in a row, the Hokies will play South Carolina, but this time, instead of playing at a neutral site, Virginia Tech will have to travel to Columbia to play the Gamecocks, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Two years ago, South Carolina sneaked out a 79-77 win over the Hokies in Charlotte, and back in November, South Carolina beat Tech, 70-60, in the semifinals of the Fort Myers Tip-Off.

This will be a battle between two teams looking to have a major bounce-back season. The Hokies went 13-19 and were bounced from the first round of the ACC Tournament by California, while the Gamecocks went 12-20, just 2-16 in the SEC, under Lamont Paris. They were eliminated in the first round of the SEC Tournament by Arkansas by four points, 72-68.

Virginia Tech will take a different-looking team to Columbia than the one South Carolina and Paris saw last year. The Hokies have added three transfers and some promising incoming freshmen, while getting a verbal commitment from Greek star Neoklis Avdalas, who will likely withdraw from the NBA Draft process and come to Blacksburg. Let's not forget the two schools will open the season in football on Aug. 30 in Atlanta.