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Virginia Tech Men's Basketball Finalizes Non-Conference Schedule for 2026-27 Season

Nine of the Hokies' 14 non-conference games will take place in the friendly confines of Cassell Coliseum.
Virginia Tech Athletics

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Virginia Tech men's basketball has finalized its non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season, the prgraom announced Wednesday morning. Here's the full slate:

  • Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: vs. Coppin State
  • Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026: vs. Mercer
  • Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026: vs. Iowa (Sioux City, Iowa)
  • Friday, Nov. 13, 2026: vs. Mount St. Mary's
  • Monday, Nov. 16, 2026: vs. Richmond
  • Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, and Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026: Charleston Classic (two games vs. two of the following five teams: Daytona, Minnesota, Northwestern, Oklahoma State)
  • Friday, Nov. 27, 2026: vs. Old Dominion
  • Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026: vs. Ole Miss (SEC/ACC Challenge)
  • Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026: at West Virginia (Morgantown, W. Va.)
  • Thursday, Dec. 10, 2026: vs. Western Carolina
  • Sunday, Dec. 13, 2026: vs. Radford
  • Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026: vs. UCF (Fort Lauderdale, Fla., at Nova Southeastern University)
  • Monday, Dec. 21, 2026: vs. VMI

In regard to buy games, the Hokies are paying Mount St. Mary's $90,000, Richmond $50,000, Mercer $90,000, Radford $50,000, Coppin State $50,000, Old Dominion $95,000, Maryland Eastern Shore $90,000 and VMI $90,000, per public documents request. Virginia Tech On SI was the first that reported on the UCF and Mercer games.

The Hokies will play nine non-conference games at home and one true road game, coming against the Mountaineers. Virginia Tech and West Virginia last played in the 2015 season; the Hokies hold a 30-49 all-time against West Virginia and are 10-27 on the road. Virginia Tech has won three of its last six against the Mountaineers.

Following buy games against Coppin State (5-0 all-time) and Mercer (1-0 all-time; last matchup in 1973-74 season), Virginia Tech will face Iowa, a 2026 Elite Eight team that defeated then-defending national champion Florida before falling to Illinois one hurdle shy of the Final Four.

The Hokies then play Mount St. Mary's, who they're 5-0 against all-time and 4-0 against at home. It's the first matchup between the two since the 2010-11 season — a 99-34 blowout. At one point, the Hokies led by 72 during the game, a current program record for the longest lead in the ACC era.

Virginia Tech holds a 70-39 record against Richmond and a 23-1 record at Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies and Spiders have played four times in the 21st century, with the Hokies winning three of the four contests. Virginia Tech played Richmond in the 2024 NIT Tournament, with the Hokies advancing with a 74-58 victory.

Richmond, CC Classic. ODU, Ole Miss, Western Carolina, Radford

Dayton and Northwestern were added to the Charleston Classic field; which teams the Hokies will play, along with tip-off time and TV information, is yet to be released.

Virginia Tech holds a 15-10 record against Old Dominion all-time with a 8-2 record at home. The Hokies last played the Monarchs in the 2022-23 season at the Charleston Classic, an affair Virginia Tech won 75-71.

Ole Miss is the headliner at home; the Rebels went 15-20 (4-14 SEC) a year after a Sweet Sixteen run and a No. 18 finish in the AP Poll, though they nearly made a run to an NCAA Tournament auto-bid. Ole Miss worked past 10-seed Texas, seven-seed Georgia and two-seed Alabama (then-No. 15 in poll) before falling to three-seed Arkansas (No. 17) in the SEC Tournament semifinals).

Virginia Tech is 5-0 against Western Carolina and played the Catamounts last season. Guard Neoklis Avdalas dropped 30 points against Western Carolina last season in a 96-74 victory; he transferred to North Carolina following the 2025-26 campaign.

Virginia Tech is 10-2 against Radford and 9-2 at home. The Hokies have won eight of their last nine games against the Highlanders and claimed their last four. Virginia Tech won its last showdown 65-39 in the 2021-22 season and last lost to Radford in the 2014-15 season.

Virginia Tech will then play UCF, which made the NCAA Tournament last season, on Dec. 19 at Nova Southeastern University (D-II national champions in 2023 and 2025). It is the first of two neutral matchups between the two programs; the second will take place in the DMV area in the 2027-28 season.

The Hokies are 94-43 against VMI all-time and have lost just one of the 25 games they've played against the Keydets. It's the first matchup between the two schools since 2020-21. Virginia Tech hasn't lost at home to VMI since the 1997-98 season.

Virginia Tech also has an exhibition on the road against Wofford, set for Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET. The Hokies will face against former assistant coach Kevin Giltner, who's now the head coach off the Terriers. Wofford went 19-13 last season, with its season ending in the quarterfinals of the SoCon Tournament.

Here's a look at the 32 slated games for 2026-27, organized by whether they're on the home, road or located at a neutral-site court:

  • Home: Boston College, Clemson, Coppin State, Louisville, Maryland Eastern Shore, Miami, Mercer, Mount St. Mary's, NC State, North Carolina, Old Dominion, Ole Miss, Radford, Richmond, SMU, Syracuse, Virginia, VMI
  • Road: Boston College, California, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Virginia, Wake Forest, West Virginia
  • Neutral: Iowa (Sioux City, Iowa); two of the following teams @ Charleston Classic (Charleston, S.C.): Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Utah; UCF (Nova Southeastern University; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)

As a program, Virginia Tech went 19-13 (8-10 ACC) last season. The Hokies preemptively declined a bid to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), ending their 2025-26 campaign after a 95-89 overtime loss to Wake Forest in the first round of the ACC Tournament.

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Thomas Hughes
THOMAS HUGHES

Hughes serves as Virginia Tech On SI's lead editor, a position he has held since July 2025. He is a sophomore at Virginia Tech, majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in creative writing. Hughes is also the assistant editor-in-chief for 3304 Sports, as well as an on-air talent for 3304's SportsCenter-style studio show. He is also a staff writer for Steering Wheel Nation, having written pieces on several motorsport series, including Formula 1 and the NTT IndyCar Series.

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