ESPN Lists Virginia Tech's Defining Game of 2026

Virginia Tech football is currently six and a half months away from the beginning of its 2026 campaign, a season that, for the players, staff and fans, will hopefully bring about a better effort than its 3-9 finish a year ago.

"We're going to take all those experiences, all those lessons learned and pour them into Virginia Tech," said head coach James Franklin at his introductory press conference on Nov. 17, 2025. "... The nice thing for me is I'm walking in here, and that alignment already exists. And now, I'm looking to partner with these men and women to put Virginia Tech in the best position to be successful long-term."

Zero hesitation, full throttle 🚀 #LetsGoHokies pic.twitter.com/3OPohtxklD
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) February 24, 2026

Ahead of the campaign, ESPN spotlighted a defining game for each Power Four program.

For Virginia Tech, the Hokies' game selected was their showdown with Miami on Friday, Nov. 20, their penultimate contest of the regular season.

Here's what ESPN's Heather Dinich had to say on Virginia Tech's matchup with the Hurricanes.

"The ACC couldn't have made it much more difficult for James Franklin in Year 1. The Hokies have three Friday night games, two of which come during an extremely difficult back half of the schedule that includes trips to Clemson, SMU and Miami. No matter what happens before the trip to Coral Gables, a win against the Canes would be a heckuva statement about the possibilities for the program under Franklin. A loss would help indicate just how much work has to be done to close the gap with the ACC's best."

Virginia Tech was named as the most defining matchup for two schools: Maryland (Sept. 19) and Boston College (Sept. 26).

Here's a look at Virginia Tech's full 12-game slate for the regular season, which will include nine ACC games:

Saturday, Sept. 5: vs. VMI (Lane Stadium; Blacksburg, Va.)
Saturday, Sept. 12: vs. Old Dominion (Lane Stadium; Blacksburg
Saturday, Sept. 19: at Maryland (SECU Stadium; College Park, Md.)
Saturday, Sept. 26: at Boston College (Alumni Stadium; Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
Friday, Oct. 2: vs. Pitt (Lane Stadium; Blacksburg, Va.)
Saturday, Oct. 10: at Cal (California Memorial Stadium; Berkeley, Calif.)
Saturday, Oct. 17: vs. Georgia Tech (Lane Stadium; Blacksburg, Va.)
Saturday, Oct. 24: at Clemson (Memorial Stadium; Clemson, S.C.)
Friday, Nov. 6 OR Saturday, Nov. 7: at SMU (Gerald J. Ford Stadium; Dallas, Texas)
Saturday, Nov. 14: vs. Stanford (Lane Stadium; Blacksburg, Va.)
Friday, Nov. 20: at Miami (Hard Rock Stadium;
Saturday, Nov. 28: vs. Virginia (Lane Stadium; Blacksburg, Va.)

In the meantime, Virginia Tech's spring game will take place on Saturday, April 18. Admission to the contest will be free.