Virginia Tech Football's 2026 ACC Slate Unveiled

The Hokies will now play nine ACC games instead of eight.

Virginia Tech Athletics

Virginia Tech’s 2026 football schedule has undergone a notable adjustment roughly eight and a half months before the season officially gets underway, stemming from a broader structural change within the ACC. As the conference moves away from its eight-game format, 12 of its 17 members, including the Hokies, will now play a nine-game ACC slate.

Beyond league competition, the ACC has also implemented a requirement that each program face at least one Power Four opponent in non-conference action. For Virginia Tech, that box is checked with a Sept. 19 matchup against Maryland, renewing a regional matchup that carries familiarity and added intrigue. The Hokies’ remaining non-conference games come beforehand, opening against VMI on Sept. 5 before hosting Old Dominion on Sept. 12.

Our home and away conference opponents for the 2026 season ‼️ pic.twitter.com/9qnDUXVEGi

— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) December 16, 2025

Home: Georgia Tech, Pitt, Stanford, Virginia

Away: Boston College, California, Clemson, Miami, SMU

Stanford assumes NC State's spot on the schedule, while SMU takes over one of the originally four non-conference games. James Madison is the likely option to be discarded; the game is scheduled for Sept. 26. Virginia Tech's mileage for its five road ACC contests is tough; the Hokies will now travel to California, Florida, Massachusetts, South Carolina and Texas.

With that, here's a look at the new 12-game slate, including non-conference games:

Home: Georgia Tech, Pitt, Stanford, Virginia, VMI, Old Dominion

Away: Boston College, California, Clemson, Maryland, Miami, SMU

“Today’s announcement of our 2026 football league opponents is another significant and intentional step forward for ACC football,” ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips said in the conference’s release. “Transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule strengthens our competitive framework, aligns us with the other Power Four conferences and provides greater consistency for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. This phased approach reflects our commitment to competitive equity, scheduling flexibility and delivering a premier football product across all 17 institutions.”

By expanding conference play, the ACC now is placing an emphasis on internal competition, attempting to keep pace with the other Power Four conferences and creating more opportunities to avoid a tiebreaker. For programs like Virginia Tech, the added league game increases both the margin for error in the ACC and the value of depth. SMU, the addition to the Hokies' schedule, came within a game of making the ACC title game, losing on a tiebreaker alongside three other schools to Duke, which went on to win the ACC championship over Virginia.

Virginia Tech's 2026 campaign starts on Sept. 5 against VMI.