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Inside HokieSports 6/8: Up For A Challenge
Hokies Set To Take On Ole Miss and Tennessee In SEC/ACC Challenge
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Good morning, Tech Fam. These dudes never stop working!
What all are we covering in today’s edition, Hokies? Check it out below!
🏀 Up For A Challenge
🏈 Countin’ Down
🎥 The Conversation: Coming Home
🦃 And much, much more!
🏈 COUNTIN’ DOWN: 89 DAYS
Throughout the summer, we will be counting down the days
to the return of Virginia Tech Football this fall. The Hokies will host
VMI on September 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Only two players in Virginia Tech history have recorded 4+ sacks in a game: Bruce Smith (twice) and #89 Mike Roane.
Roane was a standout defensive end for the Hokies during the mid-1980s, earning Honorable Mention All-American accolades in both 1985 and 1986.
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🔼 Up For A Challenge. Late last week, both Virginia Tech basketball programs learned their opponents for next season’s ACC/SEC Challenge.
On the men’s side, the Hokies will welcome Ole Miss to Cassell Coliseum on Tuesday, December 1st, while the women will welcome the Vols of Tennessee to town just two days later on Thursday, December 3rd.
Tech’s tipoff time and television designation for the games will be announced by ESPN later at a date.
🔼 Secure Your Seat. The countdown to basketball season has officially started!
Men’s basketball ticket memberships and women’s basketball season tickets for the 2026-27 season are ON SALE NOW!
🔼 Forever A Hokie. Last week, the Hokie family lost a true legend with the passing of former men’s and women’s tennis head coach Larsen Bowker.
Bowker coached women’s tennis at Virginia Tech from 1979-83 and then returned to Blacksburg to coach the men’s team from 1986-98.
He posted a career record of 196-81 (.708) as the head coach of both tennis programs.
🔼 Almost Time. In just over 60 hours, the Virginia Tech track & field squad will step onto the surface at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., to battle the country’s best at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
10 different Hokies will be competing at the meet:
Katie Bohlke — 5,000 meters
Kaitlyn Cook — Triple jump
George Couttie — 1,500 meters
Maddox Hamm — Pole vault
Christian Jackson — 800 meters
Jule Lindner — Steeplechase
Conner McClure — Pole vault
Mariana Pestana — Hammer throw
Nick Plant — 1,500 meters
Chiara Sistermann — Pole vault
The action gets started on Wednesday evening and wraps up with the finals in many events scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
🙌 ICYMI: A GAME CHANGER
Last week, Virginia Tech recently received its largest commitment ever.
The unprecedented, $75 million in support will advance the university’s ambitious athletics strategy and expand one of its most innovative academic programs.
A majority of the commitment, made anonymously by a four-generation Hokie family, was to athletics, while a sizeable portion was directed to the Honors College.
The athletic portion includes philanthropy for the Invest to Win initiative to ensure Hokie competitiveness in today’s rapidly changing collegiate athletics environment; unrestricted funds to be used at the discretion of the university’s athletic director; and additional support to be administered through the new Hokie Ventures affiliation approved by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors on Tuesday, June 2.
🏀 WELCOME HOME
A familiar face is back home in Blacksburg.
Last week, head coach Mike Young and the Virginia Tech men’s hoops program announced the return of Hunter Cattoor to the Hokies. He will join the squad as an assistant coach for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Take a few minutes to enjoy this conversation about Cattoor’s return.
🤔 HOKIE TRIVIA
Fill In The Box: This year’s upcoming meeting between Virginia Tech and Ole Miss on the hardwood will be the _________ time the two programs have met.
Got a guess?
Scroll to the bottom and find out!
📆 THE DAYS AHEAD
*all times are ET*
Wednesday, June 10
👟 Track & Field at NCAA Championship (Eugene, Ore.)
Thursday, June 11
👟 Track & Field at NCAA Championship (Eugene, Ore.)
Friday, June 12
👟 Track & Field at NCAA Championship (Eugene, Ore.)
Saturday, June 13
👟 Track & Field at NCAA Championship (Eugene, Ore.)
Sunday, June 14
👟 Track & Field at NCAA Championship (Eugene, Ore.)
🤝 SPREAD THE WORD
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🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER
Answer: Sixth (Tech is 3-2 all-time against the Rebels)
🦃 Have a great one, y’all!