|
Good morning, Tech Fam. Can September please get here soon?!
What all are we covering in today’s edition, Hokies? Check it out below!
🏈 Talkin’ Ball
🏀 Holding Court
⏱️ Countin’ Down: The Big 5-0
🦃 And much, much more!
🏈 TALKIN’ BALL
Football season will be here before we know it and on Thursday, the Hokies stepped behind the mics and previewed what’s to come this fall at the 2026 ACC Kickoff in Charlotte.
Head Coach James Franklin, along with players Kemari Copeland, Tyson Flowers and Marcellous Hawkins all answered questions and spoke about the excitement surrounding the Hokies heading into the upcoming season.
🏈 COUNTIN’ DOWN: 5️⃣0️⃣ 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.
This Hokie legend is one that not many Tech fans may truly know about, but when an opposing coach calls you “the greatest college linebacker in the United States,” you’re probably pretty good.
Ki Luczak was a defensive standout for the Hokies from 1949-1952 and even though statistics weren’t kept back then, he is credited with making or assisting on nearly 75-percent of the team’s tackles according to articles from back in the day.
The Roanoke Touchdown Club voted him the Outstanding Football Player in Virginia after the 1951 season, making him the first Hokie to win that award.
Luczak was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
🔼 Holding Court. On the court wasn’t the only place the Virginia Tech men’s hoops squad had success this past year.
This week, the Hokies were among the list of recipients of the 2025-26 NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards. In addition, Tobi Lawal, who graduated with a degree in sociology was included in the NABC Honors Court.
The NABC Team Academic Excellence Awards recognize programs that completed the 2025-26 academic year with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The NABC Honors Court, meanwhile, includes junior, senior and graduate student men's basketball players who finished the 2025-26 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
🔼 Stayin’ Home. There’s no place like Blacksburg and sometimes, you just don’t want to leave.
Emily Claesson, who graduated this past May, knows that feeling all too well and now she’s not going anywhere as she’s been announced as the newest assistant coach for Virginia Tech swimming & diving.
Claesson joins the Hokie staff after being a four-year swimmer at Virginia Tech from 2022-26. She qualified for the NCAA Championships in four straight seasons and garnered Honorable Mention All-American honors all four years as a member of the freestyle relay teams.
📬 Fan Survey: Help Us Make Inside HokieSports Better!
We want to hear from you. Take our reader survey and tell us a little about yourself, what you love, and what you want more of. Your feedback helps us make sure every edition of Inside HokieSports is worth opening.
🤔 HOKIE TRIVIA
Tonight, TJ Rumfield and the Colorado Rockies begin their second half of the 2026 MLB Season.
Rumfield has blasted 12 home runs in his rookie season and is inching closer to the record by a former Hokie in their debut season in the big leagues.
Which former Tech standout holds that mark?
Got a guess?
Scroll to the bottom and find out!
📆 THE DAYS AHEAD
*all times are ET*
Thursday, Aug. 13
⚽️ Women's Soccer vs. Old Dominion @ 6pm | Live Stats
Sunday, Aug. 16
⚽️ Women's Soccer vs. VMI @ 6pm | Live Stats
Thursday, Aug. 20
⚽️ Women's Soccer vs. Liberty @ 7pm | Live Stats
⚽️ Men's Soccer at Ohio State @ 8pm | Live Stats
Sunday, Aug. 23
⚽️ Men's Soccer vs. Howard @ 4pm | Live Stats
⚽️ Women's Soccer vs. Maryland @ 6pm | Live Stats
Saturday, Sept. 5
🏈 Football vs. VMI @ 7:30pm | ACC Network | Listen | Live Stats | Buy Tickets
🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER
Answer: Kerry Carpenter (20 in 2023)
🦃 Have a great one, y’all!
