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Good morning, Tech Fam. We can’t wait to see y’all on Saturday!
What all are we covering in today’s edition, Hokies? Check it out below!
🎥 The Rivalry Renewed
🙌 Making Memories
⏱️ Countdown To Kickoff: Four Days Away
✍️ And much, much more!
🎥 THE RIVALRY RENEWED
🔼 Getting You Ready. The wait is over. Following an offseason fueled by unprecedented excitement, national buzz and a new energy surrounding Virginia Tech Football, the James Franklin era officially kicks off Saturday night in Blacksburg.
The Hokies open the 2026 season against VMI on Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET, welcoming a sold-out crowd to Lane Stadium for their annual Orange Effect and the first game featuring the Virginia Tech Gameday Experience.
🔼 Making Memories. Virginia Tech Athletics is making it easier than ever for Hokie fans to create unforgettable memories at Lane Stadium with the return of Maroon & Orange Memories for the 2026 football season.
Fans can explore experiences available for the VMI and ODU matchups, with opportunities for the remaining home games going on sale at later dates.
Designed to bring fans closer to the action and make special moments even more meaningful, Maroon & Orange Memories offers a collection of unique gameday experiences that give Hokie Nation new ways to celebrate, participate and take home a piece of the Lane Stadium experience.
🔼 What’s On Deck. While students are getting acclimated to their class schedule in Blacksburg, the Virginia Tech swimming & diving program is ready to get acclimated with their own schedule for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Four home meets at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center highlighted a loaded slate for the Hokies.
🔼 Roundin’ Up. Here’s a brand new way to give back, Hokie Nation!
The Hokie Way has partnered with elev8 Sports to launch a first-of-its-kind, round-up giving platform that turns your everyday purchases into support for advancing charitable initiatives across Virginia alongside Hokie student-athlete ambassadors.
After securely linking your VISA or Mastercard, every purchase rounds-up to the nearest dollar and the spare change goes directly to The Hokie Way. It’s that simple.
Throughout the summer, we’ve been counting down the days to the return of Virginia Tech Football this fall. The Hokies will host VMI in front of a sold out Lane Stadium on September 5 at 7:30 p.m.
4️⃣ Days Away. The number four has been worn by a plethora of all-time great Hokies, but for today, we’ll honor one of the best defensive players to ever play at Virginia Tech, DeAngelo Hall.
Hall was one of the most dynamic and versatile players of the Frank Beamer era at Virginia Tech. Playing for the Hokies from 2001-03, the Chesapeake, Virginia native starred at cornerback while also becoming one of college football’s most dangerous punt returners.
He finished his Tech career with eight interceptions and returned 56 punts for 839 yards and five touchdowns, a school record he still holds or shares. In 2003, Hall earned All-America honors and was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.
After three seasons in Blacksburg, Hall entered the NFL Draft and was selected eighth overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2004. He was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
🤔 HOKIE TRIVIA
No symbol tells the story of the Virginia Tech-VMI rivalry better than Skipper.
For years, VMI cadets fired their own cannon, “Little John,” taunting Hokie fans afterward by asking, “Where’s your cannon?”
Virginia Tech Cadets Homer “Sonny” Hickam, Alton “Butch” Harper, and George Fox decided Virginia Tech needed an answer. They built a cannon from brass collected from fellow Cadets, metal sent by Hickam’s father from Coalwood, West Virginia, and some Navy gun metal brass added at the foundry for strengthening.
What year was Skipper introduced in Blacksburg?
Got a guess?
Scroll to the bottom and find out!
📆 THE DAYS AHEAD
*all times are ET*
Tuesday, Sept. 1
⛳️ Men's Golf at Visit Knoxville Collegiate (Farragut, Tenn.)
Thursday, Sept. 3
🏐 Volleyball at Winthrop @ 6pm | ESPN+ | Live Stats (Winthrop Invitational)
🎙️ Tech Talk Live at McClain's at First & Main @ 6pm | Listen
⚽️ Women's Soccer at Penn State @ 7:30pm | Big Ten Network + | Live Stats
Friday, Sept. 4
🏐 Volleyball vs. ODU @ 6pm | Live Stats (Winthrop Invitational - Rock Hill, S.C.)
👟 Cross Country vs. VT Invitational @ 6pm
Saturday, Sept. 5
⚽️ Men's Soccer at NC State @ 7pm | ACC Network Extra | Live Stats
🏈 Football vs. VMI @ 7:30pm | ACC Network | Listen | Live Stats |
Sold Out! Buy on SeatGeek (Orange Effect)
🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER
Answer: 1963
🦃 Have a great one, Hokie Nation!
