Marquee opponents, Thursday night football on tap at Lane Stadium in 2018

Hokies welcome Notre Dame and Miami to Blacksburg; Thursday night football returns

January 17, 2018

BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech Athletics Department and the Atlantic Coast Conference announced the Hokies’ 2018 football schedule on Wednesday.

The first ever meeting in Blacksburg between the Hokies and Notre Dame on Oct. 6 and a clash with defending Coastal Division champions Miami on Nov. 17 highlight Tech’s home schedule. Thursday night football will also return to its rightful home in Blacksburg on Oct. 25 when the Hokies take on Georgia Tech.

“We are excited to have seven home games at Lane Stadium in 2018,” head coach Justin Fuente said. “I know our fans always look forward to Thursday night games in Blacksburg, but I’m just as enthused about having three of our final four ACC games at home to close out the regular season.

“Opening the season at Florida State will be a tremendous challenge, but we always embrace the opportunity to showcase our program on a national stage,” he continued. “Our staff and our team appreciate the unwavering support of Hokie Nation wherever we play. We look forward to seeing our fans at home and on the road again in 2018.”

The Hokies open the 2018 campaign on the road against Florida State, their first meeting with the Seminoles since 2012 and their first trip to Tallahassee since Oct. 25, 2008. After dropping 12 in a row to FSU in non-consecutive meetings between 1978 and 2005, Tech has split the past four matchups with the Seminoles, with its last victory coming in the 2010 ACC Championship Game. The last time Tech opened the season against a conference opponent was at Lane Stadium against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3, 2012.

Week Two will see the Hokies take on William & Mary at Lane Stadium on Sept. 8. It will be the 64th all-time meeting between the two programs and the first since 2014, a 34-9 Virginia Tech victory in Blacksburg. Tech will then welcome East Carolina back to Lane Stadium on Sept. 15 before hitting the road the following week to the Tidewater region of the Commonwealth for its first trip to Old Dominion on Sept. 22. The Hokies defeated the Monarchs 38-0 last season.

After Tech’s second ACC road trip of the season to Duke on Sept. 29, the Hokies will open October with another test when Notre Dame travels to Blacksburg for the first time on Oct. 6. In the first meeting, the Hokies overcame a pair of 17-point deficits to register a 34-31 victory over the Fighting Irish in South Bend on Nov. 19, 2016.

The bye week follows a road date with North Carolina on Oct. 13 in Chapel Hill. Tech has beaten the Tar Heels in seven of the past 10 meetings. The Hokies will then turn around to face Georgia Tech on Oct. 25 in a matchup between two of the most featured programs on ESPN’s Thursday night football since the inception of the package in 1991. Tech is 22-9 all time when playing on Thursday nights, including a 12-5 mark in Lane Stadium.

The Hokies usher in November with Boston College at Lane Stadium on Nov. 3 before hitting the road one final time in 2018 to take on Pitt. Two key Coastal Division contests will be played at Lane Stadium in late November, as the Hokies take on Miami on Nov. 17 and in-state rival Virginia on Friday, Nov. 23. Virginia Tech and Miami have traded off the Coastal Division title the past two seasons and the late-season game could be critical for earning a spot in the ACC Championship Game. Virginia Tech will conclude the 2018 regular season with a Commonwealth Cup clash against Virginia on Friday, Nov. 23, at Lane Stadium. The Hokies have won 14 straight meetings with the Cavaliers. Over the past 19 seasons, Virginia Tech has dominated its in-state FBS rival like no other major program, posting a 18-1 record against the Cavaliers over that span.

All 2018 football ticket information will be available for fans in early February, with season ticket renewals beginning the days following. For 2017 season ticket holders, the deadline to renew your seats is March 16. The deadline to submit a gift to the Hokie Scholarship Fund for priority seating is March 31.

Fans can also now enter a sweepstakes to win single-game tickets to a Virginia Tech football game this season. To enter, click on the link at the top of the story.

Justin Fuente enters his third season as head coach at Virginia Tech after leading the Hokies to their second consecutive season with nine-plus victories. The 2016 ACC Coach of the Year, Fuente is one of only six FBS head coaches whose teams have eclipsed nine or more wins over the past four seasons, joining Nick Saban (Alabama), Bryan Harsin (Boise State), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Urban Meyer (Ohio State) and Mark Richt (Miami). Fuente’s 19 wins in his first two seasons in Blacksburg are a program record.

The Hokies enter the 2018 season seeking to extend a streak of 25 straight bowl appearances – the longest active streak recognized by the NCAA. The Hokies finished the 2017 season ranked No. 24 in the AP Top 25, marking the first time since 2010 and 2011 that Tech has finished in the final AP poll in back-to-back seasons. The Hokies were also ranked in the final USA Today Coaches Poll, checking in at No. 25.

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