Virginia Tech football’s 2026 campaign is rapidly approaching, and with it, comes the aspirations for a better campaign. Last year, the Hokies went 3-9, dropping their first three games and firing then-head coach Brent Pry on Nov. 14, a day after an insipid 45-26 loss to Old Dominion.
Hokie Nation, we got our guy 🤝Coach Franklin’s here to win 🏆➡️ https://t.co/qFtXyikfDR🏆 https://t.co/dA4VWjes9zpic.twitter.com/J2MTYyAILt
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) November 17, 2025
FanDuel set Virginia Tech’s win total at 6.5 victories. Should the Hokies finish with a 6-7 or 7-6 record, it would be the fifth time in the past nine seasons with that mark. Virginia Tech has not eclipsed that mark since the 2019 season, when it went 8-5, losing its final two games and dropping a potential chance at the ACC Championship game with a loss to archrival Virginia.
What could be critical is whether Virginia Tech can get out to a good start. Between 2016 and 2020, Virginia Tech started out 4-2 in four seasons (2016, 2018-2020) and 5-1 in 2017. Since then, the Hokies have not started with a record over .500 in their first six games of the season. Here’s a look at the Hokies’ first six opponents:
- Sept. 5: vs. VMI (Lane Stadium; Blacksburg, Va.)
- Sept. 12: vs. Old Dominion (Lane Stadium; Blacksburg, Va.)
- Sept. 19: at Maryland (SECU Stadium; College Park, Md.)
- Sept. 26: at Boston College (Alumni Stadium; Chestnut Hill, Mass.)
- Oct. 2: vs. Pitt (Lane Stadium; Blacksburg, Va.)
All six contests appear attainable, and if the Hokies can enter the tougher stretch of conference play with four or five wins under their belt, it could set up well for, at a minimum, a bowl appearance under Franklin in year one…