Introducing the ACC: Virginia Tech Hokies

Bruce Smith, one of the best defensive players in NFL history, came from Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech Hokies players run onto the field / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

After more than a century as a member of the Pac-12 Conference, Cal has moved into the Atlantic Coast Conference. To introduce Cal fans to the Bears’ new conference rivals, we will profile each of the other ACC schools.  Today we introduce you to Virginia Tech:

VIRGINA TECH

NICKNAME: Hokies (also Gobblers)

MASCOT: HokieBird

LOCATION: Blacksburg, Virginia (population 45,147)

MILES FROM BERKELEY: 2,274 miles

MAJOR AIRPORT: Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (Roanoke, Va.)

YEAR FOUNDED: 1872

ENROLLMENT: 30,505 undergraduates

TUITION: $15,478 (in-state tuition and fees); $36,090 (out-of-state tuition and fees)

CAMPUS LANDMARK:  The Pylons & War Memorial Chapel 

MOST POPULAR SPORTS BARS/RESTAURANTS: Champs Café & Sports Bar; Hokie House; Macado’s; Buffalo Wild Wings

FAMOUS NON-ATHLETE ALUMNI: NBC “Today” host Hoda Kotb ‘86; media executive/ political strategist Steve Bannon ’76; actress Jayma Mays ’79; Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun ‘57, scheduled to step down at the end of 2024; author Homer Hickam ‘43 

ATHLETIC WEBSITE: hokiesports.com

Buffalo Bills defensive end Bruce Smith / Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports

FOOTBALL  

COACH: Brent Pry (10-14, 3rd year)

STADIUM: Lane Stadium (65,632 capacity)

CAL ON THE SCHEDULE: 2025 in Blacksburg, Va., date and time not yet set

2023 RECORD: 7-6, 5-3/tied for 4th in ACC

BEST PLAYER ON 2024 TEAM: Senior defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland (second-team all-ACC in 2023, when he had 14.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles)

MOST RECENT BOWL APPEARANCE: 2023 (Beat Tulane 41-20 in Military Bowl)

BOWL HISTORY: 35 appearances (14-21)

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2010 ACC championship (Beat Florida State in title game)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: None (lost to Florida State 46-29 in 2020 Sugar Bowl, which was the 1999 national championship game)

BEST ALL-TIME NFL PLAYER: Hall of Fame defensive end Bruce Smith (alltime NFL career sacks leader with 200; 2-time NFL defensive player of the year; 8-time first-team All-Pro, 11-time Pro Bowl selection; 13 times 10 or more sacks in a season)

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Frank Beamer (238-121 in 29 seasons; bowl berths in each of his final 23 seasons; 7 final top-10 rankings, including No. 2 in 1999)

ALL-TIME RECORD VS. CAL (most recent meeting): 0-1 (Cal beat Virginia Tech 52-49 in 2003 Insight Bowl

Charlotte Hornets shooting guard Dell Curry / RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

MEN’S BASKETBALL

COACH: Mike Young (92-66 in 5 seasons)

ARENA: Cassell Coliseum (capacity 10,052)

2023-24 RECORD: 19-15, 10-10 in ACC/tied for 8th place

BEST PLAYER NEXT SEASON: Senior guard Hysier Miller (averaged 15.9 points, 4.0 assists for Temple last season, and averaged 19.2 points and 4.2 assists over five games in the American Athletic Conference tournament)

MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2022 (lost to Texas 81-73 in the first round)

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 1996 Atlantic-10 West Division co-champion

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY (NCAA TOURNAMENT): 13 appearances (8-13) 1967 Elite Eight (lost to Dayton 71-66 in overtime in 23-team tournament)

BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Dell Curry (averaged 24.1 points as a Virginia Tech senior; played 16 NBA seasons, averaged more than 13 points 7 times, 1994 sixth man of the year)

ALSO: Bimbo Coles

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Buzz Williams (100-69 in 5 seasons 2014-15 to 2018-19; 3 NCAA tournament appearances; four 20-win seasons; 26-9 in final season)

ALL-TIME RECORD VS.CAL (most recent meeting): 0-1 (Cal won 68-59 on November 30, 1991, in Richmond, Virginia)

Introducing the ACC: Virginia Tech Hokies / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 

COACH: Megan Duffy (entering 1st season, 110-46 record in 5 seasons at Marquette)

ARENA: Cassell Coliseum (capacity 10,052)

2023-24 RECORD: 25-8, 14-4/1st in ACC

BEST PLAYER in 2024-25: Senior guard/forward Matilda Ekh (averaged 10.4 points and shot 40.4% on three-pointers last season)

MOST RECENT NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE: 2024 (lost to Baylor 75-72 in second round)

MOST RECENT CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: 2024 ACC regular-season champ

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: 13 NCAA tournament appearances (14-13); national semifinals 2023, lost to LSU 79-72

BEST ALL-TIME PLAYER: Elizabeth Kitley (3-time ACC player of the year in 2022, 2023, 2024; 2-time second-team AP All-American, 2023, 2024; third-team AP All-American in 2022; Virginia Tech career leader in points, rebounds and blocks; Virginia Tech single-season record for scoring average, 22.8 in 2023-24)

BEST ALL-TIME COACH: Kenny Brooks (180-82 in 8 seasons; 4 NCAA tournament berths; 2024 ACC championship; 2023 Final Four; 7 seasons of 20 wins or more)

ALL-TIME RECORD VS. CAL (most recent meeting): Cal and Virginia Tech have never faced each other

Kristi Castlin celebrates after winning a medal in the women's 100m hurdles in the 2016 Olympics / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

MISCELLANEOUS

VARSITY SPORTS (22): Football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, women’s volleyball, women’s lacrosse, men’s wrestling

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (None): Virginia Tech won the 2007 bass fishing national championship, and the 2021 and 2022 D1-AA rugby national championship, but those are not varsity sports

BEST ALL-TIME NON-FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL ATHLETE: Softball pitcher Angela Tincher O’Brien ’08 (2008 National college player of the year; 2-time first-team All-American in 2007, 2008, second-team All-American 2006; ACC career leader in wins, strikeouts, shutouts and no-hitters; All-league pick in pro softball in 2008)

MOST FAMOUS OLYMPIAN: Track and field athlete Kristi Castlin (Olympic bronze medalist in the 100-meter hurdles in the 2016 Summer Games)

ALSO: Hammer thrower Marcel Lomnicky (three-time Olympian, placed fifth in 2016 Summer Games representing Slovakia)

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