Ryan Odom is wasting no time loading Virginia’s men’s basketball schedule with heavyweight nonconference tests, and that makes the case for a few more marquee matchups even easier to see.
The Cavaliers already have a brutal slate lined up this season, with games against Arkansas, Maryland, Kentucky, UConn, Marquette and Xavier before the ACC grind even begins. That kind of schedule should give Virginia a sharp edge heading toward the NCAA tournament, where the program has not gotten past the second round since winning the 2019 national championship.
With the tournament now expanded to 76 teams, there’s less reason for strong programs to hide from early losses. Add in the ACC’s move from a 20-game league schedule to 18 last year, and teams suddenly have a couple more chances each season to chase meaningful out-of-conference games. Virginia ought to use them.
One obvious option is Vanderbilt. The two teams will already scrimmage for the second straight season on Sept. 27 on an outdoor court in Charleston, S.C., but that only makes the case stronger for turning it into a real game. It would be a clean fit: two academically strong schools that have poured resources into athletics without giving up on the classroom side, and a manageable 550-mile trip for either side.
There’s also plenty of recent momentum behind the idea. Virginia went 30-6 last season and checked in at No. 12 in ESPN.com's Way-Too-Early preseason rankings.
Vanderbilt finished 27-9 and landed at No. 24.
Commodores coach Mark Byington also knows Virginia well, having worked there as a graduate assistant from 1999-2001 under Pete Gillen and as director of operations in 2004-05 under Dave Leitao.
The programs have barely crossed paths over the years, meeting just seven times total and only once since 1995, when they played in 2017. That’s more than enough reason to bring them back together.
Georgetown is another natural fit. Ed Cooley is clearly steering the Hoyas toward a tougher nonconference approach, with North Carolina, Texas, Maryland, Clemson and either UCLA or St.
Mary's (Md.) already on the schedule before Big East play starts. If Nashville is an easy trip, Washington is even easier, and Georgetown carries the same academic appeal.
Virginia also has a direct connection there through assistant coach Jason Willford, who played forward for the Cavaliers in the 1990s and later became one of Tony Bennett’s trusted aides. The two schools last met in 2002, and it feels like a series that should be revived.
Then there’s Michigan State, the matchup that would check just about every box. It would bring a blue-chip opponent, strong TV interest and the chance for Virginia fans to get something they’ve wanted for years.
The Cavaliers are 0-5 against the Spartans, including NCAA tournament losses that knocked out two of Bennett’s best teams in 2014 and 2015. Virginia also had a scheduled meeting with Michigan State in the 2001-02 ACC/Big Ten Challenge, but that game was canceled because of a slippery floor at the Richmond Coliseum.
For Virginia, that’s reason enough to circle Tom Izzo’s program before he calls it a career.
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Virginia opened the season with a run-first approach that kept NC State on its heels and gave the Cavaliers a clear early identity. The game plan was simple and effective, with the ground game doing most of the work in a 34-8 win while the passing attack stayed mostly in the background, enough to hint at more once the offense settles in.
Beau Pribula was a steady part of that formula, and the larger takeaway for Virginia is that this might only be the beginning of what the offense can become. As the Cavaliers look ahead, there is room for players like Rico Flores Jr. and Da'Shawn Martin to take on bigger roles if the staff decides to open things up, which makes the opener feel less like a finished product and more like an early snapshot. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Just Forced Its Way Into The ACC Conversation
Virginia opened its season by taking care of NC State in a way that turned heads well beyond the scoreboard. In a week that featured only one conference matchup between Power 4 opponents, the Cavaliers made sure theirs mattered, rolling to a convincing win that immediately put them in the ACC discussion and drew plenty of praise from analysts and former players alike.
The attention did not stop with the on-field performance, either. The game landed a sizable national audience on ESPN and became one of the more visible showcases of the weekend, a reminder that Virginia can still command a spotlight when it puts together a statement performance. For a program looking to change the conversation early, that kind of start carries real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Football Is Giving Fans A Reason To Believe Again
A decisive season-opening win over NC State at Scott Stadium has only strengthened the feeling around Virginia football that something real may be building. The Cavaliers have been on a strong run lately, piling up multiple double-digit ACC wins and giving the fan base more reasons than it has had in years to look at the program with optimism.
Even so, the mood in Charlottesville still comes with a little caution attached. A fan message board and a related podcast have both reflected the same lingering question: after so much inconsistency over the years, are fans ready to fully trust what they are seeing yet, or are they still waiting for the next setback to decide? [Read more 🡒]