The ACC is continuing to reshape its football identity, and Monday’s announcement of the 2026 conference opponents added another layer to that transformation. With the league officially moving to a nine-game conference schedule, Virginia Tech now knows exactly who it’ll be facing in this new era of ACC football - and there are some intriguing matchups on deck.
Let’s break it down.
Virginia Tech’s 2026 ACC Opponents
The Hokies are one of 12 ACC teams set to play nine league games in 2026. The remaining five - Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina - will play eight, as part of a phased scheduling model the conference is rolling out.
Here’s how Tech’s conference slate shakes out:
Home Games (4):
- Georgia Tech
- Pitt
- Stanford
- Virginia
Away Games (5):
- Boston College
- Cal
- Clemson
- Miami
- SMU
There’s a lot to unpack here. First off, Stanford and SMU are both new faces on the schedule - part of the ACC’s westward expansion that includes Cal as well. NC State was originally slated to be on Tech’s 2026 schedule, but the Cardinal now take that spot.
That swap brings a unique twist: Virginia Tech and Wake Forest will be the only two teams in the conference to face all three of the ACC’s new additions - Stanford, Cal, and SMU - next season. That’s a full tour of the ACC’s new coast-to-coast footprint.
And for the Hokies, it means some rare - and in one case, historic - road trips. The trip to Cal will be Tech’s first-ever visit to Berkeley.
The Dallas matchup with SMU will be the program’s third trip to the city, but the first since 1974. That’s a long time between flights to Texas.
Non-Conference Shakeup
With the move to a nine-game conference schedule, something had to give. ACC teams are now required to play at least 10 Power Four opponents each season - nine in-conference games plus one non-conference matchup against another Power Four school.
That means Virginia Tech had to trim its non-conference schedule from four games to three. According to sources, the Sept. 26 home game against James Madison will be the odd one out.
Here’s what remains on the non-conference slate:
- Sept. 5 vs. VMI
- Sept. 12 vs. Old Dominion
- Sept. 19 at Maryland
The Maryland game satisfies the Power Four requirement, while VMI and Old Dominion round out the early-season lineup. Dropping JMU isn’t an easy decision - the Dukes have built a strong program - but with the ACC’s new structure, flexibility is going to be key.
A New Era for the ACC
This isn’t just about who’s playing who. It’s about the ACC redefining itself in a rapidly shifting college football landscape.
ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips called the move to a nine-game schedule “a significant and intentional step forward.” And it is. It aligns the ACC with the rest of the Power Four and creates a more consistent, competitive framework across the board.
The league is also tweaking its tiebreaker policy ahead of the 2026 season - another sign that the conference is trying to stay ahead of the curve as the sport evolves.
For Virginia Tech, the 2026 schedule offers a mix of the familiar and the unfamiliar. There are traditional rivalries - like the Commonwealth Clash with Virginia - and there are fresh tests, like cross-country trips to face Stanford and Cal. And with SMU now in the mix, the Hokies will need to be ready for a different kind of speed and style.
The full schedule, with dates and times, will drop in January. But for now, Virginia Tech fans can start circling some key matchups and prepping for what’s shaping up to be one of the most unique seasons in recent program history.