|
The Atlantic Coast Conference released its 2005 football schedule Thursday, and for the first time since 1996, Virginia Tech Hokies will open the season with two consecutive road games. Also highlighting the schedule are consecutive Thursday night broadcasts on ESPN and home games with five teams that went to postseason bowls a year ago. Virginia Tech Hokies also opens the season with three league games, marking the first time since 1997 that has happened.
With the construction of the west side of Lane Stadium projected for late summer finish, the league gave workers a little extra time with two away games for the Virginia Tech Hokies to open the season, at N.C. State and at Duke University. The Virginia Tech Hokies last opened the season with two road games in 1996, traveling to Akron and Boston College. Virginia Tech Hokies' home opener will be on Sept. 17, when the Virginia Tech Hokies host Georgia Tech. On Sept. 24, former Nebraska head coach Frank Solich brings his Ohio University Bobcats into Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech Hokies will make consecutive appearances on ESPN's Thursday night broadcast, where it is 10-1 all-time. Virginia Tech Hokies will travel to the University of Maryland on Oct. 20, then host Boston College seven days later. Conference home games include Boston College, the University of North Carolina, Georgia Tech and the University of Miami, while non-conference opponents Ohio and Marshall come visiting. Virginia Tech Hokies will travel to North Carolina State, Maryland, Duke and the University of Virginia for league contests and West Virginia University for a non-conference game.
In its first season in the ACC, the Virginia Tech Hokies went 10-3 overall, winning the league title and representing the conference in the Nokia Sugar Bowl. This season, the league will break into two separate divisions - the Atlantic (Maryland, Clemson, N.C. State, Wake Forest, Boston College and Florida State) and Coastal (Virginia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Duke, Miami and Tech) - with the two division winners meeting in Jacksonville, Fla., on Dec. 3 for the first ACC Championship game.
Times for most games will be made available as the season gets closer.
|