Warning. Rumor and speculation ahead. Tread lightly.
The Hokies have made it a habit of playing on a neutral field in regular season games of late. Well, it looks like that might become tradition. A source I trust told me he believes the Hokies will play games in the 2010 and 2011 seasons in the Washington, DC, area in made-for-TV games.
I wasn't told any specifics on who our opponents would be, but if it's a made-for-TV deal (read: made-for-ESPN) I'm sure they would be big names.
The problem is in order to make these games possible, the Hokies have to juggle their schedule. Right now Tech already has its quota of non-conference games for both 2010 and 2011. The Hokies play Central Michigan, Western Michigan, East Carolina and Syracuse in 2010. They play Appalachian State, East Carolina, Syracuse and Marshall in 2011.
Tech was able to move it's trip to Cincinnati in order to accomodate the Alabama game this season. Something tells me buying out someone like Western Michigan or Appy State would be just as easy.
This would be great news for the program. Tech played at FedEx Field to open the 2004 season against USC and the atmosphere there was outstanding. And the opener against Alabama has raised the anticipation level for the season for both fanbases.
I hope this is more than just rumor because it would raise the profile of the program because of the exposure these big games provide. They're especially important at the beginning of the season. Just look at how many people on a national level have been talking about the Alabama game since January.