After the release of their 2012-13 conference schedule yesterday, today Virginia Tech released its non-conference component of the schedule to complete their 2012-13 schedule.
According to Hokiesports:
"Twenty-nine games will be shown on ESPN/ESPN2, 20 on ESPNU and three on CBS. The ACC Network will broadcast 36 ACC games while the league’s Regional Sports Networks (Comcast SportsNet, FOX Sports South/FOX Sports Carolinas, FOX Sports Florida, NESN) will carry 20 contests."
While those are pretty impressive numbers for the program, unfortunately this will coincide with what is expected to be a down year for the program. Currently the Hokies have only eight scholarship players eligible to play this season and are going to have to adjust to a new head coach and a completely revamped coaching staff after the firing of Seth Greenberg on April 23. The team returns only two starters from a team that finished 16-17 (4-12) a year ago, the program's worst record since the 2005-06 season when they finished 14-16 (4-12).
The Hokies will open the season with a three-game home stand, facing ETSU on Nov. 10, Rhode Island Nov. 12 and traditional rival VMI Nov. 15 before traveling to Greensboro, NC to play UNC Greensboro on Nov. 19 for a one-game road trip. After that game, Tech will return to the confines of Cassell Coliseum to host Appalachian State on Nov. 23 before drawing Iowa for the third time in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge (Tech is 2-0 in those match-ups) on Nov. 27.
Tech will then host Oklahoma State on Dec. 1 before traveling to Morgantown, WV to play West Virginia on Dec. 8. The Hokies will then host Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 10 and Georgia Southern Dec. 15 at home as part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic before traveling to Las Vegas to face Bradley on Dec. 22. Strangely, as a result of the new 18-game ACC conference schedule, the Hokies will conclude their non-conference slate before the new year with a trip to Salt Lake City, UT to face BYU at the home of the Utah Jazz, EnergySolutions Arena.
For the conference slate, the Hokies open the new year on the road at Maryland Jan. 5, followed by a return home to face Boston College Jan. 9. The Hokies will then travel to Georgia Tech Jan. 12 before returning home for two games against Wake Forest Jan. 19 and Virginia Jan. 24. Tech will then travel to Clemson on Jan. 27 before returning to the Cassell to play Miami Jan. 30. Tech follows that with a Feb. 2 tilt at North Carolina, before home games against Maryland on Feb. 7 and Georgia Tech Feb. 9. The Hokies then travel to in-state rival Virginia Feb. 12, followed by a trip to N.C. State on Feb. 16. Tech then returns home for match-ups with Duke on Feb. 21 and Florida State Feb. 24. The Hokies will finish the season with three of their final four regular season games on the road against Miami on Feb. 27, Duke on March 5 and Wake Forest March 10. The lone home game during that stretch versus Clemson will be March 2.
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