In an odd turn of events, but fitting with 2020, the Virginia Tech Hokies will open, rather than close, the regular season with the Commonwealth Clash. Tech hosts UVA on September 19th in Lane Stadium as the ACC attempts to begin what will likely be the strangest year of college football.
The Hokies were supposed to open the season hosting NC State on September 12th. However, the Wolfpack had to delay the game until September 26th after NC State had a surge in COVID-19 cases, moving classes online, shutting down on-campus living, and pausing athletics. Since that announcement NC State Football has returned to practice, but the Women’s Soccer team announced it will be sitting out the fall season.
Back to the action in Blacksburg, fans can now rest easy that the big rivalry game will air on ABC and not on the ACC Network (which not all fans have access to). The kick-off time will either be 3:30 pm or a 7:30 pm night clash, which should be set sometime next week.
Bring it Home
— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) September 1, 2020
Commonwealth Clash with UVA on Sept. 19 will kick off at either 3:30 or 7:30 pm on ABC.
https://t.co/slizmcwGYO #BeatUVA ⚔️ | #Hokies pic.twitter.com/PZx9PcKZHw
With both schools residing in the same state and currently weathering the return to campus and classes, fans can remain hopeful that the Commonwealth Clash kicks off as scheduled. However, as the NC State adjustment has shown, 2020 will be an odd season, full of schedule changes, last minute cancellations, or players held out just days before games due to positive tests. Looking ahead at the schedule and the current news, only the NC State and Liberty games seem at risk at the moment. But with things changing daily, we can deal with that as or if we get there.
But for now Hokies can clear their Saturday afternoon/evening schedule for September 19th, in what will hopefully be a return to normality, in a sense. Both in seeing Tech play football and reclaiming the Commonwealth Cup.