Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG (hokiesports.com) - Virginia Tech Director of Athletics Jim Weaver and Penn State Director of Athletics Dave Joyner Wednesday announced that the Hokies and Nittany Lions have signed a contract to play a home-and-home football series beginning in 2022.
The contract will start with the 2022 game being played in Blacksburg on Sept. 17, and the second year of the deal will take place in 2023 in State College, Pa., on Sept. 16.
“I am very pleased that we have been able to negotiate a home and home football series with Penn State,” Weaver said. “I think this will be a series that our fans will look forward to since this is another Big Ten team. Over the next 10 years, we will be playing Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State.”
Despite having campuses located less than 375 miles apart, Virginia Tech and Penn State have never met in football. The Hokies have played Temple (14-3), Pitt (7-5), Villanova (5-0), Penn (1-1), Bucknell (0-1) and Waynesburg (1-0) from The Keystone State, earning a cumulative 28-10 on-field record.
Weaver earned bachelor’s (1967) and master’s degrees (1968) from Penn State, playing center and linebacker for the Nittany Lions. A native of Harrisburg, Weaver began his coaching career with the Nittany Lions and was an assistant coach from 1969-72, coaching Joyner during that time at offensive tackle.
The Hokies have played just three current members of the Big Ten in program history: Indiana, Michigan and Nebraska. The Hokies have never played Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue or Wisconsin, although dates with Ohio State (2014, 2015), Wisconsin (2019, 2020), Michigan (2020, 2021) and now Penn State are on the future schedule.
Tech has a 3-2 all-time on-field record vs. current Big Ten teams: Indiana (1-0), Nebraska (2-1), Michigan (0-1).