Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – After a busy conclusion to 2024 with National Signing Day and staff changes, Virginia Tech football will open the new year against Minnesota in search of consecutive bowl game victories. The Hokies will face the Golden Gophers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday, Jan. 3 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
How to Follow
TV: The game will be televised on ACC Network with Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Aaron Murray (analyst) and Harry Lyles (sidelines) on the call.
Radio: The Virginia Tech Sports Network will carry the contest over the airwaves in Blacksburg on 93.1 FM and 105.9 FM. Bill Roth will handle play-by-play duties while Mike Burnop provides color commentary and Zach Mackey reports from the sideline.
Streaming: Catch the game online at ESPN.com and the ESPN mobile app.
Live Audio: Listen to live audio coverage of the matchup at HokieSports.com/Listen or in the HokieSports mobile app.
Live Stats: Monitor the game through live stats on HokieSports.com, including play-by-play updates and full team and individual statistics.
Social Media: Stay connected with the Hokies on Twitter (@HokiesFB), Instagram (@hokiesfb) and Facebook (@VirginiaTechFB).
Things to Know
Inaugural Matchup
Virginia Tech’s football program boasts an enticing history of accolades in the regular season and bowl games. The Hokies will be presented with an intriguing opportunity at Bank of America Stadium, as it will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Head coach Brent Pry and company are no strangers to Big Ten programs, as they’ve competed three times against the conference over the last two seasons. Friday’s contest against Minnesota will mark the fourth bowl matchup against the conference. With a victory over the Golden Gophers, Tech can move to 2-2 in postseason contests against Big Ten opponents based on the in-season conference alignment, with the most recent victory against Indiana in 1993 during the Independence Bowl. Learn more about Minnesota and how it stacks up against Virginia Tech.
Back in Charlotte
The postseason storylines continue to roll in the Hokies’ latest trip to North Carolina. Tech’s upcoming matchup will be its third appearance in the Charlotte-hosted postseason contest. The first two appearances occurred under different naming rights, with the inaugural matchup resulting in a 35-24 victory over Arkansas in 2016. Now, in their first trip under the current naming rights sponsor, Duke’s Mayo, the Hokies will aim to earn a 2-1 record in the bowl. Not to mention, a staff member from the winning team will get doused in mayonnaise to cement the moment of victory. Dive deeper into the program’s history with Bowl Snapshot, presented by Kroger.
Defensive Preparation
Following staff changes after the 2024 regular season, Tech’s defensive play calling will look different. Addressing the media after the decision, Pry mentioned that he and STARs coach Shawn Quinn will handle bowl game preparation for the defense. “And we'll decide as we get closer to it where the play calling actually comes from,” Pry stated. With weeks of game planning, the Hokies can lean on the valuable coaching experience of Quinn if needed.
Be at the Game!
While the Virginia Tech ticket allotment is exhausted for the matchup, fans are encouraged to visit the Duke Mayo Bowl website for tickets or other avenues. Additional tickets can be found on SeatGeek, the Official Fan-to-Fan Ticket Marketplace of Virginia Tech Athletics.