An awesome spring about to begin for Virginia Tech sports

By Bill Roth

Ready for a big spring? The next eight weeks promise to deliver some incredible moments in Virginia Tech Sports from Cassell Coliseum to the ball fields.

Let’s start with wrestling where the sixth-ranked Hokies will host the 2026 ACC Tournament at Cassell on March 8. The Hokies clinched the ACC regular season title last Friday, defeating Duke 26-17, to finish undefeated against conference competition dual competition.

Even though the Hokies redshirted their top wrestler this season, 2024 National Champion and three-time All-American Caleb Henson, Tech dominated the ACC, outscoring conference foes this season 148-74.

“It was a terrific dual season for us,” Tech coach Tony Robie told me after claiming his ninth conference title since taking over in Blacksburg. “Match ups are huge in wrestling, and that was a big part of for us this season. But just because you win in the dual meets doesn’t mean you’ll automatically win in the ACC Championship.”

Tech will look to defend its tournament title at Cassell in two weeks. It will mark the first time since 2019 that Virginia Tech has hosted the event in Blacksburg.

How did Robie and his staff pull off an undefeated season and remain nationally ranked while sitting Henson for the entire season?

“A lot of work. Lots of work. We had consistency throughout the season and our freshmen performed very well,” Robie said. “I wouldn’t say I’m surprised because these guys were outstanding in high school, but I was pleased with how they came in and performed.”

The Hokies had the nation’s fourth-ranked recruiting class this past season which included Aaron Seidel who finished this regular season undefeated vs. ACC competition at 133-pounds. The three-time Pennsylvania state champion and all-time high school wins leader in his home state has been brilliant this year for the Hokies. Another freshman from Pennsylvania, Collin Gaj will compete at 149 in the post season for Tech. It was Gaj who burst onto the scene with an upset N.C. State’s Koy Buesgens several weeks ago in Raleigh.

Now the Hokies turn their attention to the ACC Championship at Cassell on March 8.

“We’ve got to be ready to go,” Robie said. “Four teams can win this and there are going to be a lot of swing matches. Every point matters. Every match matters.”

The 2026 ACC Wrestling Championship at Cassell will begin with first-round action at 10 a.m. ET The semifinals are set for 2 p.m. and Championship matches will begin at 8 p.m.

“It’s a long day, and an all-day event,” Robie said. “But the semis and finals will determine the outcome of the tournament.”

It’s a tremendous event and tickets are available for just $10.

Tech is ranked No. 6 entering the post season. And the good news? With Henson’s return, and another top recruiting class, Robie’s Hokies could be even better next year.

“We’re not graduating anyone this year so looking ahead to next year, we could have a really special team, perhaps the best team we’ve ever had here at Virginia Tech.

Softball now 4-0 vs. SEC teams after Sunday’s win at Georgia
After a wildly successful weekend at No. 12 Georgia, Virginia Tech’s softball team, ranked No. 20 heads to Auburn this coming weekend for a five-game event which will include two games against the hometown Tigers. The Hokies (11-2) are off to a tremendous start and are 4-0 against ranked opponents this season with all four wins on the road vs. SEC teams (South Carolina and Georgia.)

This past weekend, Tech swept the Dawgs in Athens, winning both games by scores of 9-3. In the first game, Emma Mazzarone pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts, and Nora Abromavage hit her fourth home run of the season. In Sunday’s weekend finale, Abromavage and Addison Foster homered as the Hokies pounded out 13 hits in the win.

Tech will host the Hokie Invite in Salem, Va. starting March 5 welcoming Michigan, Boston College, Bryant, JMU, and Radford to the Moyer Sports Complex. ACC play starts March 13 at No. 14 Duke. Tech will play its first home game of the season on March 20 vs. NC State.

Six ACC teams are ranked in this week’s poll led by No. 7 Florida State. This year’s ACC Softball Tournament will be at UVa.

A salute to Wes Worsham
I’d like to take a moment to once again honor and salute Wes Worsham whose name adorns the playing surface at Lane Stadium. Wes passed away on February 10 at the age of 93 and we will miss him dearly.

As you know, the playing surface at Lane Stadium was named Worsham Field in 1992 to honor the generosity and passion of Worsham and his wife Janet following their major gift to Tech athletics.

Wes didn’t attend Virginia Tech, but few loved the school and the football program more. I first met Wes at the old Red Lion Inn on Price’s Fork Road back in 1988 where he would share stories of his passion for the Hokies, his business, and his military service in the Korean War. If you aren’t aware, Wes was captured and held as a prisoner of war for more than three months in Korea. That experience, understandably, impacted every aspect of his life.

One of my favorite pictures of Wes is from December of 2015 before Coach Frank Beamer’s final game. The Hokies were about to take the field at the Independence Bowl and Wes, as always, was wearing his Tech hat, maroon blazer, Hokies-themed tie and his custom HokieBird khakis.

But before Wes could reach the field, the band began playing the National Anthem. Wes stopped, instinctively offering a U.S. Military salute while the anthem played.

Wes Worsham loved his country and he loved the Hokies. This picture sums up both.

Brent Pry joins us on Level Seven Tuesday morning
I hope you’ll have the chance to join us on Tuesday for this week’s Level Seven podcast with special guest Brent Pry. Coach Pry joined Mike Burnop and me for an exclusive sit-down interview where we talk in-depth about his dismissal as Tech’s head coach last fall and return as the Hokies’ new defensive coordinator under Coach James Franklin.

It’s an unusual, if not unprecedented scenario in college football, but one with a very happy conclusion for all involved.

“It’s been a roller coaster,” Pry said. “There's no other way to put it. And it's not just for me. It's my wife. It's my kids. It's a family thing. There was a lot of ups and downs and a lot of emotions. But you stay true to who you are and what's important to you and keep your family first.

“Obviously, when it comes to Coach Franklin and Virginia Tech, my feelings are very clear. You know, those things were easy to figure out, which helped me be able to do this and feel really, really good about it.”

Talk about humility. And loyalty. And passion. And a refreshed perspective. Brent has it all and he shared his personal affinity for the Hokies, and Tech fans in a pretty emotional moment in this week’s show.

But football is where we focus and Coach Pry goes into great detail about the defensive staff and roles each of the new coaches on Tech’s staff will have when spring practice opens in a few weeks. And he’s very high on the linebackers, a position group he’ll be coaching.

“I like what Noah Chambers did down the stretch,” Pry said. “I like what Caleb Spencer did. I think we've bolstered the unit where we got a lot of competition at each spot. But we also have some veterans, some proven commodities that you can lean into and know more about.”

Level Seven, presented by CMG Leasing, will drop Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. eastern time. We will have full previews of spring football practice and the 2026 Virginia Tech spring football game on Level Seven in each of the next four weeks. You can hear our shows from the Virginia Tech Sports Network wherever you get your podcasts including Hokiesports.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music.

Hey Bill,
Always been curious...you're so prepared when you call a game. When you see a former notable former Hokie player years later, how much of their stats do you recall when you see them? Does a "player stat sheet" pop up in your head? Thanks, and Go Hokies! Chris '96. Chesapeake

Chris,
That’s an interesting question. I tend to remember the team and individual moments, more so than any statistics. For example, I ran into former Tech QB Al Clark at a restaurant in Roanoke, and we talked about his TD run vs. Alabama and other great plays. When I see Malcolm Delaney, we reminisce about games and moments etc. I don’t recall how many yards Michael Vick had for the Hokies, but there were countless ‘wows” and highlights that come to mind.

Bill,
As we all enjoy the Winter Olympics, has Virginia Tech produced a winter or summer Medalist (given that the Drill Field as we all know, is as cold as Cortina in February!) Paul, Orlando.

Paul,
Having walked on the Drill Field several weeks ago when it was below 12-degrees, I can confirm it’s probably colder than Cortina! If nothing else, it’s a frigid experience that bonds all Hokies, right?

Anyway, Tech has not had an athlete medal at the Winter Olympics and did not have anyone participating this year in Italy. But the Hokies have had dozens of athletes in the summer games over years from Bimbo Coles to Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Queen Harrison to Ieva Kublina and more. Here’s a complete list of every Hokie who has competed in the Olympics, and their medal results, dating back to 1976.

Bill,
Thanks for bringing the mailbag back to life and greetings from our cruise ship in the Caribbean. My wife and I are on a cruise and having a nice time away from the cold northeast. Our question: Will VT play a football game in Europe or like UVA is doing, in Brazil? We have seen teams play these foreign games each year, but Tech has not been invited. Do you think that's a possibility? San Juan perhaps? Thanks again for bringing this back and for everything you do for VT Athletics. 

Dan, somewhere in the Atlantic. 

Ahoy, Dan.
Tech Athletics Director Whit Babcock addressed this issue this past spring on our Level Seven podcast from NACDA in Orlando. At that point, the ACC had not officially finished its 9+1 model (9 ACC games and one P4 non-league game), but neutral site games are something Whit and Coach James Franklin will discuss moving forward. There will always be opportunities for the Hokies in Atlanta, Charlotte, and as Whit also mentioned, the Commanders new stadium once complete in DC.

As for European or South American games, Per Whit, that’s something the administration will discuss as well. The NFL has clearly committed to Europe to grow the sport, and ACC will have a team play in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic for the fifth straight year in August when UNC faces TCU in Dublin, Ireland. Those games are a partnership with ESPN and the league.

As for San Juan, that’s an interesting suggestion. I’m sure San Juan is a wonderful stop on your cruise and clearly interest in football there is growing, but there’s never been an official college game played there. At least not yet.

Division-II schools Kentucky State and Franklin Pierce were scheduled to play a football game in Puerto Rico last October, but the game was moved back to the United States just six days before kickoff. One thing to watch: IMG Academy in Florida will play a game in Puerto Rico in April.

Bill,
Tough one here. Name the five best road restaurants the Buffet Buddies have hit in your glorious decades of dining together. You must give details why. James Oak Hill, Va.

Really? That’s nearly an impossible task going back over the years (since 1988) to recall all those road trips. But I consulted with Mike Burnop and here’s our list:

Grimaldi’s - Syracuse: A classic Italian restaurant founded by Fred Grimaldi in the 1940’s, this was an essential stop in the BIG EAST days. It’s since closed, but Fred was friendly and welcoming to our broadcast crew and would often join us for long conversations during dinner. In fact, he always hosted basketball teams at his place and hung pictures and framed letters of BIG EAST Italian legends on the wall in the entry way. Mike Tranghese, Linda Bruno, Rollie Massamino, Lou Carnasecca, Dom Perno, Rick Pitino, Paul Pasqualoni, etc. If a restaurant was good enough for Rollie and Louie, then it had to be legit, right? Grimaldi’s served mouthwatering pasta with a taste right out of Sicily. Best dishes: The cheesy bread and Chicken Parm.

Joe’s Stone Crab - Miami Beach: Another family-owned classic, visited by Al Capone, Frank Sinatra and many others. You’ll always see celebs there, plus a line of Bentley’s and Rolls at the valet. Best dishes: Jumbo Stone Crabs with creamed spinach and Key Lime Pie.

Cattleman’s – Oklahoma City: Ok, this one gets huge ups for atmosphere. In 1910, Cattleman’s opened its doors in the stockyard district of the city “to proudly serve Cowboys, Ranchers, and Cattle Haulers.” Today, they even serve broadcasters! Best dish: T-Bone or filet with sauteed mushrooms. Don’t forget the homemade yeast roles and fruit pie. It’s a throwback, with a 1940’s vibe.

Porcão - Miami: Although the Miami location has since closed, Porcão was truly a taste of Rio. The atmosphere, the food, and music was simply incredible before this churrasco at the Four Ambassadors Hotel closed several years ago. There are rodizios everywhere now, but Porcão was the original. Best Dish: Bife do vazio (flank steak). Mike liked the a la carte crab cakes too.

Jeff Ruby’s - Louisville / Nashville/Cincinnati: Prime steaks and the most outrageous raw bar in the world. Live music, incredible art-deco vibe and more. It’s like going back in time and the food, service, and the overall experience can’t be beat. Best dishes: Everything. And get desert.

That’s it for this week. Have a question, comment, or observation? This is the place to be heard, and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.

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We’re looking forward to hearing from you.