VMI-Virginia_Tech_football_rivalry
VMI–Virginia Tech football rivalry
American college football rivalry
The VMI–Virginia Tech football rivalry is an American college football rivalry[1] between the Keydets of Virginia Military Institute and the Hokies of Virginia Tech (formerly known as the Virginia Polytechnic Institute "Fighting Gobblers"). The teams first played in 1894 and last played in 1984. They are scheduled to meet again in 2026, after a 42-year hiatus. The two schools are only about 80 miles apart in western Virginia and were in the same conference (the Southern Conference) from 1924 to 1964.
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| First meeting | November 29, 1894 VMI 10, VPI 6 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | October 6, 1984 Virginia Tech 54, VMI 7 |
| Next meeting | September 5, 2026 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 79 |
| All-time series | Virginia Tech leads, 49–25–5 |
| Largest victory | VPI 70, VMI 12 (1966) |
| Longest win streak | VPI, 7 (1901–1908) |
The two schools first met in 1894 and played annually from 1913 to 1971, usually in Roanoke on Thanksgiving Day. The game was called the Military Classic of the South, because it matched a state-supported military academy against an engineering school which had mandatory ROTC for the male student body until 1964. (Virginia Tech and Texas A&M are the only major public universities still designated as senior military colleges, because of their corps of cadets and large ROTC programs). Today, the rivalry game between VMI and The Citadel bears the name Military Classic of the South.
After a one-year hiatus, the VMI-Virginia Tech rivalry resumed in 1973 for another dozen seasons. The teams played in Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium at Blacksburg in odd-numbered years and in 1978; the remaining games in even-numbered years were at either Richmond or Norfolk, in the Tobacco Bowl (1974, 1976) and Oyster Bowl (1980, 1982, 1984), respectively, with VMI serving as the "home" team. Games tentatively scheduled for Blacksburg in 1986 and 1987 and Norfolk in 1988 were never played.[2]
When the rivalry went dormant after the 1984 Oyster Bowl, Virginia Tech led the series 49–25–5.[3] At 79 games, it is the second-longest series for the Hokies and fourth-longest for the Keydets. Because of the long pause in the VMI-Virginia Tech series, the Virginia–Virginia Tech rivalry has emerged as the dominant one in the state.
In 2017, Virginia Tech and VMI agreed to renew their rivalry in a one-time matchup on September 5, 2026, at Blacksburg. Based on current scheduling commitments, their next opportunity to meet would be in 2031, when Virginia Tech next has an open date.[4]
| VMI victories | Virginia Tech victories | Tie games |
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- "Team traditions: Virginia Tech's cannon deeply rooted in history". Sports Illustrated. September 2, 2014.
As with all great college traditions, Skipper was born out of a fierce rivalry – in this case, with nearby Virginia Military Institute. VMI and Virginia Tech competed in sports for years, and each time VMI beat the Hokies, students would fire off "Little John," their college cannon. The VMI cadets also would blast Little John before each rivalry game, then chant 'Where's your cannon!?'
- "Sponsorship Killed Tech-VMI for Roanoke". The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Virginia). October 5, 1984. Retrieved May 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Virginia Tech vs VMI Series". College Football Research Center. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
- "Future Virginia Tech Football Schedules". FBSchedules.com.