Virginia Tech women’s basketball has started to piece together its non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season.
Tech Sideline obtained five contracts for five games via public records requests in early May, including the Hokies’ season opener on Nov. 2 vs. North Carolina Central.
Delaware (Nov. 4), James Madison (Nov. 8), La Salle (Nov. 15) and Appalachian State (Dec. 9) are all set to visit Cassell Coliseum, too.
It’ll mark the third meeting between the Blue Hens and Hokies, who last squared off in 1985.
It’s the return trip of a home-and-home series with the Dukes, who are fresh off an NCAA Tournament appearance after a 26-9 (14-4 Sun Belt) season. They beat Tech 65-56 in Harrisonburg last November via a 14-4 run in the final four minutes. It’s JMU’s first trip to Blacksburg since 2008.
A former Atlantic 10 foe, the Explorers and Hokies will clash for the first time since February 2000. La Salle reached the WNIT last season behind a 19-14 (10-8 A-10) record.
The Mountaineers’ trip to Virginia Tech is the start of a three-game series between the schools. The Hokies will have home games in the 2026-27 and 2028-29 seasons and will visit Boone, N.C., in 2027-28.
Appalachian State and Tech have played 15 times before, with the last meeting coming in 2020 in Blacksburg — a game that saw Elizabeth Kitley record a 30-point, 11-rebound double-double. The Hokies have visited Boone six times, with the last coming in 1998.
Tech guard Kate Sears is from Boone and was an all-state selection at Watauga High School. She redshirted in 2025-26 due to an injury.
JMU finished 43rd in the NET rankings last year, while La Salle and Appalachian State were 165th and 190th, respectively. Delaware ended the season at 235th while North Carolina Central was 316th.
A breakdown of the dates and the Hokies’ payments to their opponents:
- Nov. 2 vs. North Carolina Central: $20,000
- Nov. 4 vs. Delaware: $25,000
- Nov. 8 vs. James Madison: Home-and-home return trip
- Nov. 15 vs. La Salle: $22,000
- Dec. 9 vs. Appalachian State: $25,000 (start of three-game series)
Virginia Tech has room for 7-9 non-conference games in 2026-27. Last summer, the NCAA increased the maximum number of regular-season contests from 31 to 32.
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At least two of those games will likely come at a multi-team event (MTE) over Thanksgiving. The Hokies played in Fort Myers two seasons ago and in the U.S. Virgin Islands last year.
One of those will also be an ACC/SEC Challenge opponent. After playing at LSU and Georgia in the first two seasons of the event, Tech beat Florida at home last year.
Men’s Basketball Notes, Including Chester Frazier
As the D1Docket reported on April 2, Virginia Tech men’s basketball has four non-conference games scheduled for 2026-27, all at home. Here’s a breakdown of the dates and the Hokies’ payments:
- Nov. 3 vs. Coppin State: $95,000
- Nov. 27 vs. Old Dominion: $95,000
- Dec. 10 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore: $90,000
- Dec. 21 vs. VMI: $90,000
Three of those four squads finished below 350 in last season’s NET rankings. The outlier is ODU, led by former Tech associate head coach Mike Jones.
When the Hokies and Monarchs readjusted their football series last July, a men’s basketball game in Blacksburg was added to the books. That contest will take place in Cassell Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 27, between Thanksgiving and Saturday’s home football game vs. Virginia.
Tech has nine or 10 non-conference slots left. One will be in the ACC/SEC Challenge, and likely at home. It visited South Carolina last year and won 86-83 in overtime.
Two of those games will also be in the Charleston Classic, as head coach Mike Young mentioned on Tech Talk Live in December. It’ll be the Hokies’ second appearance in the event under Young. Last season’s tournament was held on Nov. 21 and 23, the week before Thanksgiving.
In other news, Tech announced that associate head coach Chester Frazier signed a one-year contract extension on April 22.
Frazier’s initial contract, with a start date of March 26, 2025, ran through June 30, 2027. His new deal expires that same month, but he’s set to make $700,000 next season — a bump from his original $500,000 deal.
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