Ok, I'm still fuming over the ACC eliminating our game vs Duke and giving us 2 BCs. I'm sure they will make it up by featuring Ole Miss @ VT at 11pm on ESPN News3 Extra Streaming Channel.

Have more for Chris Beard or maybe significantly less. I’d imagine he turns it a round and that game will be an early q2 borderline 3 game all year. It’ll probably be a 9pm tip. So we should let students in for free and go from there.

Edit: Should have put some qualifiers in that sentence/post. I meant to say that is a must-win game because it should be one of our tougher non-conference opponents, yet they don't have an incredible program so it is winnable. ** Edited by HokieJonez at 6/5/2026, 2:12:13 PM

fans should be prepared for the possibility that the Hokies end up being the 77th team and left out of the NCAAT "because VT didn't have enough Q1 wins" as the committee chair would say during the post bracket release interview. TIC...I think? I guess I would like rather see VT approach the OOC games against the power conferences (P4 + Big East) as "must win" because the players might play those games with a certain attitude. Not necessarily a chip on their shoulder, but still show the world that VT men's basketball belongs on that stage and that VT is more than just a "football school." Even if VT doesn't win the game, I hope the committee doesn't decide to use that as the reason VT doesn't make the field. Especially when teams, who do make the field, have similar or even identical resumes as VT.

season, I am not sure it matters when the label is placed on OOC games. Particularly since 90-95% of the OOC games are all played at the beginning of the season.

You're probably right. This probably won't be a critical game. If we win any games on our current non-conference schedule (from what has already been mentioned online), we probably will not see any significant boosts to rankings. The analyses that I read on this stuff kind of can make my head spin.

played too early in the season. However, perceptually as the season plays out and teams are in the heart of their conference schedules, will look back on the OOC games and "judge" to some degree. Since VT may not get the same benefit of doubt as other ACC programs with a more established basketball history, it may be in VT's best interest to view its "peer schools" in the same light regardless what their actual record ends up being at the end of the season.