Virginia Tech’s Starting Over. (And That’s Great.)

In case you’re new here, I have something to confess: I’m a bit of a dork.

Specifically, a football dork and even more specifically, a late 90s-to early 2010s Virginia Tech football dork. And so from time to time, I find myself falling down a YouTube rabbit hole watching full broadcasts of old Tech games. Who needs things like “going outside”, “friends” and “family” when you can watch Tyrod Taylor duel with Russell Wilson in a Tech-NC State game that looks like it was recorded on one of those square TVs?

It’s not just the wins, either. I’m a full blown glutton for punishment

Yep. That’s #3 Boise State against #10 Virginia Tech on a national stage, the biggest game of the opening week of the 2010 season. The Hokies lost, which was heartbreaking, but they were there. On the national mountain top. A legitimate top team. One or two weird upsets away from being considered true contenders. There’s something nostalgic in looking back and remembering, even in a loss, that Tech had a seat at the table.

But want to know something even more heartbreaking than re-living Kellen Moore suplexing Bud Foster’s secondary with less than two minutes remaining? How about the fact that the moment our collective souls were snatched from our bodies happened…

…wait for it…

…take a deep breath because it’s about to hurt…

…THIRTEEN YEARS AGO.

13! Like ten years, then add three more to it. We’re talking about a time when a “sent from my iPhone” email signature was impressive, not annoying. A time before Kim dated Kanye. A time when Netflix would let you access their new website for free with your mail-ordered DVD rental subscription. We’re talking about a long. ass. time. ago.

Which also means that one of the last seasons Tech fans can point to as the Hokies being legitimate players in the national picture happened when 2024, 2025 and 2026 recruits were toddlers. Gone are the days when a VT recruiter could walk into a living room and point to over a decade’s worth of sustained success as a selling point to get guys to come to Blacksburg. It’s just been too long.

Virginia Tech football is officially starting over. From scratch. Ancient history is just that, and if you think a kid cares about linebacker development during the Cody Grimm era you’re already dead in the water.

This might seem like a bad thing. A verbalization of the scary things you’ve been saying to yourself for the last few years. But I actually think it’s great.