List of Virginia Tech Hokies bowl games

The Virginia Tech Hokies football team, since its creation in 1892, has played 34 post-season bowl games in 19 different stadiums across ten states. This includes five Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game appearances and one appearance in the BCS National Championship Game. From 1993 to 2019, the Hokies were invited to a bowl game every year. Though bowl-eligible in 2020, the team's players opted out of accepting a potential invitation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] This 27-year active streak of consecutive bowl appearances was, at its conclusion, the longest streak in the nation and is the fifth longest all-time bowl appearance streak.[2][3][4][5][6]

Dozens of National Football League draft picks have played for Virginia Tech in bowl games, including two first-overall selections: Bruce Smith and Michael Vick. Smith participated in the 1984 Independence Bowl, while Vick quarterbacked the Hokies to their first national championship appearance during the 2000 Sugar Bowl, and followed that performance by leading the Hokies to the 2001 Gator Bowl, his final collegiate game. Following the game, Vick entered the 2001 NFL Draft and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons.[7]

Former head coach Frank Beamer (1987–2015) led Virginia Tech to 23 consecutive bowl games starting in 1993 and the Independence Bowl, posting a record of 11–12. Beamer earned national coach of the year honors several times from various organizations and had the most wins of any active Division I college football coach at the time of his retirement.[8] Following Beamer's retirement in 2015, new Hokies head coach Justin Fuente continued the streak by winning the Belk Bowl in 2016, leading the team to a 10–4 season.

Virginia Tech's first post-season bowl game was in 1947, when the Hokies participated in the 1947 Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas on New Year's Day against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Appearances per Bowl
Bowl game Appearances
Gator Bowl 5
Peach Bowl* 4
Orange Bowl 4
Sugar Bowl 4
Independence Bowl 3
Military Bowl 3
Camping World Bowl** 2
Belk Bowl 2
Liberty Bowl 2
Sun Bowl 2
Music City Bowl 1
San Francisco Bowl 1
Insight Bowl 1
Pinstripe Bowl 1

*The 2009 Peach Bowl was known as The Chick-fil-A Bowl.

**Prior to 2017 game, the Camping World Bowl
was known as the Russell Athletic Bowl.

  1. ^ Brehm, Mike (December 16, 2020). "Virginia Tech players opt out of playing in bowl, ending nation's longest streak at 27 years". USA Today. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  2. ^ "Cincinnati vs Virginia Tech - FBS Football". NCAA.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-01. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
  3. ^ Current Consecutive Bowl Appearances Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine College Football Data Warehouse, Accessed December 7, 2010.
  4. ^ Orange Bowl Media Guide Archived 2009-03-20 at the Wayback Machine Virginia Tech Sports Information, December 2007, Blacksburg, Virginia. Page 4. Accessed February 7, 2008.
  5. ^ "2013 Virginia Tech Football Media Guide" (PDF). Virginia Tech Athletics Communications. p. 144. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  6. ^ Wood, Norm (December 8, 2013). "Virginia Tech heads west to Sun Bowl vs. UCLA". The Daily Press. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  7. ^ San Diego opted to pass on the No. 1 selection, agreeing to a trade with Atlanta Falcons for their No. 5 selection. The Falcons took Virginia Tech QB Michael Vick to begin the 246-player draft. "Atlanta selects QB Vick No. 1 overall". cnnsi.com. CNN. Archived from the original on May 14, 2007. Retrieved May 4, 2007.
  8. ^ Frank Beamer Archived May 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Virginia Tech Athletics department, Hokiesports.com. Accessed February 26, 2008.