For the first time since 2017, in front of a fan-filled Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Tech men’s basketball will have the opportunity to host a portion of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
The opponent? The Minnesota Golden Gophers. Who will come to Blacksburg for the first time in program history.
It’ll be the second time the Hokies are privileged to participate in the annual event within the confines of their own home under fourth-year head coach Mike Young, with Penn State coming to town back in December 2020 with essentially no fans allowed to attend.
It should be a fairly winnable game for Virginia Tech, too.
The Gophers are coming off a season in which they finished 13-17 (4-16 Big Ten), and are still in the rebuilding stages under second-year head coach Ben Johnson.
Yet another good opportunity comes the way of the Hokies. As the reigning ACC champions now will get the chance to finally welcome in an event highly anticipated by college basketball fans year in and year out.
It’ll also be just the second time the schools have met, with Virginia Tech taking down Minnesota 58-55 back in November 2011 up at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.
The Gophers will join the likes of Oklahoma State, and potentially Penn State and South Carolina in the Charleston Classic as Power Five opponents set to face off against the Hokies as part of the non-conference schedule in 2022-23.
And although Minnesota may not represent one of the blue bloods of the star-studded Big Ten, it provides the maroon and orange another opportunity to pile up some respectable out-of-conference victories come NCAA Tournament time in March of 2023.
