Conference Affiliation History

  • Feb. 13, 1872 - Virginia Tech is founded.

  • Oct. 21, 1892 - Tech played its first football game, recording a 14-10 win over St. Albans, a private boys prep school in Radford.

  • February 1895 - Tech was a charter member of the now defunct Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Association along with Randolph-Macon, Richmond College (now the University of Richmond), Roanoke College, and William & Mary.

  • Feb. 25-26, 1921 - Tech, under the leadership of athletics director C.P. "Sally" Miles, joined the Southern Intercollegiate Conference as a charter member. Other members included Alabama, Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn), Clemson, Georgia, Georgia School of Technology (Georgia Tech), Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College (Mississippi State), North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington and Lee. In 1922, Louisiana State, Mississippi, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Tulane joined the conference.

  • December, 1923 - The name of the conference was officially changed to the Southern Conference. Also, conference officials added the University of the South to the conference. The following year, VMI joined the conference, and in 1929, Duke joined.

  • 1932 - It was agreed that the 13 southern-most members should form a separate conference. The Southeastern Conference, thus, was formed with Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Sewanee, Tennessee, Tulane and Vanderbilt as the members.

  • 1953 - The following seven colleges withdrew to form the Atlantic Coast Conference: Clemson, Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Maryland, South Carolina and Wake Forest College.

  • June, 1965 - Tech withdrew from the Southern Conference.

  • July, 1965-May, 1978 - Tech competed as an independent in virtually every varsity sport.

  • May 3, 1978 - Tech ends its 13-year status as a major independent by accepting a bid to join the Metropolitan Collegiate Athletic Conference (a.k.a. the Metro) for all sports except football.
        The Hokies join Cincinnati, Florida State, Louisville, Memphis State, St. Louis and Tulane in the Metro, which was founded in 1975.
        "Affiliation with the Metro Conference is beneficial from the standpoint of scheduling, national identity and postseason activity," Tech president William Lavery said. "It will provide us with national exposure and television coverage, as well as improve the basketball schedule and bring good teams to Blacksburg."

  • Feb. 5, 1991 - After 26 years as a football independent, Tech officially accepts a bid to join the newly-created BIG EAST Football Conference. Tech joined Miami, Syracuse, Boston College, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Temple and Rutgers as charter members of the conference.

  • July, 1991 - The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) adds wrestling as a conference sport. Virginia Tech joins the leauge in wrestling only. Tech joined American, George Mason, James Madison, Liberty, Old Dominion, and William & Mary

  • January, 1995 - Five Metro members - UNC Charlotte, Tulane, Louisville, Southern Miss and South Florida - voted Tech and Virginia Commonwealth out of the league. At the time, those schools were planning a merger with other Midwestern schools (hence, the birth of Conference USA) and the Hokies and Rams were not interested in such a merger. As a result, those five league members decided to vote them out of the league.

  • Feb. 3, 1995 - Tech, VCU and the Metro agree to a $2.27 million settlement which the Hokies and Rams split. A portion of conference revenue was going to be withheld from the two schools, but this settlement put an end to the issue.

  • Two weeks later, 1995 - Tech joins the Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports except football, which is in the BIG EAST, and wrestling, which is in the Colonial.
        Tech AD Dave Braine picked the Atlantic 10 over the Colonial because of three factors.
        "No. 1 was Northeast exposure," Braine told Bill Roth in the Feb. 17 issue of The Hokie Huddler. "No. 2 were the basketball rankings of the Atlantic 10 and the high level of play in the league. And No. 3, most of our out-of-state students are from the Northeast."

  • July, 1998 - After seven seasons in the CAA, Virginia Tech's wrestling team joins the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL). Other members of the EWL are: Bloomsburg, Clarion, Cleveland State, Edinboro, Lock Haven, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

  • June 24, 1999 - Tech receives proposal from the BIG EAST Conference, inviting the school to join the conference for all sports.

  • July 20, 1999 - Tech submits a counterproposal, addressing finacial issues that the school has with the original proposal. BIG EAST athletic directors address those concerns at the athletics directors' meetings in mid-July and submit the proposal to each school's respective president for a vote.

  • Aug. 24, 1999 - Tech and the BIG EAST announce that the Hokies will join the conference for all sports beginning in 2001-02.
        "Virginia Tech is thrilled to become a full member of the BIG EAST Conference and looks forward to its academic and athletic associations with the entire conference membership," Tech president Paul Torgersen said.

  • November 2, 1999 - BIG EAST Conference Presidents vote to advance Virginia Tech's participation as a full member to July 1, 2000.

  • June 18, 2003 - In a surprise move, presidents of Atlantic Coast Conference schools privately drop a plan to invite Miami, Boston College and Syracuse and instead, vote on inviting Virginia Tech and Miami. This comes after five weeks of negotiations with the other three schools for ACC invitations.

  • June 19, 2003 - Responding to speculation that Virginia Tech has been invited to join the ACC, the university issues a release stating that no offer has been extended officially or unofficially.

  • June 24, 2003 - Presidents of Atlantic Coast Conference schools hold a teleconference and vote to begin the official process of offering invitations to Virginia Tech and Miami.

  • June 25, 2003 - Atlantic Coast Conference officials make an official site visit to Virginia Tech, with the Hokies passing with flying colors. This is the final step before an official invitation can be extended.

  • June 27, 2003 - Virginia Tech President Charles Steger announces that the Hokies have officially accepted the ACC's invitation to join the conference.
        "Today we have received the formal offer of membership, which we will accept," Steger said. "We know that this affiliation will be good for our students, athletes, fans, and communities for many years to come."

  • July 1, 2003 - Virginia Tech and Miami are officially introduced as the 10th and 11th members of the Atlantic Coast Conference at a press conference in Greensboro, N.C. The Hokies will officially join the ACC on July 1, 2004 and will begin play in the 2004-05 academic year.
        "I'm excited for our fans and our constituency," Weaver said. "This membership is something that the fan base and alumni and friends of Virginia Tech have wanted for a long time. It's home for us. We've had prior relationships with these institutions for many years and this is something our fans are excited about. I'm happy for them, for our coaches and for our student-athletes."

  • July 1, 2004 - Virginia Tech and Miami officially join the ACC.

  • July 1, 2005 - Boston College officially joins the ACC becoming the 12th member of the league.

  • September 18, 2011 - Pittsburgh and Syracuse are officially introduced as the 13th and 14th members of the Atlantic Coast Conference during a teleconference.

  • September 12, 2012 - Notre Dame is officially introduced as the 15th member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Irish will compete as full members in all conference sponsored sports with the exception of football which will play five games annually against league programs.

  • November 19, 2012 - Maryland announces it will leave the ACC in 2014 and join the Big Ten Conference.

  • November 28, 2012 - The University of Louisville is officially introduced as the newest member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They will replace The University of Maryland in 2014.

  • July 1, 2013 - Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse officially join the ACC.

  • July 1, 2014 - Louisville officially joins the ACC. Maryland leaves the ACC to join the Big 10.