WVU, Virginia Tech to renew rivalry in 2021
After a 16-year hiatus, West Virginia and Virginia Tech will resume their football series in 2021, the schools both announced Wednesday on their athletics websites.
The Hokies will visit Morgantown, W.Va., in 2021, and the Mountaineers will travel to Blacksburg, Va., in 2022 as part of the two-year agreement.
"During my three years as Athletic Director at West Virginia University, I have heard from legions of Mountaineer fans, particularly those in the Southern part of the state, who have expressed their strong sentiments to renew the football rivalry with Virginia Tech," Oliver Luck said in a statement. "This game is great for college football. We all know that the two schools have extraordinary fan bases, and both schools will be counting down the days until the Hokies and the Mountaineers meet again."
The winner of the game captures the Black Diamond Trophy, a name that refers to the prevalence of coal mining in the region.
The last time West Virginia played Virginia Tech, the Hokies won 34-17 on the road in 2005, their sixth win in the past eight meetings.
In a series that dates back to 1912, the teams met annually from 1973-2005, the last 10 of those years as Big East rivals. Virginia Tech left the Big East to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2006, while West Virginia joined the Big 12 last year.
West Virginia has the overall edge at 28-22-1 in the series.
"I am pleased we are able to resume the rivalry between Virginia Tech and West Virginia and have every belief that this rivalry will flourish and be good for college football," Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver said in a statement.
