Virginia Tech will face the South Carolina Gamecocks and head coach Shane Beamer, whom the university hired on Dec. 6, 2020, in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on either Sunday, Aug. 31, or Monday, Sept 1, 2025.
The game will be televised by either ABC or ESPN. An exact date and kickoff time will be finalized at a later date.
The contest will mark Tech’s third appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game series. The Hokies previously played Alabama in 2009 and 2013. The 2025 season opener will mark Tech’s first meeting with South Carolina since 1991.
“The Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game has often become a showcase for the SEC and the ACC to face off in a high-profile contest to start the season,” said Bob Somers, Peach Bowl, Inc., chairman. “This matchup looks to continue that tradition and renew an old rivalry between two historic programs.”
“It’s an honor to welcome Virginia Tech back to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game after 12 years, and we’re looking forward to hosting South Carolina for the first time in the game,” Peach Bowl, Inc., CEO and President Gary Stokan said.
Tech previously announced it would renew its series with South Carolina, which has its roots in the Southern Conference. The Hokies will travel to Williams-Brice Stadium to square off with South Carolina in 2034 with the Gamecocks making the return trek to Blacksburg in 2035.
“We’re excited to play in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against South Carolina to open the 2025 season,” Tech Director of Athletics Whit Babcock said. “We look forward to showcasing our program in front of a national television audience in one of the nation’s premier sporting venues, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
“I’m confident we’ll see a strong contingent of our fan base cheering on the Hokies in their inaugural game in that facility and visiting the College Football Hall of Fame that weekend,” Babcock said. “We feel very confident about the strength of our scheduling going forward as well as its appeal to Tech fans across the country.”
“Our team always looks forward to the opportunity to play in ‘trophy games’ and I’m sure our team relishes the chance to compete for ‘The Old Leather Helmet’ trophy against South Carolina in the 2025 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game,’ Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente said. “I know our players enjoy playing in NFL venues, and I’m sure our fans will also appreciate cheering on the Hokies as we square off with an SEC opponent in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.”
The addition to Tech’s schedule of the 2025 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against South Carolina brings the total of future games against SEC foes to nine contests. Tech previously announced that Alabama, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt had agreed to home-and-home games with the Hokies.
Tech currently has 22 non-conference games against Power Five squads on its future schedules, including the resumption of its on-campus series with former Big East rival West Virginia with games in Morgantown (9/18/21) and in Blacksburg (9/24/2022). In addition, the Hokies have six meetings with Notre Dame on the docket, including a visit to Lane Stadium by the Fighting Irish on Oct. 9 this season.
Virginia Tech and South Carolina are both former members of the Southern Conference and have squared off 20 times previously. The series began as VPI registered a 34-0 win over South Carolina in Roanoke on Nov. 18, 1905. The Gamecocks own an 11-7-2 edge in the all-time series. The most recent meeting resulted in a 28-21 win for South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in 1991. Tech’s most recent win against South Carolina was a 31-17 win in Columbia on Oct. 12, 1974.
Each team will receive its own ticket allotment to the game, and additional tickets will be sold through the Peach Bowl, Inc., ticket office. Tickets will be available for public sale early in 2025. For more information, visit Chick-fil-AKickoffGame.com.
Virginia Tech’s future power five non-conference opponents
9/18/2021 at West Virginia; 9/24/2022 West Virginia; 9/9/2023 Purdue; 9/16/2023 at Rutgers; 8/31/2024 at Vanderbilt (Nissan Stadium – Nashville); 9/21/2024 Rutgers; 8/31 or 9/1/2025 South Carolina (Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta); 9/6/2025 Vanderbilt; 9/19/2026 at Maryland; 9/18/2027 Maryland; 9/16/2028 at Maryland; 9/15/202 Maryland; 9/8/2029 at Arizona; 8/30/2030 Arizona; 9/12/203 Wisconsin; 9/4/2032 Ole Miss; 9/18/2032 at Wisconsin; 9/2/2034 Alabama; 9/16/2034 at South Carolina; 9/1/2035 at Alabama; 9/15/2035 South Carolina; 9/5/2037 at Ole Miss.
