The Hokies recently announced they would not be playing in a bowl game in 2020, thus ending the nation’s longest current bowl streak of 27 consecutive bowl games.
The decision to decline any bowl bids was announced a day following an impromptu press conference called by Athletic Director Whit Babcock.
Virginia Tech finished the 2020 season with five wins and six losses, the first regular season losing season since 1992. The Hokies five wins came against North Carolina State, Duke, Boston College, Louisville and Virginia. Their losses were at the hands of North Carolina, Wake Forest, Liberty, Miami, Pittsburgh and Clemson.
In the season finale, Virginia Tech took down Virginia 33-15 to reclaim the Commonwealth Cup. In a COVID-riddled season, bowl eligibility did not take total wins into account, allowing a sub-.500 team to climb into a bowl game. In previous years, teams that have finished the regular season at 5-7 have still made it to bowl games. Virginia Tech will instead decline participation in a bowl game and end its 2020 season at 5-6.
Players now have the opportunity to spend the holidays with their families without the need for constant testing leading up to the bowl game. Virginia Tech operated its 11-game season with one open week over the span of four months.
Virginia Tech thus joined a large list of teams that have decided not to play in a bowl game. In addition to the Hokies, opting out of a bowl are Arizona State, Boise State, Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Louisville, LSU (self-imposed postseason ban), Michigan State, Minnesota, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, San Diego State, Southern Cal, Stanford, Texas Tech, UCLA, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Washington State.
