November 7, 2005

BLACKSBURG - The Virginia Tech Athletics Department announced Monday night the addition of Southern Mississippi to the 2006 Hokie football schedule for next season. The Hokies and Golden Eagles will meet in Blacksburg on Sept. 16 in a one-game series. Southern Miss serves as a replacement for East Carolina on the 2006 schedule.

East Carolina had the opportunity to schedule a series with N.C. State beginning next year, but had to open room in the schedule for it to happen. East Carolina officials asked Tech to start the series between Tech and ECU one year later and found the opponent to replace the Pirates on next year's Tech schedule (Southern Miss). All parties involved mutually agreed on the change. In addition, one year was added onto the back end of the ECU series and it will now begin in 2007 and run through 2015, making it a nine-game series.

Virginia Tech and Southern Miss have met eight times on the football field with each winning four games. The two last met in 1994 with the Hokies leaving Hattiesburg with a 24-14 win over the No. 21 Golden Eagles. Tech is 3-2 against Southern Miss at home. Southern Miss won the first two games in the series before the Hokies won the next two. The two squads have split the last four contests.

In other Virginia Tech football scheduling news, Ohio University and Virginia Tech have agreed to play just one more time, that coming in 2007 at Blacksburg. Tech was originally scheduled to play at Athens next year. With the cancellation of that game, the Hokies are now searching for a 12^th game. ESPN is trying to coordinate a change in years for the Virginia Tech-Wisconsin series. Tech was supposed to play at Madison in 2008 with the Badgers coming to Blacksburg in 2009. Because of Big 10 scheduling in 2008, Wisconsin asked not to have to play Virginia Tech that year. ESPN is working on a deal that would send the Hokies to Wisconsin next year with the Badgers still playing at Lane Stadium in 2009.