Virginia’s men’s basketball received its official conference schedule from the Atlantic Coast Conference Tuesday night, marking another step towards the Nov. 6 tipoff of the 2024-25 season. With a new campaign on the horizon, there are several highlights on the Cavaliers’ ACC slate.
For starters, Coach Tony Bennett and company will see some fresh faces this year following the ACC’s addition of Southern Methodist, Stanford and California in August. Following eight games out of conference, Virginia kicks off its ACC season Dec. 7 with a road trip to Dallas, Texas to play the Mustangs, who finished with a respectable 11-7 record in the American Athletic Conference last season.
The Cavaliers will play the Cardinal and the Golden Bears, each bottom-half finishers in the the Pac-12 in 2023-24, in back-to-back road games during a journey to the west coast in January.
Virginia is certainly anticipating its encounters with Virginia Tech as well. Last year, the Cavaliers split their two games with the Hokies, winning the first confrontation 65-57 in John Paul Jones Arena before being blown out in Blacksburg a month later. This year, the face-offs are only two weeks apart from one another, with the first at home Feb. 1 and the second at Cassell Coliseum Feb. 15. The Cavaliers will have 10 ACC games under their belt before the first matchup.
Another team Virginia will be seeking revenge against is NC State, who knocked the Cavaliers out of the ACC Tournament last season in an overtime heartbreaker. Virginia will take on the Wolfpack much earlier in the season than Virginia Tech, though, as Bennett’s team is set to host NC State on New Year’s Eve.
When the calendar turns to 2025, Virginia will face some heat — the Cavaliers play against Duke at home Feb. 17 and then away at North Carolina Feb. 22, representing consecutive games against two of the ACC’s strongest teams. Virginia suffered losses against both teams last season, with Duke the more painful one — a forgettable 73-48 defeat.
Additional notable games line the schedule at the end of the season, including road bouts with Pittsburgh and Wake Forest. The Cavaliers will also play Louisville both home and away, while hosting Boston College, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Florida State. Other road trips include Miami Jan. 29 and Syracuse in the final game of the regular season March 8.
Virginia is closing in one month until the start of the 2024-25 campaign. The Pepsi Blue-White Scrimmage is scheduled for Oct. 5 in JPJ, where fans will get their first in-person look at Bennett’s newest Cavalier team. One month and one day after that, the season kicks off against Campbell at JPJ.
Read More
ACC schedule unveiled for women’s basketball
By Stephen O'Dea | 14 hours agoThe only team Virginia plays twice this season? Virginia Tech.
TILOCK: Men’s basketball should add a general manager
By Xander Tilock | 16 hours agoThe Cavaliers could leap to the forefront of a new era of men's basketball by implementing a new managerial position.
Starting defensive tackle Jason Hammond to miss rest of season
By Peter Kriebel | 19 hours agoThe Cavaliers will sorely miss a talented lineman up front on defense.
