For the 104th time, the Virginia Tech Hokies are set to take on their in-state rivals the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday. The two teams play annually in the rivalry now called “The Commonwealth Clash,” as they play for the Commonwealth Cup.
Let’s learn more about how this rivalry began, the history behind the Commonwealth Cup, and the overall statistics of the series.
History Behind the Commonwealth Clash
The first time these two teams played each other was back in 1895 when the Cavaliers won convincingly over the Hokies 38-0.
Virginia was dominant, winning the first eight games of the series by a combined score of 175-5. Virginia Tech would fight back, going 13-5-3 in the next 21 games, including a run of 7-0-3 at one point early in the series. The two teams wouldn’t play on an annual basis until 1970.
It took until 1996 for the rivalry to unlock their trophy which is now called the Commonwealth Cup. Whoever wins the game gets to hold the trophy at their school until the next time they lose.
Since 1990, Virginia Tech became the team that took control of the series, having a record of 25-7 during that span. Virginia Tech went on a massive 15-game winning streak when the Hokies went undefeated from 2004 through 2018 in the series
MORE: What is the Governor’s Cup?
In recent memory, it has once again been Virginia Tech controlling the series as they have won four of their last five games against the Cavaliers. Virginia last won in 2019, beating Virginia Tech 39-30. Their last scheduled match was supposed to be in 2022, but that game was canceled due to the shooting on the University of Virginia campus that killed three people and injured two others.
Overall, it has been the Hokies who have been the top team in the series, holding a 60-38-5 overall record.
Since Virginia Tech joined the ACC, they have led the series by an outstanding 17-1 record with the 2019 game being their lone loss. As previously mentioned, the 15-game winning streak Virginia Tech was on is the longest winning streak in the series.
The Hokies go into the game with a 5-6 record and desperately need a win to be bowl-eligible on the season. Virginia will be playing for bragging rights as they have a 3-8 record on the season. The game will take place on Saturday at 3:30 pm EST on the ACC Network.