Virginia Opens 2024 Season Against Richmond Saturday

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia kicks off its 2024 campaign on Saturday (Aug. 31), when the Cavaliers welcome Richmond to Scott Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX) and the Virginia Sports Radio Network.

The first 30,000 fans through the gates at Saturday’s season opener will receive a special UVA Strong shirt in conjunction with UVA Strong Day. 

GAME DETAILS
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Time: 6 p.m.
Television: ACC Network Extra (Chris Carlin and Forrest Conoly)
Radio: Virginia Sports Radio Network, Virginia Sports Mobile App, TuneIn App, SiriusXM Channel 103 or 203
Tickets: UVATix.com
Theme: UVA Strong Day/Wear Orange

On Aug. 23, Virginia Athletics announced its complete list of gameday enhancements at Scott Stadium this season, which are headlined by new Ramon W. Breeden Jr. Videoboard.

Inside Saturday’s Matchup 

• Saturday’s season opener against Richmond will mark the beginning of the 135th season of football at Virginia. 

• Dating back to 2017, UVA has won six of its last seven season openers and owns an 85-40-9 (.668) record in season-opening games. 

• Virginia’s last meeting against Richmond was the 2022 season opener at Scott Stadium. The Cavaliers emerged victorious, 34-17, the first win of Tony Elliott’s head coaching career. He was only the second UVA head coach since 1965 to win in his coaching debut. 

• Virginia has won 30 of 35 all-time meetings against Richmond in an all-time series that was first played in 1893, a 34-4 season-opening win in Charlottesville. 

• Saturday marks the sixth time since 2010, that Virginia and Richmond have squared off in the season opener. The Cavaliers are 4-1 in those contests. 

• The Cavaliers are 79-21-7 (.769) all-time in home season openers and have won 22 of their last 27 season openers in Scott Stadium. 

• Last season was only the third time since 2008 UVA has not opened its season at Scott Stadium since 2008 (2015 at UCLA, 2019 at Pitt and 2023 vs. Tennessee). 

Top Storylines 

• The Virginia football program will honor Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry as part of UVA Strong Day at Scott Stadium. The three football players tragically lost their lives in an on-campus shooting on Nov. 13, 2022. There are permanent memorials at Scott Stadium on the south end zone fascia and plaques in UVA’s “Legends Walk” on the north end zone concourse. 

• Between quarterbacks Anthony Colandrea and Tony Muskett, Virginia returns 99 percent of passing yards and QB dropbacks from last season. Only Georgia Tech (100 percent) returns more QB dropbacks in the ACC. 

• The Cavaliers lost their top receiving target, Malik Washington, to the NFL Draft. The Northwestern transfer broke the ACC single-season record with a nation-leading, 110 receptions. Washington and current senior Malachi Fields were the only ACC duo with 800 or more receiving yards each in 2023. 

• The Cavaliers return a quartet of graduate students on the defensive line – Kam Butler, Jahmeer Carter, Chico Bennett and Ben Smiley. The four linemen have played in 162 collegiate games, combined for 111 starts and totaled 34 career sacks. Kam Butler will play his seventh year of college football and third at UVA. He’s played 2,502 snaps of college football between his time at Miami (OH) and UVA. 

• The Cavaliers had the same starting five offensive linemen for the final five games of the 2023 season and all are back in Charlottesville for the fall of 2024. Three of the five – Brian Stevens (HM All-ACC), Noah Josey and McKale Boley – started all 12 games last season.