WTVR-6 out of Richmond reported Tuesday night that Virginia Tech will open the 2010 football season against Boise State at FedExField in Landover, MD. The Broncos replace Syracuse on the 2010 schedule, and the Hokies will have to fill another slot vacated by the Orange in 2011.

Sources informed TechSideline.com Monday that the change was coming, and the report from WTVR-6 adds more momentum to what is, for the time being, a report unverified by the Virginia Tech athletic department. The Hokies were originally scheduled to play at Syracuse on September 25, 2010, and to host the Orange on September 17, 2011. Syracuse has reportedly asked out of the deal -- the Orange have a new coach, Doug Marrone, who is tasked with rebuilding a Syracuse football program that has gone 10-37 in the last four seasons.

With the change, the Hokies swap a road game with a revenue-producing neutral site game. Tech will now have seven home games, one neutral site payout game, and four true road games in 2010. VT already has six road games in 2011, so barring other changes, look for the Hokies to replace the 2011 Syracuse home game with another home game.

If the WTVR-6 report is accurate with regards to the Boise State game being a season opener, then VT must not only replace Syracuse with BSU, but Tech will also need to move other games around. The Hokies were supposed to open with Central Michigan on September 4th and play the Orange on September 25th.

The Hokies opened the 2004 season against #1 USC at FedExField. The Hokies lost 10-7 in a game attended by over 91,000 people.


E.L. Smiling Reportedly Commits to VT

In recruiting news, Rivals.com is reporting that wide receiver E.L. Smiling has committed to Virginia Tech. Smiling is a 6-4, 185-pound wideout who 24 caught passes for 391 yards and five touchdowns last year as a junior at Brooke Point High School in Stafford, VA.

TSL will work on verifying the commitment. If true, Smiling is the 16th verbal in Tech's 2010 recruiting class, the 10th in-state commitment, and the first wide receiver.