The school's sports teams are called the Hokies; the school's mascot is the Hokie Bird. They participate in the NCAA's Division I (I-A for football) and in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which the school joined in 2004 after leaving the Big East Conference.

The word "Hokies", which originated from the Old Hokie spirit yell, is often used interchangeably with "Fighting Gobblers" to refer to the sports team, fans, students, or alumni, although the former is the official usage. The word "Hokies" originated in the 1890s; see Hokies for more information. The mascot is the Hokie Bird, a turkey like creature. Originally the teams were known as the "Fighting Gobblers" and the turkey motif was retained despite the name change.

The stylized VT (the abbreviation for Virginia Tech) is used primarily by the athletic department as a symbol for Virginia Tech athletic teams. The "athletic VT" symbol is trademarked by the university, and appears frequently on licensed merchandise. The logo is available on the university's website [1] .

Virginia Tech's fight song, which was created in 1919, is Tech Triumph. It remains in use today, although the Old Hokie spirit yell is more widely known.

Virginia Tech has become a major power in college football in recent years. The Hokies are one of only 6 teams to go to 11 consecutive bowl games. Head coach Frank Beamer has become the winningest head coaches in Division I-A football. In 2000, the Hokies played for the national championship at the Nokia Sugar Bowl against Florida State University. The 2002 and 2003 seasons started out well for the VT football team, but ended dissapointingly. In 2004, the team moved from the Big East Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference. After losing several top players to the NFL draft, graduation or disciplinary action, few expected Virginia Tech to fare well. To many college football viewers' surprise, the Hokies won the ACC championship and went on to play in the Nokia Sugar Bowl against Auburn University.