According to multiple published reports from Tennessee media outlets (Nashville Tennessean; Knoxville News Sentinel), a Chick-fil-A Bowl matchup between Virginia Tech and University of Tennessee is imminent. Of course, nothing can be officially announced until the Hokies are eliminated from BCS bowl consideration.

That won’t come until after Saturday’s games, but since the BCS is a supreme long shot for the Hokies – they’re currently 12th in the BCS rankings and need a lot of help to gain one of the four at-large BCS bids – it appears, if these reports are true, the Hokies are headed back to Atlanta for the third time this season.

But Chick-fil-A Bowl President Gary Stokan refuted those reports today when he spoke to Norm Wood, the Virginia Tech beat writer for the Daily Press.

It’s all speculation until bowl bids are officially handed out after Saturday’s games, but a game between the Hokies and Vols makes sense. There’s a ton of regional interest – if those Bristol Motor Speedway rumors that resurface every other year are any indication – for a series that has only seen one game in the last seven decades (UT 45-23 over VT in 1994 Gator Bowl).

If Tech does return to Atlanta (kickoff is 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 30 at the Georgia Dome), it would be its second Chick-fil-A appearance in the last four seasons. The Hokies fell to Georgia 31-24 in the CFA Bowl on New Year’s Eve in 2006. 

Two of Tech’s three losses this season have come in Atlanta. It opened the year on Sept. 5 with a 34-24 loss to No. 2 Alabama at the Georgia Dome, and it lost to No. 10 Georgia Tech 28-23 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

A matchup with the Vols would give the Hokies a chance to reverse its recent track record against the SEC. Tech has lost four straight games against SEC teams, though three of those losses came against top five teams.

Frank Beamer is 3-7 against the SEC since taking over at Tech in 1987.