(05-18-2012 10:08 AM)4x4hokies Wrote:  

(05-18-2012 08:53 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(05-17-2012 02:29 PM)4x4hokies Wrote:  VT fans would be more apt to support a move to the SEC if you took the close games in the ACC (all the NC teams) away. There are a ton of VT alumni in NC. VT recruits it heavily.

One of the reasons people cite for not wanting to go to the SEC is that we have so many close games. Take all the NC teams off the schedule and see if people still feel the same way. I've been to every NC stadium and they always charge more for the VT games. They'd miss us coming to their stadiums.

You've said this over & over, but really, isn't UVa + Maryland + Pitt just as good as UVA + UNC + Duke? I'm also sure that 4 out of 6 years VT would play a game in the state of NC anyways (with home games the other years). I just don't see playing in the same division as UNC as a "must have" for VT.

schedule them - sure. same division - meh.

UVA, Maryland, and Pitt are all fine but for the purposes of recruiting and playing where the alumni are we need to be playing in NC every year.

I was lead to believe VATech had a lot of alumni in the general DC area, covered by UVA and Maryland. As you still have NC games, you would actually be playing to two alumni bases, assuming what I was informed of is true.

(05-18-2012 10:12 AM)HtownOrange Wrote:  

(05-18-2012 10:08 AM)4x4hokies Wrote:  

(05-18-2012 08:53 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(05-17-2012 02:29 PM)4x4hokies Wrote:  VT fans would be more apt to support a move to the SEC if you took the close games in the ACC (all the NC teams) away. There are a ton of VT alumni in NC. VT recruits it heavily.

One of the reasons people cite for not wanting to go to the SEC is that we have so many close games. Take all the NC teams off the schedule and see if people still feel the same way. I've been to every NC stadium and they always charge more for the VT games. They'd miss us coming to their stadiums.

You've said this over & over, but really, isn't UVa + Maryland + Pitt just as good as UVA + UNC + Duke? I'm also sure that 4 out of 6 years VT would play a game in the state of NC anyways (with home games the other years). I just don't see playing in the same division as UNC as a "must have" for VT.

schedule them - sure. same division - meh.

UVA, Maryland, and Pitt are all fine but for the purposes of recruiting and playing where the alumni are we need to be playing in NC every year.

I was lead to believe VATech had a lot of alumni in the general DC area, covered by UVA and Maryland. As you still have NC games, you would actually be playing to two alumni bases, assuming what I was informed of is true.

The big areas for VT grads seem to be DC, Charlotte, and Raleigh. Areas like Richmond and Virginia Beach aren't far from Raleigh either so they can easily make games at NCSU/Duke/UNC.

It is about 4 and a half hrs on a bus to Maryland from VT whereas it is about three and a half to Raleigh and only two hours to Wake.

(05-18-2012 10:18 AM)4x4hokies Wrote:  

(05-18-2012 10:12 AM)HtownOrange Wrote:  

(05-18-2012 10:08 AM)4x4hokies Wrote:  

(05-18-2012 08:53 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(05-17-2012 02:29 PM)4x4hokies Wrote:  VT fans would be more apt to support a move to the SEC if you took the close games in the ACC (all the NC teams) away. There are a ton of VT alumni in NC. VT recruits it heavily.

One of the reasons people cite for not wanting to go to the SEC is that we have so many close games. Take all the NC teams off the schedule and see if people still feel the same way. I've been to every NC stadium and they always charge more for the VT games. They'd miss us coming to their stadiums.

You've said this over & over, but really, isn't UVa + Maryland + Pitt just as good as UVA + UNC + Duke? I'm also sure that 4 out of 6 years VT would play a game in the state of NC anyways (with home games the other years). I just don't see playing in the same division as UNC as a "must have" for VT.

schedule them - sure. same division - meh.

UVA, Maryland, and Pitt are all fine but for the purposes of recruiting and playing where the alumni are we need to be playing in NC every year.

I was lead to believe VATech had a lot of alumni in the general DC area, covered by UVA and Maryland. As you still have NC games, you would actually be playing to two alumni bases, assuming what I was informed of is true.

The big areas for VT grads seem to be DC, Charlotte, and Raleigh. Areas like Richmond and Virginia Beach aren't far from Raleigh either so they can easily make games at NCSU/Duke/UNC.

It is about 4 and a half hrs on a bus to Maryland from VT whereas it is about three and a half to Raleigh and only two hours to Wake.

So playing in College Park and Charlottesville will be playing to fanbases in other areas (similar to Syracuse playingin Tampa or Miami). Maybe your local (Blacksburg) fans cannot make the game but these alumni can make a good showing. VATech fans tend to be a bit rabid, so you should have a good following as a vistor to each school. VATech will pack the stands at home, regardless of who they play. Just a thought.

As a Hokie fan, I would love to see a NEUTRAL SITE game every year in Charlotte, NC. (Yes, I know we play in the ACC Championship game almost every year, but I'm talking about regular season; it's tough being the king!).

I can't stress enough that I think this has been a case of short-term gain, long-term loss for VT. If it really is VT that's holding up the North/South divisions, then we need to get out of the way for the greater good.

If it's really critical that VT play a school in NC every year, then go North/South and give us NC State for a cross- over (and then Clemson would cross-over w/ Maryland instead of VT - still a decent rivalry, IMO, but not as good for TV). If Clemson wasn't good with that, they could take BC, thus freeing up Duke or Wake for VT; you could even do it this way: Clemson-BC, Va Tech-NC St, Maryland-Wake.

Plus, if you use the scheduling format (which I will be posting on my blog this weekend) that requires each North division team to play at least one NC school per year in the 2 other non-divisional games, that means VT would essentially play 2 NC schools per year - one at home, one on the road.

And, since NC State is also an Engineering school, I'd think culturally it would be a better opponent for VT than UNC.

I think the critical thing to show a "commitment to football" would be to put FSU + Ga Tech + Clemson + NC St + Wake all in the same division. That gives each of those teams some good home games every year. Putting all of the NC schools together should placate them as well, IMO.