Notre Dame has never pretended to be anything than what it was. So far as I can tell, it has never misrepresented it's intention. The only people who have misrepresented Notre Dame as the fans of the ACC schools thinking Notre Dame was something it is not nor ever will be.

That being said, Notre Dame knows how to play the game with conferences. They did this to the Big East and they are doing it to the ACC. For many fans in the ACC, this relationship that Notre Dame cultivates is new and it is easy to see how they may have been lulled into unreachable ideas by all of the allure of Notre Dame, but fans of VT should have known better - you all were in the Big East and had first hand experience. Suddenly being upset about it seems odd.

Still, being upset is natural. Notre Dame is only ever going to join one conference - the Big Ten, Terry and Golden can yell all they want that it will never happen, but they are wrong. It will. It will benefit Notre Dame too much in the wallet and in the only thing that matters to anyone is money.

Fighting with Terry or Golden is going to achieve nothing except ruin a rather pleasant reltaionship with two very ardent fans. But, you can't help how you feel right now.

Imagine for a moment, if VT had been instrumental in getting Notre Dame to join the ACC. After a few years of success and great, hard fought games with them. The ACC entered into an uncertain period and Notre Dame packed up their bags and left in the dark of night with no notice and gave you call the next morning from the Big Ten. When you give the obligatory WTH? response they just laugh at you and proclaim how they are so glad to not be you and their natural home was the Big Ten and they are there now. They then call you some nasty names, laugh some more and hang up the phone and then proceed to tell all of the new conference mates what a knuckle dragging mouth breathing moron you are.

How would that make you feel?

Well, that was exactly what VT did to WVU in 2003.

Why did I write that out? Many here need to be reminded that all schools look out for themselves at all times and believing some other school is altruistic is a bit naïve. Being mad when they do so is just as misplaced.

But if you want to be mad, be mad at yourself for falling for the Notre Dame bait they dangle. But, Notre Dame did not do this on their own. Swafford was a fool. His ACCN is a joke. His TV media deal is a train wreck and his choice in expansion process was disjointed and happenstance. He has left the ACC weaker than it would be in better hands. Be mad at him.