I suspect you (and VT) would be in the minority on that issue
because the majority of the schools are currently paired with an important rival. Only BC, L'ville, UVA, and VT are not paired with an important rival.
VT made its bed when JW valued playing 2 conference games against UVA in basketball more than VT being paired up with UVA in football. There was a scenario where VT and UMD could have swapped places. If that happened then UMD would have been paired with BC and VT would have been paired with UVA. However, it probably would have cost VT its rivalry game against Miami unless the ACC was willing to sacrifice the Clemson-FSU "rivalry" by swapping FSU and Miami. Under that scenario the divisions would have looked like this.
Atlantic/Coastal
BC-UMD
VT-UVA
Wake-Duke
NC State-UNC
Clemson-GT
FSU-Miami
or
Atlantic/Coastal
BC-UMD
VT-UVA
Wake-Duke
NC State-UNC
Clemson-GT
Miami-FSU
Now this scenario would have also required the ACC to not have divisions in basketball. I can't say how much JW or other ADs objected the idea of not having divisions in basketball (assuming they objected to the issue at all). I will say the ACC probably got the idea from the SEC because that is what the SEC did when it first expanded to 12 members. Eventually the SEC eliminated the divisions in basketball (I think 10 or so seasons after it expanded to 12 members) which is exactly what the ACC eventually did after it expanded to 14 or 15 members. [Post edited by VTHokie2000 at 02/10/2022 01:55AM]
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In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
Posted: 02/10/2022 at 01:55AM