During reviewing UVA coaches, came up on history of UVA football from the forties. Even back then UVA had an internal debate of the role of football at the University. In the thirties they left the southern conference over the emphasis of football, but they built a good program, beat harvard, and really by the forties had a pretty good team. UVA had a great coach Guepe who built a national program. However, UVa leadership (president Darden) did not support UVA to go to bowl games, and even endorse reduce the number of scholarships to football. Guepe and his staff left and built a good team at Vanderbilt. UVA got the invitation to join the ACC. That was controversial. President Darden, did not want to accept it, the AD and Board did, and accepted. However, at the begging UVA was simply not competitive. They always had problems within the university on the balance between athletics and academics and what the University should be....They still do... I think that drives culturally why football, or passionate football, just doesn't get the excitement. Check it out on wichopedia.