Virginia Tech is back to 1997. Despite a TREMENDOUS amount of fan support, we are playing the roles of underdogs. In fact, we're somewhere between 40-45 out of 65 in the college sports arms race. Now, you can chalk that up to VT fans just not being all that, but I have been around the country with the Hokies and Hokie Nation is a REAL phenomena. Our fans offer plenty of support. Heck, we're known as having one of the best fan bases in the nation. You watch that ND game? You here Hokie Nation take over ND's homefield? I've seen that happen and I've seen it nearly universally praised by folks in places like Baton Rouge, Lincoln, and Columbus. It is special.

The bowls and TV LOVE them some Virginia Tech too. They've rather routinely picked the Hokies over teams with better records. Ask the Sugar about that. Ask the Belk Bowl about wanting the Hokies over an instate school with a better record like NC State. We've been ESPN darlings. And ESPN's been rewarded by it too. We've delivered some blockbuster ratings games for them. Even historic ratings such as our game w/ OSU and Boise. We even recently played before the BIGGEST CROWD IN FOOTBALL HISTORY.

But anyhow, I guess VT should just be happy with second tier payouts and status. It has begun to really hurt us. Folks on other boards are informing us that we better just learn to accept our being outgunned.

None of this had to happen. And yes, I've been following quite closely for 15 years. Nobody was happier about VT being offered an ACC invite than me. I began following closely back then. But, I promise ya, they have made nearly every mistake imaginable and they are CLEARLY outmatched at the negotiating table. The only thing those guys have somewhat been successful at is fending off the NCAA from getting to UNC. THAT's those guys priority clearly, not Virginia Tech.

Sadly, VT poppycocked an opportunity to truly compete with the bigdogs, but it doesn't mean we should continue to put up with this stuff. It's like we had Stockholm Syndrome from being abused by the ACC. Not sure about he new VT leadership, but I do feel there's a lesson to be learned from FSU throwing its weight around. And FSU doesn't even have the options VT has. SEC or B1G are both more interested in VT than FSU for a number of reasons we've discussed here a bunch.

Anyhow, just keeping it real for when the ACC propagandists come on here and try to convince us things are A-OK and we should be happy with the way things are. Or when they come on here and just keep telling us to hold on for better, as if the aCC deserves such trust from the Hokies. They HAVE cost us tens of millions of dollars compared to the actual value that we bring.