Sleepy T
....zzzz...
Did VT have a lot of true rivals in the ACC when you joined?
Of course ... UVA. The biggest one of them all. There are some other not so deep ones (as apparently WVU has as well) like Miami, Boston College, Pitt..
Thing is... It is much easier, cheaper, and lucrative for VT to make that move. It was a no brainer. Minus BC, and the Florida schools, every other ACC school is within a 6 hour drive. Many as close as a 2-3 hours (Wake, UVA, UNC, Duke, formerly MD).