There are 89 days left before the start of the Hokie football season. That is 89 days of waiting impatiently, absorbing every snippet of related news, and (re)watching countless hours of highlight videos. With this idle time of anticipation comes another equally prominent side effect in that of speculation. For anyone with eyeballs the speculation that has reared its ugly head the last few years has manifested in the form of conference realignment. Last year it seemed the Big XII was grabbing at straws, only to now become a “power conference” with its crosshairs set on a member(s) of the ACC; the same ACC that partook in its own gutting of the Big East to obtain both Syracuse and Pitt. TV deals, BCS playoff structures, money, power struggles, conference identity, etc. may all play into the how’s and why’s of these deals. Nonetheless, in the end, that is really for the talking heads to figure out. It is surprising then, to see so many fans nowadays so engrossed in the process. Whole social media campaigns have ignited in support for or against going to one conference or another. Where once there were simply testaments to the Hokie football team. Now lay sentiments toward the #VT4SEC hashtags and the more satirically derived #goacc.
Have we then, as fans, started to care less about what team we root for and more about who we’re affiliated with? This isn’t to say we shouldn’t care at all or even stop from intelligibly weighing the pros and cons regarding our future in whatever conference we may end up. Nonetheless, since the inaugural days in the Big East in ’91 to our joining of the ACC in ’04 one thing has, until now, seemed to remain constant; our love of all things Hokie. Unlike those in other conferences, we only have and I believe will, only chant our team’s name at football games. When in a heated debate about the greatness of our program we don’t have to hide behind how many of our conference brethren have trophies or titles. Even though we are so aptly reminded of how empty our own glass case is save for a placard awaiting its replacement, we know, that our first National Title will be ours alone.
So again, as fun as it may be to play the game of “what if” and “what facility should go where”, don’t stray too far from the actual game played 89 days from now when OUR team takes the field with the hopes of another great season.
Comments
We just get bored without football.
And, although I agree, I have chanted ACC at bowl games (against Tenn.). I was even there with a wahoo who chanted along. And titles are won by teams, but the conference definitely gets some credit.
Ahaha, I did that too, but mostly to piss off the SEC fanbois who do the SEC chant... oh, and to piss off my sister, who's a Vol.
I wonder how much of it is driven by the sports media
Of course you want your conference brethren to be respectable but to me thats only to make your team look better. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me that the whole conference pissing contest, while its always been there, has really exploded in the last few years.
Personally I usually root for ACC teams in non-conference but I find it especially hard with the Hoos and Ga Tech. I had decided I was gonna root for UVA in the Chicken Bowl this past year but the first shot I saw of 3 dudes with their shirts and ties and white frat hats that are supposed to look all worn but you know they bought like that, I was like "fuck UVA, go Auburn!"
Is it too early
for VT fans to chant the S-E-C, S-E-C? Mizzou thought it was appropriate during the BigXII basketball tournament. I think we're already a little late. We should've chanted S-E-C while in New Orleans, since we replaced an SEC team at the Sugar Bowl. People have said VT has the aura of an SEC team, so we might as well get arrogant and start yelling that shit at everything we go to. It is only a matter time, right?
We aren't the a-hole fans that would do that. That attitude is extremely disrespectful to the ACC and all of the teams in it. We shouldn't forget that the ACC has gotten us to where we are now, and, although the future of the ACC isn't looking great, we haven't jumped ship and we aren't positive we will. (don't forget the SEC could not pick up any more teams, FSU and Clemson could stay with the ACC, Notre Dame could join the ACC, an ACC team could win a NC this coming year, etc...too many possibilities to make ASSumptions)