02-13-2014, 03:15 PM
You have all seen the Duke/UNC basketball game cancelled due to the snow. Now imagine you had to get to Roanoke and then take a back road to Blacksburg or taking a two lane road to Pulaski and then another two lane to Blacksburg. Winter weather is one of the reason the ACC schools left VT in the So-Con back in 1953.
Yes, Maryland, Duke, Clemson and SC were extremely pissed that VT's president was supporting a a post season bowl ban on academic grounds, and when UNC made the motion to bring VT into the ACC with the other four, the motion would have passed 4-3 had UVa not been invited first to rejoin (they left in 1936) and they did not want competition with VT. As it was the motion died 4-4 with Duke relenting. Wake, UNC, NC State and Duke voted for VT. While the bowl ban gets the lions share of the press, the difficultly in getting to Blacksburg in the winter can not be understated. No matter which way you went, you had to go up and cross the Blue Ridge in the days before the current weather forecasts, four lane roads and busses with modern breaks.
Maryland had always opposed West Va with a passion and UVa did not want to play WVa and their spatial isolation in the 1950's also worked heavily against them. UNC's motion to admit them died for lack of a second.
Since VT had been a member of the group since 1907, they had good reason to feel blackballed and it explains their 50 year battle to rejoin their peers. West Va had only been in the SoCon since 1950 and it was the small schools that voted them in against the wishes of Maryland and this is the source of the 60 year axe to grind against the ACC. It's ironic though that the school that cut their throat is now finally leaving the ACC for the frozen tundra of the B10.
Yes, Maryland, Duke, Clemson and SC were extremely pissed that VT's president was supporting a a post season bowl ban on academic grounds, and when UNC made the motion to bring VT into the ACC with the other four, the motion would have passed 4-3 had UVa not been invited first to rejoin (they left in 1936) and they did not want competition with VT. As it was the motion died 4-4 with Duke relenting. Wake, UNC, NC State and Duke voted for VT. While the bowl ban gets the lions share of the press, the difficultly in getting to Blacksburg in the winter can not be understated. No matter which way you went, you had to go up and cross the Blue Ridge in the days before the current weather forecasts, four lane roads and busses with modern breaks.
Maryland had always opposed West Va with a passion and UVa did not want to play WVa and their spatial isolation in the 1950's also worked heavily against them. UNC's motion to admit them died for lack of a second.
Since VT had been a member of the group since 1907, they had good reason to feel blackballed and it explains their 50 year battle to rejoin their peers. West Va had only been in the SoCon since 1950 and it was the small schools that voted them in against the wishes of Maryland and this is the source of the 60 year axe to grind against the ACC. It's ironic though that the school that cut their throat is now finally leaving the ACC for the frozen tundra of the B10.