Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Charlottesville, etc are a lot more like NOVA than Blacksburg Kids are kids...if everyone here went from the town they grew up in to a town 5 sizes smaller, it'd be a bit of a culture shock. Now when you couple that with tons of programs competing for their signature, they can choose more comfortability even if they like Blacksburg Now before literally everyone on here says "well I did it"...yeah, and how many other schools in bigger areas were offering you a free education? How many other schools brought you in for visits to show you what the town had to offer? When you have choices, you go with where you feel comfort. Some kids absolutely feel more comfort in Blacksburg than other towns. Most kids though, VT was their best option. VT funds womens sports and wrestling at a higher clip than other schools. So women's basketball, softball, track & field etc. are not competing against the same pool as men's sports are. It is a watered down version, and in that arena VT can absolutely shine. But if you're starting from a weaker position monetarily (like football, baseball and basketball are) then the location can have an exponential impact on keeping away top talent.