And, I'll just point out that any substantive conversation about conference realignment is going to require some speculation by the participants. When I lay out my points in my posts, clearly some of the stipulations I make are my opinion about what's going to happen down the road. I'm not sure how we move a conversation like this along if we say, "well, you don't know whether your opinion will be proven correct or not." If you think VT can thrive in a decimated G5 ACC just because it invests a lot of money in the football program, I think you're overlooking (a) where that money is going to come from; and, (b) the fact that the best players will not want to play in a G5 conference, NIL money or no NIL money. Donor money to and interest in VT football would dry up if/when it's playing in a glorified Sun Belt conference. The best players will not commit to play for the program, making it impossible to compete on a national stage. I'm not sure either of these important points are controversial in the least, but if you think they are, then we can just agree to disagree. Finally - OK, SMU made the playoff in a controversial placement. And, then what happened? They were thoroughly embarrassed. I'm not sure making the playoff is the big flex you think it is if you end up getting your pants pulled down and 30 pieced in the first round for a national broadcast audience. ** Edited by Baltimore_Hokie at 11/11/2025, 9:32:10 AM