sure that VT leadership is willing to get into bed with the SEC. Also, there's a possibility the SEC may not be as interested in adding VT particularly if VT has a history of not being as receptive to joining the conference when having informal conversations with the SEC. I can think of 2 possible times the SEC and VT had informal conversations. The first time was in the mid-1990s when VT was deciding whether to renew its commitment to the Big East Football Conference. The second time was when Mizzou ended up with the 14th spot. If VT doesn't end up in the SEC, then I think it may be more likely that VT ends up in a brand new conference than the Big Ten, Big XII, or remaining in the ACC. I think the Big Ten prefers to add UVA over VT for several reasons. I'm not sure VT has any interest in joining the Big XII given the current membership. If the ACC still exists, then I could see it pull a Big East-like move so it could return to its roots as a basketball conference. Whereas a brand new conference that is a football-first conference could give VT and the other ACC schools that place great importance on football a home particularly if they don't have a home in the Big Ten or SEC. Plus, this new conference could add a few of the eastern Big XII members who are no longer interested in dealing with the travel issue. Also, an argument could be made that the ACC brand has become tarnished because of the various business decisions the conference has made and being known as a basketball-first conference. A brand new conference would give VT and the other schools an opportunity to work with a clean slate.