I don't know if you react to this stuff the same way I do, but when the Virginia Tech Hokies repeatedly deny rumors of their interest in joining the SEC, all I hear is a bluegrass cover of "Enter Sandman." Hey look!
Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker called the rumors "poppycock" to David Teel, then later expressed frustration that "people are making things up." This is after athletic director Jim Weaver called the ACC "the perfect conference for us."
Thus, the Hokies have denied the SEC thrice. Missouri, Louisville, FSU and other rumored SEC candidates have all said the same things, but not with quite the same frequency as has Virginia Tech.
Maybe that means the Hokies actually aren't interested, but why would it matter what people think if they're actually not considering a jump? There would be no big loss in having people around the country talk about Virginia Tech athletics, especially if people think its football program is good enough to earn SEC admission. That's great publicity!
Losing the Hokies would put the ACC in a tough spot, as they'd likely have to grab a Big East school to replace their most productive football program. The main snag in the way of the SEC potentially taking VPI, as far as I can tell, is SEC commissioner Mike Slive's history of a working relationship with ACC commissioner John Swofford, not to mention ESPN, which stands to benefit from both a strong SEC and ACC.
Still, Virginia Tech's conference affiliation is going to be a topic until that 14th team is chosen. It could be 11 months before that happens, so expect more denials along the way.
For more, visit Virginia Tech blog Gobbler Country.
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