I don’t imagine the music of Joan Baez is often used as inspiration for a sports column. That was the case, however, as my favorite classic rock station played her ‘Diamonds and Rust’ as I read discussions as to whether the series between Virginia Tech and West Virginia should and would continue. Joan’s angry tirade towards a guy who had jilted her seemed to mesh with the expressions of angry Mountaineers who, in their pique, want nothing more to do with a Tech that has ditched them to run off with the pretty face of the ACC.  In an effort to keep the competition for the Black Diamond trophy alive, we could offer WVU Diamonds and RUTS.

These are not happy times in the hills of West Virginia. The optimism and enthusiasm generated by Rich Rodriguez in his second year has turned to ashes with the upcoming departure of Big East marquee football teams Tech and Miami. WVU has been left behind to face an uncertain future that would seem to include dreary games versus Louisville and Cincinnati and will find that ESPN will not be nearly so eager to televise those contests as they were when the ‘Neers were tangling with Tech and the Canes. They don’t like the prospects any better than we did when it appeared we would be left behind. Who can blame them?

Some of the more emotionally-volatile of their fans have taken to message boards to vent their anger and resentment in the same tones used by Ms. Baez. Ten years ago we burst onto the Big East scene and became a legend, mostly in our own minds, according to them. They consider us the unwashed phenomenon, and now a vagabond. This leaves one to ponder whether in a few years their message board will turn into a cyber Lillith Fair consisting of a collection of washed-up posters engaging in virulent Tech-bashing. It will not be a pretty picture.

The possibility exists that it will get even worse for West Virginia. Recent published comments by Florida State AD Dave Hart and whispers from other sources indicate that what seems to be when, not if, the mating ritual of Notre Dame by the ACC fails and no SEC teams can be enticed to become the 12th team, the fallback position for the ACC is to return to the Big East and finish the job by snatching Pitt. The answer from the Panthers, as it would be from any of what’s left of the crippled Li’l E, would be the exact opposite of that recently given by Florida. This would leave WVU completely isolated and in a situation that would find the LE so resembling CUSA that it just might become it.

Certainly West Virginia President Hardesty recognizes the seriousness of the situation and is trying desperately to convince ACC presidents of the suitability of his institution for the ACC. Personally, I would add WVU by using the expedient of glancing at a map of current and soon-to-be ACC members, throwing in for good measure the fact that West Virginia was the other team desiring admission who was not added when the conference was formed fifty years ago. While the ACC brass could have saved themselves a lot of aggravation had they simply listened to me at the beginning of the expansion process and allowed me to select the teams, they didn’t, and they continue to ignore my advice in the search for member #12; Swofford never seems to learn.

President Hardesty seems to be having no more luck than I, as the combination of WVU’s academic standing, at least as perceived by certain ACC Ivy wannabes, poor financial situation, and remote location will cause more than two ACC presidents to vote against the admittance of West Virginia. I would think they might pay more attention to the tens of thousands of Mountaineers who descended on Charlotte last December, but they don’t -- it will be their and our loss.

If Pitt is added to the ACC, WVU’s bad situation becomes even worse. A pertinent question would then seem to be whether,  -- notwithstanding the emotional knee-jerk reaction on the part of some at WVU, including, it would seem, their AD Ed Pastilong, to no longer maintain the Black Diamond rivalry -- whether it would be in Tech’s interest to keep them on the schedule? Tech has dominated the recent history of the series, winning seven of the last ten, including seven of eight between 1994 and 2001. Only a series of mistakes by Tech and a line judge kept it from being eight of ten and five straight. Tech’s in-state high school talent base gives us a pronounced recruiting advantage over Rich Rodriguez, or whoever replaces him when he bolts for greener pastures in a year or so. This will become even greater as WVU’s upcoming reduction in television opportunities will make it that much more difficult to woo the out-of-state prospects that are necessary for the ‘Eers to maintain a competitive program. The gap between the two programs will widen to where the probable outcomes will resemble those of 00-01, fairly easy Tech wins. Will this be the basis for a continued rivalry?

Rivalries are best when programs are on fairly even footing, where each side has at least some hope of winning the game. Tech once had a good one with East Carolina, until VT went into the BE while ECU was passed over. What had once been hard-fought contests with each side winning the same number of times [87-94- each team won four] became, by 1996, a series of lopsided Tech wins that, coupled with the fact that our future conference will contain four teams from that state, makes continuing to play the Pirates in anything other than the occasional early-season tune-up game not in Tech’s interest. It is not hard to see the same happening with West Virginia, as Tech’s increased stature in the ACC, along with WVU’s reduced status in the Li’l E, will make Tech even more dominant than they have been over the last decade.

There is certainly an emotional attachment to this series, much more so than there ever was with East Carolina. It is THE game in the southwestern part of Virginia and the southern part of West Virginia. It is unlikely, however, that the intensity can be maintained if thirty-point Tech victories become the norm, as seems likely at this time.  As the various worst-case conference scenarios for WVU come closer to reality, it will be increasingly difficult for the Mountaineers to field a competitive team. Television opportunities for Tech-WVU have even now been reduced to embarrassing mid-week slots generally reserved for CUSA and the MAC. Tech is headed for a league that will provide enhanced television options, while West Virginia is headed in the opposite direction. OOC games between Tech and a WVU program that will be weakened if not crippled will not be nearly as attractive as ones between Tech and LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn, Wisconsin and the other high-profile teams that Tech is talking to and now seems able to schedule. Five years from now, will there be any television interest at all for a game between Tech and WVU?

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