A college rivalry is special. It pits two geographically close schools against each other in every sport all year long. The ideal matchup should be even — two foes who provide a high-stakes, close battle that is worthy of the rivalry title.
Other than emotional debate and in-state bickering, Virginia Tech does not fit the bill as a true top nemesis for Virginia.
Although both schools reside in the Commonwealth, play each other in most sports and have a heated history, the Hokies are light-years behind the Cavaliers in many key statistics. A better true rival for Virginia would be North Carolina — in fact, it used to be that way before Virginia Tech joined the ACC in 2004.
The issue
The University of Virginia has 37 national championships. The Hokies have zero — they are one of just three Power Four schools to never hoist a national title trophy in any varsity team sport. Ultimately, that is the most pertinent discrepancy between the two athletic departments…