Then Notre Dame is out: ACC is not an option. Tier 3 rights are irrelevant or nearly so. If ND won't commit to an 8+ game football schedule, then they won't commit at all. They would be stupid to in fact: why share athletic revenue with lightweight/nonfactors like BC, Wake et al?

If I were sitting on the board of Notre Dame, I would vote for independent status, then the Big Ten, then, maybe, the ACC. Why would an intelligent VT alum think otherwise?