Well, actually, I'm new here...
Welcome to this little zone of insanity.
FYI, I'm not one of those "will never happen" ACC fans. The last five years has shown that anything can happen and that schools will move for whatever reason, regardless of history and tradition.
With that said, you'd have a much better chance with VT than with UVa. UVa, like UNC and Duke, is truly ACC to the core. Syracuse, BC, probably Pitt (you should keep them in reserve in case PSU does the shocking thing and switch) and Louisville basically have no better home than the ACC. They know that the flagship-obsessed conferences will never touch them. The ACC is their home for the long term. Schools like GT, FSU, Miami and Clemson are poor fits for the Big Ten (and, except for FSU, the SEC as well). NC State would be an interesting possibility, if you overlook the cultural issues and lack of AAU designation.
If you have to expand again, I think that one school from the Big Twelve would have to be included, so as to not alienate the plains heartland schools. Go too far East and they'd start asking themselves some questions. I'd look at Kansas as a real possibility down the road, assuming that they can keep their AAU status, which will be vital for them if they want to have a stable home long term. Then it becomes between VT and UConn. Despite the wishes of the Husky fans here, I just don't think the Big Ten is ever interested in Connecticut, for several reasons. One, they can't add two basketball-centered programs. The football faction would be P'Oed. Ohio State would not like it. There has to be a football component, either with a program or with the recruiting territory that comes with it (NJ). Second, the BTN model depends on having a large population of young people in new states. Virginia simply has more people than Connecticut (as well as than Kansas, but Kansas is regionally compatible, which is the big difference). Third, demographic changes make Virginia a little more open to the Big Ten than 30 years ago. However, that doesn't overcome the loyalty UVa has to the ACC but VT would be more open to the possibility and VT's academics isn't too far from AAU quality.
It would be interesting which happens first, VT to B1G or PSU to ACC. I still think, when everything is said and done, that UConn goes to the ACC and the resentful Husky fans here will find that it is the best home for the program.
