 This proximity generated multiple news stories about towns lying between the two schools and the divided loyalties of their fans.In Washington County, Virginia, which lies along the Tennessee border, the county supervisor—a Virginia Tech graduate—proclaimed the week of the Gator Bowl to be "Hokie Week" over the objections of the county attorney, who graduated from Tennessee.This natural rivalry was amplified by a basketball game held the day prior to the Gator Bowl that pitted the two schools' varsity teams against each other.