They have lower profiles than UNC or PITT, but they are not weaker programs. Padded games are Akron and JMU and Richmond. And both schools have scheduled several over the last few years. Except for a couple of years in the late 1980's and early 1990's, we all know that this UVa's superiority is not the fact, but it looks that way to outsiders. Even with the vast supportive infrastructure and exposure from the ACC, Virginia has barely been able to keep up with the boys from Blacksburg in football.
Several things go into a program, but perhaps the least sung about are the fans.
Virginia lost a bowl bid a couple of years ago strictly because of their fans. The team deserved to go but the program did not. Independence bowl in either 1991 or 1992, where Virginia sold around 900 tickets, and showed up with something like 540 fans at the gate. That bowl took two years to climb out of the financial cellar from that one, bailed out by none other than Virginia's sister school just down I-81. George Welsh was openly critical of the fan turnout during that period of time.