I went to high school in Virginia Beach. Most of my classmates went to ODU, UVA, Tech, or Longwood. JMU was very popular too. After those, N.C. schools are high up on the list.
But your right about the coastal kids. In high school I could name VB, Norfolk, the other Tidewater cities, and Richmond. If I thought about it I could come up w/ Alexandria.
But naming cities and geography has NEVER been something I've been good at.