As many of you are aware, there is quite a bit of uncertainty surrounding several conferences in NCAA Division I, including the Big East. You may be wondering what this means for the University of Louisville. I do not claim to be an expert on this topic, but I feel my opinion is valid. Here is my prediction: The University of Louisville will be in a an "AQ" or BCS power conference, regardless of whether or not that conference is the Big East.
With the abrupt and unexpected departure of Pittsburgh and Syracuse (the latter a charter member of the league), the future of the Big East as a relevant football conference seems very much in doubt. In almost every other sport, most notably basketball, the Big East is extremely competitive with the other power conferences. Unfortunately, this current shift in the conference landscape is all about money. Football is the engine that drives most athletic programs; from ticket and concession sales to multi-million dollar contracts with television networks.
Why Louisville will not be left out in the cold: The vast majority of athletic programs lose money. Louisville is one of the top 25 most profitable athletic programs in the country. Our athletic facilities rival anybody's in the country, regardless of sport. U of L's athletic teams are also littered with conference champions from track & field to tennis. Again, football is where the money is, but being one of the top programs in our conference in virtually every sport in which we participate makes us an attractive addition to other power conferences looking to expand. Having the best athletic director in the business certainly doesn't hurt either.
We are not guaranteed of anything. Some conferences, namely the ACC, have said that they have no interest in adding Louisville. Most people do not see the SEC being a viable option either. As a fan, it is hard not to take those snubs personally, but I am extremely confident in our administration. They are not just sitting around waiting for something to happen. They are being proactive and diligent in their efforts to find the best situation for my beloved Cardinals.
As a huge fan of college basketball, it would be sad to see us leave the nation's best basketball conference, but the league has already taken a significant hit in that regard with Syracuse and Pittsburgh leaving for the ACC. As I mentioned, our administration must make the best decision for the University of Louisville. Remaining in a league with questionable stability, that could quite possibly be on the outside looking in for a BCS bid, would not be in the best interest of our athletic program.
Although I would have not considered the Big XII as an option, even a couple of weeks ago, it seems to be the most logical place for U of L to land. Apparently, geography has little to do with which teams end up in which conference these days, so our location should not be a significant hurdle to overcome. The Big XII has already expressed interest in Louisville as they look to again be a 12 team league (currently there are only 9 members, with Texas A&M officially heading to the SEC).
I am not picky. The most important thing is to remain in an AQ conference and, at this point, I have no reason to believe that we won't. As much as I adore my hometown school, I understand that these things don't always work out the way we hope, or even expect, especially when big dollars are involved. If we are not in a BCS conference when the Big East's automatic bid to a BCS bowl is reviewed in 2013, however, I would be shocked and appalled. Even a Kentucky fan could not argue that the Cardinals unquestionably belong in a major conference!
Go Cards!
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