With all the media attention AGAIN swirling around the athletic department at Rutgers University, the institution’s inaction about the current ‘scandal’ surrounding new athletic director Julie Hermann begs the question: why do the Scarlet Knights appear to be sticking with their new hire?
We all have a pet project that consumes our time and money. Some of us take it too far and wind up ignoring our significant others or forgetting meaningful moments in our lives. However, some us take it a little further.
Yahoo! Sports is reporting that a new roadside sight along U.S. 52 near Winston-Salem is showing just how far some fans will go to vent their frustrations about college athletics. According to The Dagger’s Jeff Eisenberg, a group of Wake Forest University fans have spent a load of money to erect a billboard blasting men’s basketball head coach Jeff Bzdelik and athletic director Ron Wellman’s performance at the school.
(Credits: WXII12.com)
Wow. Talk about not holding back. Tell me what you really think, Wake fans.
WXII12.com is reporting the group of fans raised over $4,500 to fulfill their wish of bringing more public attention to the disaster the basketball program has become under Bzdelik and Wellman’s watch. But the billboard is only the next chapter of their group’s efforts – they’ve also taken out newspaper ads and created websites like firebz.com.
Among other notables, the website keeps a rolling tally of the basketball team’s ventures – the Demon Deacons are 34-60 overall and 11-42 against ACC opponents under Bzdelik.
One Wake Forest fan who hasn’t disguised his displeasure with the basketball program is Fire Jeff Bzdelik Group fan Brian Stratton. Stratton is on record as saying the billboard was a necessary step to take because the fanbase has been alienated by the athletic director’s actions. He also took to Facebook to further explain the erection of the billboard.
“All would have been forgiven had [Wellman] done the right thing and fired Bzdelik at the end of the year,” Stratton wrote via the popular social media site. “However, he boxed us into a corner and we had to take the next step. Ron Wellman has clearly brought this on himself and needs to be relieved of his duties.”
Although this recent news is fascinating, fans weren’t too keen on Bzdelik’s hire even in 2010. He was chosen by Wellman after going 36-58 at Colorado after three seasons and never ended a Big 12 season ranked higher than eighth in the conference standings.
As a Louisville graduate, I can certainly identify with fan malcontent over a sports coach who hasn’t performed. The Steve Kragthorpe Era at UofL really tested the Cardinal fanbase. Of course, our athletic director realized the error in his ways and put into motion the process of replacing him with up-and-coming star Charlie Strong.
No one wants a cloud of negativity to surround an athletic program for too long. Wake’s brass leadership may wake up one day soon and realize that Bzdelik and perhaps Wellman have to go, if not for the athletic program, for the university image and relationship with fans and alumni.
Demon Deacon fans, you simply have to believe that better things will come. The one thing Wellman can do to revive your trust is to make a stellar choice as the next head coach to lead Wake back to relevance.
And we wait.
(Credits: Disney/University of Louisville)
When the University of Louisville takes the court to face the Oregon Ducks in the Sweet Sixteen in Indianapolis on Friday, there will be much speculation as to whether the Cardinals can extend their tournament domination by beating up on the Ducks like they did the Aggies and Rams.
Of course, the team Rick Pitino & Co. will face is unlike the previous foes in rounds two and three; Oregon hails from a power conference whereas NC A&T and Colorado State hail from conferences which are not at the top of the college basketball food chain.
The Cardinals have made their way to the Sweet Sixteen by beating their opponents by an average of 28.5 points and shooting over 56 percent from the field. The Cardinals shot better from the charity stripe against Colorado State and scored 24 points off 20 Ram turnovers.
Enter the Ducks of Eugene. After defeating ranked UCLA in the PAC-12 conference title game, Oregon beat its first two opponents by 13 points (Oklahoma State) and 14 points (Saint Louis) by shooting over 45 percent from the field. One disparity jumps out when studying the statistics from the Ducks’ victories thus far – they shot 38 percent from behind the arc versus OK State and 72 percent against Saint Louis. This inconsistency from three-point range could murk the waters in the Round of 32.
However, when the casual observer looks further into both teams’ overall shooting percentages this season, the teams appear comparable. Louisville is shooting 44.5 percent from field goal range and Oregon is averaging 44.7 percent. Louisville is averaging 33.17 percent from behind the arc and Oregon is shooting 33.27 percent.
In a game where offensive statistics can tell a story of two similar teams, one must dig deeper to find a true winner on paper.
Horses and Hoops prediction: this game will come down to turnovers. Louisville committed 456 turnovers (12.6 per game) on the whole while Oregon turned the ball over 543 times (15 per game).
Guard play and defensive pressure will play pivotal roles in this matchup. With Louisville’s tendency to force more turnovers and to score lots of points off those errors, I expect the Cardinals to keep up the intensity and stifle the Oregon offense. Besides, the Big East was strides better than the PAC-12 in the 2012-13 season and these figures must be viewed in light of conference competition and defense.
My analysis hinges upon there being no hiccups or surprise injuries (knock on wood) in Friday’s matchup at 7:15 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium. Hopefully, Russ Arena’s furor and Luke Hancock’s consistency will travel with the Cardinals to Indianapolis and descend with the same intensity to create a LukeRuss Oil Stadium all clad in red.
#L1C4
(Credits: http://www.gocards.com)
As I sit and look at the bracket and ponder about how the Louisville Cardinals gracefully landed in the top spot, many thoughts about my alma mater come to mind. The superstitious person in me doesn’t want to speak about the excitement I feel as we begin the future and the tournament as the favorite. Saying these things aloud could have detrimental effects. Maybe.
Please be advised that the following article is not me speaking. Rather, I share my thoughts out of respect for the team and conscious of my part in not producing a disaster.
[So, Louisville won a share of the Big East regular season title and then went on to win the conference tournament. Wow. In its last year as currently aligned, the Big East from 2005 to 2013 will go down in history as arguably the toughest conference in the country’s collegiate basketball scene. The pride I feel as a graduate of the university is palpable to anyone who encounters me – notwithstanding church events and tennis matches as a coach at a local high school, I have been wearing nothing but Cardinal gear for the past year.
2012 was a soaring year for Cardinal athletics. From the numerous Big East championships won across the program to keeping Charlie Strong as head coach of football to being invited to the ACC to winning the Sugar Bowl in striking fashion to having a fabulous season in basketball, I’m not sure what else I could have asked for as a fan. Sure, playing for a national championship in football would have been nice, but I’m confident that rosy scenario will someday arise and I don’t believe any fan could possibly be disappointed with Charlie Strong & Co.’s success thus far.
And let’s not forget about academics. When West Virginia was chosen to join the Big 12, I think it’s fair to say the decision was based solely on the Mountaineers’ earned status as a football powerhouse. In contrast, UofL’s unanimous selection as a future member of the Atlantic Coast Conference was purely a decision made with all facets of the university’s attributes in mind. Everyone knows our athletic programs and facilities are top notch, but keep in mind that the ACC, much like the Big Ten, would not allow any school to enter its ranks unless it saw something tangible and obvious in the academic reputation of the institution.
When Florida State was added to their ranks, detractors complained that FSU’s academics were not strong enough to warrant admission. This sentiment has been repeated about UofL and, of course, I take offense to it. We have a Top 100 law school, a respected medical school always pushing the envelope, a business school which receives accolades on a yearly basis and an undergraduate program dedicated to a vast plethora of academic programs. The university’s footprint is seen throughout the commonwealth and we are well represented across the nation in business, research and academia.
What the ACC saw in Florida State is akin to what it now sees in UofL – the trajectory of the university’s academics are on the rise and rising fast. While not at the AAU level (besides, the AAU’s wheels of adding member universities is arguably much slower than those of the judicial system), Louisville will soon become associated with consortiums and programs alongside institutions like Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia. That association and willingness to share academic success and research opportunities with all ACC members partially strengthened FSU’s reputation and no doubt Dr. James Ramsey kept his university eye on the ACC for this reason.
There is a reason there were all kinds of rumors and reports that we had an invite “in hand” to the Big 12 but were not acting on it. It’s one thing to say that a source believes something might happen, but to say that an invite was already extended and the ball was in our court is a whole ‘nother beast. Personally, I believe Dr. Ramsey and athletic director Tom Jurich had agreed early on that the ACC would be the better body to associate with, and with time and continued diligence on our part, that invite would come.
But back to the major event ahead of us. The NCAA tournament is perhaps the most widely known event in America, save the Super Bowl and the Kentucky Derby. We have already proved that our football program was indeed worthy of the ACC’s glance and we have shown that our basketball legacy is strong enough to be included with the likes of Duke and North Carolina. However, on the biggest stage in America in the same timeframe as our invite to our soon-to-be new conference, winning the tourney will blow the roof off every building in Louisville. It’s that big of a situation here in Kentucky.
Nothing else matters right now. The banter with Kentucky fans, the arguments from detractors, the long-positioned monkey of Big East football on our backs, the unspoken title of Little Brother, the association with “poor and backward” Appalachia – none of it matters. Of course, those things have never really mattered to many of us living in the Bluegrass State, but I think it’s safe to say nothing else has mattered less that those do right now.
The Road to the Final Four should be tread with a determination unlike any other, and I know Rick Pitino, Peyton Siva, Gorgui Dieng, Chane Behanan, Russ Smith, Wayne Blackshear, Stephan Van Treese, Kevin Ware, Luke Hancock, Montezl Harrell and everyone associated with basketball team has it in them. Every indicator points to the events of the 2012-13 season as the Year of the Cardinals.
This has been a long time in the making, my friends. Perhaps I am more biased than the next guy, but living in the City of Louisville and seeing and experience all it has to offer makes me fully believe we are an idea whose time has finally come and will continue to come to many around the country.
Go get ‘em Cards. Represent your fine university, represent your big city and represent your upstanding identities. Win or lose, this is a special time in Louisville. Good things come to those who wait, but success comes quicker to those who wait and plan and execute. This. Is. Our. Year.]
#L1C4
#L1C4
(Credits: http://www.gocards.com)
If any doubt still existed as to whether the University of Louisville was the right choice for membership into the Atlantic Coast Conference, those doubts were dashed on Saturday, March 16, 2013.
As I watched my beloved Cardinals struggle, persevere and then triumph against the Syracuse Orange in the last Big East Championship title game of the modern era, I couldn’t help but think about all the naysayers and detractors of Belknap’s athletic department as the ACC made its decision in 2012.
Louisville basketball has come a long way, to be sure. We were always the known unknown who entered and left conferences. From the Metro Conference to Conference USA to the Big East Conference, the pride of Louisville proved and proved and proved themselves to fans, outsiders and future conference brass by winning national titles and battling our way into Final Fours. When Rick Pitino was hired as head coach after legend Denny Crum wrapped up his career, fans instantly knew the future was bright and we would give our new coach as much time as he needed.
What we have accomplished as members of the Big East is still unfathomable in my eyes. I’m sure the Villanovas and Syracuses and Georgetowns and Connecticuts chided the decision to add us and others to their ranks and assumed they would continue to dominate the league. No one could have written the memorable storyline the Cardinals have produced since 2005.
Louisville became the winningest program since the realignment of 2005 and has now won its third conference basketball championship. As finalists of the tournament in four of the last five years, the Cardinals have continued to prove their worth on the hardwood.
2013 Big East Champions
(Credits: http://www.bigeast.org)
In football, Louisville has always faced an uphill challenge. Scheduling juggernauts like Alabama, Georgia and Notre Dame had been a difficult feat to claim, and recruiting the best players from around the country has never been our trademark. However, the football Cardinals made it their mission to always be satisfied with the progression of the program and to constantly improve from within.
Having won our two Bowl Championship Series matchups (2006 FedEx Orange Bowl and 2013 Allstate Sugar Bowl), we put everything on the field when we are placed on the stage and told to perform.
When Coach Charlie Strong chose to extend his contract at Louisville rather than take the Tennessee job with the Southeastern Conference, fans surrounding the university knew what he thought about his current job and the institution. The sigh of relief throughout the River City came from fans who realized that our time had finally come to keep our coach and strive to maintain and surpass our accomplishments.
Although elevated, it is clear head coach Charlie Strong is not satisfied with the heights of the program under his tutelage. The invitation to the ACC combined with the fashion in which Louisville dealt the Gators the loss in the Sugar Bowl sent the city into overdrive.
Coach Charlie Strong celebrates after the 2013 Sugar Bowl victory
(Credits: Getty Images)
All we ask is for a chance to prove our worth. That is all we have ever wanted, and it appears we will soon get our chance once again in the prestigious ACC in 2014.
Louisville unleashes its inner Cardinal
(Credits: Madeline Hack)
If someone had told me at the beginning of this season that our Louisville Cardinals would contend for back-to-back Big East Championship titles against a historic conference juggernaut in a matchup marking the storied history of the conference as it enters its waning days of existence, I would have thought that person had a great imagination.
Given the preseason hype surrounding this year’s squad, it’s not surprising we find ourselves right where we belong in the title chase. Nor am I surprised our opponent comes in the form of our rival Syracuse. However, no one could have predicted the changes the conference will undergo in the next year and that the final tournament would consist of a model foe versus a new foe.
Here’s how we got to the tournament final:
2013 Big East Championship
(Credits: http://www.bigeast.org)
Since joining the league in 2005, Louisville has continued traditional conference rivalries and acquired new ones. Aside from the annual Cincinnati showdown, no other rivalry has meant so much or garnered as much attention as the yearly conflicts with the Syracuse Orange. There is no doubt this rivalry will continue once both programs enter the Atlantic Coast Conference.
It is only fitting that this epic tournament final would be fought between a classic powerhouse and our Cardinals, the winningest Big East team since we entered the conference. Both programs have built lasting legacies as Big East programs and the combination of wins and losses and coaching staffs have allowed us to stand out among other teams.
As preseason favorites to contend for the conference title, Rick Pitino and the Cardinals have not disappointed. This conference final will be epic – I couldn’t ask for a better way to end an era than with a face-off between two great programs on the national stage.
Having split the first two meetings earlier this season in conference play, the Cardinals and Orange will settle the score under the lights of Madison Square Garden at 9 p.m. on Saturday.
#L1C4 – Louisville First, Cards Forever
Louisville Football has only one more year of [insert conference name here] competition before entering the Atlantic Coast Conference. While many fans would rather hit the fast forward button and quickly arrive to fall 2014 than sit through another lackluster conference season, the Confidential cautions those future seekers not to overlook the opportunity at hand.
Times of great change can be very exciting. Remember back to the days of constantly surfing the internet for any update on UofL’s chances of getting into the Big 12? Perhaps you were busy burning up the computer looking for a way into the ACC? No doubt some of you were also keeping an eye out for SEC expansion news. The last several years have been filled with a barrage of intensity, not to mention enthusiasm.
But don’t forget about the present just yet, my friends. UofL athletics is still on its ACC honeymoon. I don’t know about you, but at no point of my honeymoon did I ever wish for it be over. The exhilaration of accomplishment can quickly transition back to mundane existence. While memories of extravagant honeymoons can be easily summoned after the fact, we will never live in this existence again.
On Wednesday, the University of Louisville released its 2013 football schedule. Most interestingly, the Cardinals have three bye weeks sprinkled throughout. The most important bye appears in just the right place – the week before the season finale against rival Cincinnati.
| 8/31 | Saturday | Ohio | PJCS |
| 9/7 | Saturday | Eastern Kentucky | PJCS |
| 9/14 | Saturday | Kentucky | Lexington |
| 9/21 | Saturday | Florida International | PJCS |
| 9/28 | Saturday | Bye | |
| 10/5 | Saturday | Temple | Philadelphia |
| 10/10 | Thursday | Rutgers | PJCS |
| 10/18 | Friday | Central Florida | PJCS |
| 10/26 | Saturday | South Florida | Tampa |
| 11/2 | Saturday | Bye | |
| 11/8 | Friday | Connecticut | East Hartford |
| 11/16 | Saturday | Houston | PJCS |
| 11/23 | Saturday | Memphis | PJCS |
| 11/30 | Saturday | Bye | |
| 12/5 | Thursday | Cincinnati | Cincinnati |
If you’re looking at the schedule and letting out a huge sigh, you’re not alone. The marquee games per se on the schedule are Kentucky, Rutgers and Cincinnati. While Ohio, UCF, USF and Houston are no pushovers, there just isn’t too much substance for fans to celebrate in the 2013 season.
Alas, there will be no conference championship game as previously planned. A ten-team league was formed when Boise State and San Diego State committed to the Big East, but their change of heart cost the league a season finale.
There has to be some good news about this schedule, right? Well, if you consider the weak schedule as proper impetus to win every game and defend our BCS win, then yes. If for no other reason, true fans should support the Cardinals as they attempt to end the pre-ACC days on a positive note.
I would love to wake up tomorrow to find Louisville and its athletic programs already members of the ACC and having kissed their shaky Big East days goodbye. However, if that were the case, the honeymoon would be over and would soon become a distant memory.
It is only fitting that we fans wait for our future – it allows us time to reflect on our university’s rich history, athletic successes and academic trajectory. Being wanted and feeling valued gives fans pride and a sense of being on cloud nine. Frankly, I’m too comfortable for that sensation to pass.
May the honeymoon never end, UofL.
It’s 2016 and conference realignment has slowed down. Again. As most expected, the Atlantic Coast Conference has survived another round of unsubstantiated rumors and quasi-sourced reports from university big wigs and industry executives. Overall, the past few years have proven quite productive in terms of membership and revenue.
A combination of ESPN affirming its financial commitment to the conference and the additions of Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Cincinnati and Connecticut have made way for a 16-team league which boasts a great amount of competitive talent, geographic diversity and athletic tradition.
The ACC now has eight teams competing in men’s lacrosse with Cincinnati, Louisville and UConn adding the niche sport to their athletic departments. Six of the league’s baseball teams are firmly in the Top 25 and seven teams are regulars in the women’s basketball Top 25.
College football has gradually improved over the past two years. The Seminoles and Tigers have continued their top-tier presence in the rankings and Virginia Tech, Louisville, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh add some needed depth to the conference schedule. NC State, Connecticut and Syracuse are steadily improving, the Tar Heels are sanction-free and competitive and Georgia Tech has awoken from its talent slumber.
College basketball is absolutely phenomenal. Along with the annual Tobacco Road matchup, Syracuse-UNC has become epic in its short existence and Pitt has become quite the foe of Duke, NC State and Virginia. Much anticipated matchups between Duke and Louisville and Connecticut and North Carolina have also given way to intense conference-wide games with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. The conference now boasts seven teams with national championship histories.
Although there is much competition among the field in both basketball and football, there is a great amount of talent at the top. Many believe multiple ACC representatives will punch cards to the Final Four and there is guarded optimism a team will soon vie for the Coaches’ Trophy at Cowboys Stadium.
As with anything, it takes vision, determination and patience to see a great idea through to fruition. The ACC is no different. Fantasies often begin with unrealistic expectations while goals are accomplished through steady hard work and practical ambitions.
Congratulations, ACC! You had the nerve and foresight to persevere and maintain your athletic tradition while maintaining and promoting solid academics. The Confidential looks forward to many more years of ACC excellence.
**Is this article fantasy or realistic? Join the discussion below and let the Confidential know your opinion.
With all the focus on whether Notre Dame will follow the Catholic 7 into the new Big East for a year or be allowed to enter the ACC a year early, this observer turns his attention to what the University of Louisville will do (or be allowed to do) in light of the latest conference realignment development.
The worst-case scenario befell the Louisville, Cincinnati and Connecticut athletic programs. While each school was vying for the ACC’s glance in 2012, no one expected the possibility that there would be no home to return to if not selected.
While Louisville must come up with and be satisfied with a short-term solution, the Bearcats and Huskies are in a much worse position with no real future on any horizon.
Originally scheduled to officially enter the prestigious ACC in 2014, Louisville and its fans are quite content with that still being the case. However, the news that the Catholic 7 will compete in fall 2013 and take the Big East name with them arouses some understandable doubts about where the Cardinals will land in the interim.
This Confidential correspondent has pondered the many options available to all parties involved and believes one solution is tenable. A void will exist when/after the Catholic 7 take the Big East name and this means that the current member schools will need to either attach to another conference or come up with one of their own.
In my humble opinion, I believe the remaining schools should resurrect an idea whose time has come once again. Even though Louisville and Rutgers will be leaving for the ACC and Big Ten in 2014, I feel a viable option could be for them to help formulate a new version of the Metro Conference (Metro Collegiate Athletic Conference) for all sports.
At various points in time over the twenty year history of the Metro Conference from 1975 to 1995, Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis, South Florida and Tulane were member schools. The league revolved around schools in metropolitan areas and eventually merged with the Great Midwest Conference to form Conference USA.
Although it disbanded, the conference had become a household name and boasted some other well-known member schools over the years, including Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Saint Louis and South Carolina.
Let’s be clear: no one wants to go backwards in terms of tradition and program evolution. However, unless other conferences are open to cherry picking the residual Big East schools, there are really very few options and I suspect no one wants to go back to C-USA.
If the remaining schools were to band together and form a new conference, I believe one option on the table should be to revive the Metro league. It has name recognition, although a bit dated, and it fits the geographic locations of its would-be member schools and gives the beleaguered schools a new start with which to enter the future.
Assuming the schools agree to submit all of their athletic programs, Cincinnati, Central Florida, East Carolina, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Rutgers, South Florida, Southern Methodist and Temple would make a 10-team conference for the 2013-14 season. In addition to compiling some household names, each member school would boast large metropolitan populations that could entice large media rights deals and revenues for the universities.
When Louisville and Rutgers leave, the new conference can then seek out new programs. The actions of Mike Aresco and the Big East brass in the past year have shown there is not a shortage of programs looking to realign themselves in this era of athletic musical chairs.
One thing is for sure: the time has come for some proactive decision-making by these schools. Although the Big East did its best to recruit new schools to join, the situation is what it is and the wrench the Catholic 7 have thrown into the conference’s future plans lends itself to some creative thinking.
If there are no other viable options, this option would enjoin dejected, outlying athletic programs into one conference with a goal of moving forward and finding common ground. Louisville and Rutgers can use their resources to help these programs before they leave for their new conferences. Although it will still appear like they are running out on them, they will nonetheless garner the attention and respect as two big-time programs that provided leadership to help everyone affected.
Feel free to comment and let me know what you think. At this point, only discussion and bold ideas can solve this problem. What are your ideas for the remaining schools?
**Mr. Cardinal is a new correspondent around the Atlantic Coast Confidential office. He graduated from the University of Louisville and is currently the Senior Editor of Empress World Publishing in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The Confidential 