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Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Conference Alliance -- WEDNESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

NOW BATTING:  




It's a 'Cardinal Couple' line-up shake up! Instead of Paulie's Wednesday column, it's Daryl checking in after several weeks out... from behind my own computer and not down at the ballparks.  My hours have doubled since the last time I was able to hop on here or watch any of the start of the fall sports seasons!  I'll be working Women's Soccer and Field Hockey over the next few days before the Bats come back in town for a couple home-stands. 

UofL Broadcast center is back to mask mandates and showing vaccination status.  But we are glad to be back in the studio, Cards fans!!! Happy times!! We are glad to have games.  Speaking of games, the future games for our beloved University have been in the news this week.  At the Cardinal Caravan last night, Tyra said he hadn't fully decided about full crowds, lack of vaccine proof and other things concerning fall Football. 

He also recently spoke of the "alliance". See the statement below from UofL Athletic Director, Vince Tyra. 




A topic of conversation that has definitely picked up some steam in recent weeks.. 'conference' and 'alliance'.  Get used to hearing about it and learning as we go, readers, because that's basically the message to take away from Tuesday's announcement. 

The (relatively new) commissioners of the three conferences in the conversation are ACC commissioner Jim Phillips (2021), Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren (2020) and SEC commissioner Greg Sankey (2015).  As CBS Sports reports:

The alliance agreement between the three conferences is being described as a "collaborative approach surrounding the future evolution of college athletics and scheduling."

The alliance asserts its purpose is to focus on NCAA governance, student-athlete welfare and ensuring the collegiate model continues. It will also include a "scheduling component for football and women's and men's basketball designed to create new inter-conference games, enhance opportunities for student-athletes and optimize the college athletics experience for both student-athletes and fans across the country."

What the heck does that even mean?! 




It should be noted that the three league commissioners say there is no signed document between the conferences and the entire alliance is operating on a handshake agreement of collaboration.... but we should also mention the fact that most athletic programs operate on the future.  Coaches recruit for future classes, administrative professionals are scheduling and planning match-ups for 3-4 years down the road for said recruiting classes to compete in.  

With Texas and Oklahoma heading to the SEC when their current Big12 contracts expire in 2025, the move that got this entire conference transition started, there is definitely reason to believe the major conference alliance will move forward in the coming months.  It has to, honestly.  The NCAA boat is filling with water at a more rapid pace every year and sports history shows that the landscape of college sports shifts about every decade or so based on trends.  Financial reasons usually have the biggest pull in these conversations. 





Think about it.. Texas - the second highest profiting CFB program in America, isn't performing in the post-season like their fans and higher officials/boosters expect -- so they move to the power conference of the SEC to get the wins and pathway to the championship leaving the smaller schools in the dust.   It also makes the name 'Southeastern Conference' pretty moot...  I'm no geography expert but I was already questioning the legitimacy of that title when A&M and Mizzou jumped ship, now it's just a laughable description. 

What the heck does this mean for Louisville?


I envision what this could mean for the Cards beyond the possibility of a regular UofL/IU rivalry in all sports and the football Cards getting schedule boosters like Ohio State and the Michigan programs.  Obviously this could also mean huge opportunities for the Olympics sports to get some broad selections of opponents.  

Overall I think the conference titles will diminish in the next five years.  I do believe we are seeing the demise of the NCAA, and for that, I am absolutely thrilled.  The NCAA should be very very worried about the conversations that will be going on in the next few months. An organization that used to be so beneficial for college athletes has proven it's greed, exploitation and overall worthlessness time and time again.  

I look forward to the future of college athletics - the change that is happening right now.  We will look back on these times years from now and I do hope it is for the better of the game and the athletes themselves.  After all, those two things are what has brought us all here to this webpage today and everyday for as long as we can remember our fan-hood beginning.  



I hope I got some of your wheels turning on the topic, readers.  I am sure it will be a hot topic of discussion for the rest of the gang on this weekend's podcast recording.  What are your thoughts on Tuesday's conference alliance announcement?  Let us know in the comment section below! 


Have a great Wednesday 
Go Cards!
~Daryl 


5 comments:

  1. Hello Friends!
    Arthur Here?

    It's a return cannon blast to the original salvo, this ACC/Big 10/PAC 12 alliance. Let's call it the Big 41 -- or maybe just Spot or Fido.

    It's also another salvo at the weakened NCAA fortress that exists in a town where cars go left. And I say, "HELL YES!" . Bring down the royalty, the castle and the occupants. And start over.

    In it all, the Big 12 has to feel like the last kid standing there when it's time to choose up and play sandlot baseball. Who wants the Big 12? Not us, you take them. OK, go to right field and don't get in anyone's way, Big 12.

    And it makes me wonder about Clemson. Will the SEC come calling for us? A lot of my Tiger friends seem to hope that happens. The SEC could easily go to 16 with Clemson and FSU, and the money would roll in big time.

    Some food for thought. Bye, bye NCAA. We hardly knew you.

    The trouble is the case of a school like Iowa State. Do they, too, abandon the sinking ship that is the Big 12 with the rest of the rats? A top 10 football performers, always strong in women's hoops and now watching the meter run out where they're parked with no more coins or change. Of course, I never got the whole Iowa in the Big 10, Iowa St. in the Big 12 scenario anyway.

    I won't even get started on Notre Dame. I, I'm sure the Irish are laughing at the whole scenario and are letting the phone calls go to voice mail.

    Hiya, college athletics. Don't miss the next chapter.

    Your Friend
    #1 Clemson Fan
    Arthur
    Greer, SC

    ReplyDelete
  2. With schools it is all about the money. And the NCAA has always been about the money. Amateur status is a joke


    Nick O

    ReplyDelete
  3. And I say, what else is new? How many conference alignments has Louisville been in over the last 50 years? From the MVC to the ACC.

    Blue Lou

    ReplyDelete
  4. And put me right up there with those Clemson fans who say "Dump the ACC and join the SEC". Yes, I know, we were one of the original eight to form the Atlantic Coast Conference. For a long time, we have been the best football program in the conference. Our revenues would be higher in the SEC. And, what rivalries would we miss?

    Here's a news flash for you. NONE. We have no established ACC rivalries, like many of the other ACC schools do.

    South Carolina sure doesn't want us it the SEC, we'd thump them every year in the cash cow -- Football. As far as women's sports go, we can suck in the SEC just as well as we do in the ACC.

    Clemson Cuz

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Big 10, ACC and PAC 12 have networks, like the SEC. What happens to them if the merger/alignment happens?

    ReplyDelete

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