Thoughts On The ACC -- TUESDAY CARDINAAL COUPLE

 IS THE FUTURE OF CONFERENCES IN JEOPARDY?

I've seen quite a few conference alignments for Louisville in this 70 year trip around the sun I have been on. 

It goes back to the MVC, and the wide expanse of the participants. New Mexico State? Bradley...North Texas and Drake. Hearing Ed Kallay call basketball games on the radio in his one-of-a-kind style. What conferences has Louisville been in since 1963? I chose 1963, because I was in the first grade and my Dad would invite me into the family den to listen to basketball games on his old, huge Philco radio. And, yes, I listed to UK and Cawood also. 

The Cards were i the MVC until 1974, and then Louisville spent a year as an independent in 1975. They went into the Metro Conference next, and had a 20 year run there. Such fun times in Freedom Hall and sitting in the student section in 335 at the beginning. Eventually getting season tickets and attending games with good friends and my wife Sonya.  Parking outside the Fairgrounds and sneaking in the back gate off Crittenden Drive, parking free on the street ...right down the street from the Winn-Dixie Warehouse. Slipping through the chain-locked gate and walking in the back entrance by the third base side of Fairgrounds stadium. Anyone else remember Harry at the door, checking student I.D. 's? They got you in free. 

Conference USA was next and an interesting time from 1995-2004. Then a seven year run in the Big East. 2013 was weird, spending a year in the American Athletic Conference before going into the Atlantic Coast Conference.

These days I follow the action on line. on TV and on radio and no longer attend basketball contests at the KFC YUM! Center.  

I wonder if there will be anything after the ACC? We can rest assured the SEC will never come calling. A national mega conference setup has a lot of support and regionality has given way to pursuit of the mega market dollar. These days, we see the "Power 4" (SEC, Big 10, Big 12 and ACC) against the rest. The Atlantic Coast Conference has two school in California and one in Texas. The Southeastern Conference has Oklahoma and Texas.  

And, travel burdens and financial despair must be addressed. Imagine running a organization that was $100 million dollars in debt? 

Interesting times ahead. Six conference in the past. One current for Louisville athletics. What's next?