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
