http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/200...t-october/

I asked this a couple years ago...Why would UL pay CUSA to avoid playing CUSA teams after the move? UL looks stupid now.

TexanMark Wrote:I asked this a couple years ago...Why would UL pay CUSA to avoid playing CUSA teams after the move? UL looks stupid now.

That is a basketball thing not a football thing. Pitino did not want to play Memphis because he thinks it is hard enough to win in the Big East and have to play Kentucky each year, he did not want anymore tough rivalry games OOC. Most Louisville fans hate that and want the game renewed but the coach makes that call.

Congratulations to both sides.

Congrats to UM and UL

Glad it's happening. I just hope they can do a 3rd game in Nashville. In fact I'd like to see that kind of 3 game cycle(in Memphis, L'ville, N'ville) in perpetuity.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs...2/80211017

This doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. They only were true "rivals" for like 10 years (it says they only played in C-USA together from 1996-2006). That's like BC coming back to the BE and saying they're going to continue their "bitter" rivalry with NC State OOC.

This series is a win-win scenario, in my opinion. Hopefully it continues beyond just 2 games.

Orange Eagles Wrote:This doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. They only were true "rivals" for like 10 years (it says they only played in C-USA together from 1996-2006). That's like BC coming back to the BE and saying they're going to continue their "bitter" rivalry with NC State OOC.

I think they played in the old Metro Conference before Cusa. I have heard folks talk about being in 3 different conferences together.

MHSCard Wrote:

TexanMark Wrote:I asked this a couple years ago...Why would UL pay CUSA to avoid playing CUSA teams after the move? UL looks stupid now.

That is a basketball thing not a football thing. Pitino did not want to play Memphis because he thinks it is hard enough to win in the Big East and have to play Kentucky each year, he did not want anymore tough rivalry games OOC. Most Louisville fans hate that and want the game renewed but the coach makes that call.

Huh?? I never heard Pitino ever mention not wanting to or is afraid of playing Memphis. Where did you get this from?

As far as the agreement that would have happened with CUSA, it was a combination of both football and basketball.

It would have called for UofL to play one CUSA football and two CUSA basketball opponents a year for the next five years after our departure.

I never heard the reason for sure why Jurich left the money behind instead. My opinion is it had to do with two things:

1. Flexibility in football scheduling. Back then, it was still the 11-game seasons. Taking the 7 Big East games, the Kentucky game every year, and then a required CUSA game, that would have given UofL even less options and game slots when negotiating other OOC games, especially with other BCS schools, which is what Jurich wants. Of course, now football scheduling has become a big problem for UofL.

2. Simple perception. After being tagged as a mid-major for all those years, I think Jurich maybe thought it would help with the perception towards UofL from the rest of the country if UofL would just make a clean break for a period of time.

Orange Eagles Wrote:This doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. They only were true "rivals" for like 10 years (it says they only played in C-USA together from 1996-2006). That's like BC coming back to the BE and saying they're going to continue their "bitter" rivalry with NC State OOC.

Don't take this the wrong way, but you have no idea what you are talking about. Memphis and Louisville have been playing football against each other since 1948. Cincinnati is the only football opponent that UL has played more than Memphis.

Memphis-Louisville has been a bitter basketball rivalry for more than 40 years. Not everyone will agree with me, but in the 1980's I contend that it was as big as Duke-UNC. Not eveyone in the country knew about it (it was pre-ESPN taking over college basketball), but it was very intense and both schools were major programs competing at the highest level.

CardHouse Wrote:Huh?? I never heard Pitino ever mention not wanting to or is afraid of playing Memphis. Where did you get this from?

After UL left for the Big East, Pitino publicly said that he didn't want Memphis on the schedule b/c the schedule was already hard enough with UL and the conference schedule. Some UL fans can back me up on this.

3601 Wrote:

CardHouse Wrote:Huh?? I never heard Pitino ever mention not wanting to or is afraid of playing Memphis. Where did you get this from?

After UL left for the Big East, Pitino publicly said that he didn't want Memphis on the schedule b/c the schedule was already hard enough with UL and the conference schedule. Some UL fans can back me up on this.

Right now our schedule is extremely tough and playing Memphis along with a 18 game BIG EAST schedule is crazy.

Now I would not be surprised if you are a 1 seed and we end up a 4 seed. The NCAA likes doing things like that.

cuseroc Wrote:

Orange Eagles Wrote:This doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. They only were true "rivals" for like 10 years (it says they only played in C-USA together from 1996-2006). That's like BC coming back to the BE and saying they're going to continue their "bitter" rivalry with NC State OOC.

I think they played in the old Metro Conference before Cusa. I have heard folks talk about being in 3 different conferences together.

yup, 3 conferences....Missouri Valley, Metro, CUSA.

Hell, we were in 4 conferences in Cincy....MVC, Metro, Great Midwest(aka Cincy Wins Conference), and CUSA

3601 Wrote:

Orange Eagles Wrote:This doesn't seem to be that big of a deal. They only were true "rivals" for like 10 years (it says they only played in C-USA together from 1996-2006). That's like BC coming back to the BE and saying they're going to continue their "bitter" rivalry with NC State OOC.

Don't take this the wrong way, but you have no idea what you are talking about. Memphis and Louisville have been playing football against each other since 1948. Cincinnati is the only football opponent that UL has played more than Memphis.

Memphis-Louisville has been a bitter basketball rivalry for more than 40 years. Not everyone will agree with me, but in the 1980's I contend that it was as big as Duke-UNC. Not eveyone in the country knew about it (it was pre-ESPN taking over college basketball), but it was very intense and both schools were major programs competing at the highest level.

Fair enough, I should have prefaced my comment by acknowledging that I didn't know that much about it. It just seemed from that article that they had only been playing each other in football for 10 years in C-USA. I know it was a big rivalry in basketball, but I wasn't aware about Football.

Thanks for clearing things up, that's great...I love when rivalries get renewed (which is why I'm glad 'Cuse and BC got over things and set up a long-term series and the PSU/'Cuse home and home starting next season).

Quote:Right now our schedule is extremely tough and playing Memphis along with a 18 game BIG EAST schedule is crazy.

Georgetown must be crazy.

fsquid Wrote:

Quote:Right now our schedule is extremely tough and playing Memphis along with a 18 game BIG EAST schedule is crazy.

Georgetown must be crazy.

Make that Georgetown, UConn and Cincy.

For what it's worth, UofL has a higher ranked non-league SOS than any of the teams that played Memphis. In fact, from the Big East, only Syracuse has a higher OOC SOS than UofL. The Cards also have a higher non-league SOS (#32) than UCLA, Kansas, Duke, and UNC, just to name a few teams that are highly ranked. The schedule we played this year is fine when mixed with a Big East 18 game schedule. Combine that #32 with the league games, and we are currently 10th in SOS with games remaining against 4 top 50 teams.

I won't be surprised if Georgetown is knocked down a seed from what everyone projects come selection day, due to their pre-BE schedule. 11 games, and Memphis is the only team in the top 100. Perhaps JTIII let his dad make up the schedule? I had to reread it to make sure I wasn't missing games against St. Leo's.

I don't think anybody would argue with UL's schedule this year. However, the year that UL paid to get out of the game with Memphis and Pitino was making the schedule excuse, UL had one of the worst non-conference schedules in the country. That year they played absolutely nobody other than Kentucky. I can take the time to look it up for you if you dont' recall.

I know we didn't have a good SOS in 2005-06. Since Maize mentioned an 18 game Big East schedule and Avenger referenced who played Memphis this year, the last few posts were about this season.