Not a flame, just a topic for discussion. Louisville is now on top of the mountain. Your football team finished in the top 10 & now your basketball team might bring home the National Championship. Louisville is the strongest program in CUSA. Chances are Louisville would remain the top program for years to come in CUSA. I know the advantages of being in a BCS conference are hard to ignore. I just think the Cards will have a much tougher road to travel in the Big East in order to maintain their current success. Think about it for a second. Louisville has a great chance this upcoming season to win the BE in football & play in a BCS game. Chances are the Cards will lose at least 1 game, which will prevent them from playing in the championship game. So basically all Louisville has gained is the opportunity to play in a little more recoginized bowl. As far as basketball is concerned, your program has a chance to win the National Championship as a member of CUSA. What more could you want? In the end, Louisville may make more money in the Big East, but become a weaker overall program. Louisville might be taking a bigger gamble than people realize? Comments?

Louisville will get a lot more $$$ by being in the BE. The TV contract, although not for a ton more, is still significantly better. They are guaranteed the BCS money ($14M divided 8 ways), plus the average tourney units per year will be much higher than the old C-USA, let alone the new C-USA. The travel costs will probably be cheaper, thanks to the schools being closer (or at least a fair number are closer).

Louisville will be fine in the Big East and will get even better. They have the support of their fans and their athletic department. And they have great facilities and strong teams already in place.

They have already proven themselves on the field in football and basketball against non-CUSA competition.

I'm not 100 % sure that's what you are saying, but it was not a mistake for UofL and UC to leave CUSA.

UC is going to have a tougher road than Louisville - they will already be in the upper echelon in many sports in the Big East.

UC really needs to elevate their games in football and basketball.

I know Louisville will be strong in the Big East. I just think there will be too much competition from within the BE for the Cards to be the predominant # 1 team in both football & basketball. Yes they will make more money, but they probably will not enjoy the athletic budget advantage they currently have in CUSA. I guess what I'm asking, is it better to be a big fish in a smaller pond, or one of the big fishes in a bigger pond?

By the way, I hope Louisville brings home the National Championship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brick City Pirate Wrote:I know Louisville will be strong in the Big East. I just think there will be too much competition from within the BE for the Cards to be the predominant # 1 team in both football & basketball. Yes they will make more money, but they probably will not enjoy the athletic budget advantage they currently have in CUSA. I guess what I'm asking, is it better to be a big fish in a smaller pond, or one of the big fishes in a bigger pond?

By the way, I hope Louisville brings home the National Championship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As much as you think today's headlines will last forever--they won't. Louisville has had a terrific year in football and basketball. Even if they stayed in CUSA it wouldn't last. This is about stepping up for them. They will be on TV every week in Basketball playing in the most powerful and deep league for the foreseeable future. They will be playing in a BCS football conference with only seven other teams. Exposure will be much greater. The Big East provides a better bottomline for Louisville when they aren't in the Top 10--which will happen just about every season in the future.

I would rather be a top 25 team in a BCS league than a top 10 team in some suspect conference. The BCS team is assured respect and financial gain. The top 10 team from the MAC, NCUSA, WAC is not assured of either.

Where has Louisville being a big fish in a small pond got us in C-USA?

We lost Howard Schnellenberger to Oklahoma, because he said he could never win the national title at Louisville playing a C-USA schedule.

In football all we ever here is that Louisville is a mid major, hell even Billy Packer called the basketball conference mid major last year. (Did you notice yesterday when they where doing a run down on the conference, that even though Louisville is in the final four, no mention of C-USA. And C-USA is 6-3.)

Do you know that Shawn May (North Carolina) would be a card right now but said he wasn't interest in playing in C-USA.

Do you know how many good football players we have lost over the years, because of that mid major tag.

John L. Smith left to go to Michigan State, because he could not compete for the national title.

The list goes on and on.

The Big East is the promised land, as far as Louisville is concerned.

No more playing in (football) empty stadiums in Houston and New Orleans.

No more playing in (basketball) empty arenas in again Houston, New Orleans, Hattiesburg and Dallas.

Im done with C-USA, bring on the Big East, 95 days and counting.

Sandman, You and TexasMark have made a lot of great points. As an ECU fan, the Mid Major/Non-BCS tag makes me sick! I disagree to a point about losing coaches. Petrino was set to leave your program knowing it was going to the Big East. I know overall your football & basketball away games will be better attended as members of the Big East, but I have a feeling some of the basketball only schools will only get weaker & their attendance will surely drop. All in all, I would be very happy about the Big East move if I were a Card. I just think your school will lose some advantages that you currently enjoy.

EnterSandman Wrote:(Did you notice yesterday when they where doing a run down on the conference, that even though Louisville is in the final four, no mention of C-USA. And C-USA is 6-3.)

Yes, I did.

But now I really don't have to care anymore.

Brick City Pirate Wrote:Sandman, You and TexasMark have made a lot of great points. As an ECU fan, the Mid Major/Non-BCS tag makes me sick! I disagree to a point about losing coaches. Petrino was set to leave your program knowing it was going to the Big East. I know overall your football & basketball away games will be better attended as members of the Big East, but I have a feeling some of the basketball only schools will only get weaker & their attendance will surely drop. All in all, I would be very happy about the Big East move if I were a Card. I just think your school will lose some advantages that you currently enjoy.

Schnellenberger was a native Louisvillian, Petrino isn't. My money sez if Louisville were in the Big East then he would've stayed. Petrino is a classic golddigger.

bearcatfan Wrote:

EnterSandman Wrote:(Did you notice yesterday when they where doing a run down on the conference, that even though Louisville is in the final four, no mention of C-USA. And C-USA is 6-3.)

Yes, I did.

But now I really don't have to care anymore.

NCUSA = WCAC and Horizon league in 2005-06 and a step below the A-10. Memphis deserves better. Houston, Tulsa, Tulane, USM, UTEP and ECU can all elevate. NCUSA will survive. I believe it will prosper but they need to generate some excitement and fan support--too many empty arenas.

TexanMark Wrote:

bearcatfan Wrote:

EnterSandman Wrote:(Did you notice yesterday when they where doing a run down on the conference, that even though Louisville is in the final four, no mention of C-USA. And C-USA is 6-3.)

Yes, I did.

But now I really don't have to care anymore.

NCUSA = WCAC and Horizon league in 2005-06 and a step below the A-10. Memphis deserves better. Houston, Tulsa, Tulane, USM, UTEP and ECU can all elevate. NCUSA will survive. I believe it will prosper but they need to generate some excitement and fan support--too many empty arenas.

My reply was not a knock on CUSA, just the fact that the Big East next year will not be referred to as mid-major.

Brick City...I think there are a couple reasons why the BE will be better for UL....#1 football...yes UL did have a great yr in CUSA but in order to sustain football success/momentum you need to belong to a BCS league....ECU, Tualne, Marshall and probably Utah next yr had a great season or seasons but just weren't able to sustain it....there is no way the Cardianls would have gotten a lot of there high profile football recruits the last two yrs if a move to a BCS league wasn't pending...right now UL has a golden opportuntiy to bury UK football for the forseeable future and become the number on college football team of Kentucky....much like what VT did to UVA through much of the 1990s

#2 basketball.....now I know UL and UC have had great success while in the metro and CUSA...but there is a stigma around CUSA that screams mid major....if UL had gone 30-4 in the BE there is no way they would have been a #4 seed....in fact as any CUSA team ever gotten a #1 seed in the NCAA tourney? Not that I recall.....UL and UC are two of the most successful bball programs of all time...yet they rarely get mentioned with Dukes, Carolinas, UCLAs and Uconns because of there former conference affliation

Jackson

UC got a no. 1 during Steve Logan's senior year.

Quote:UC got a no. 1 during Steve Logan's senior year.

-- My bad....but the point remains the same....In my opinion UC and UL were underseeded most yrs because of the conference they were in....Personally...I don't think the seed drop that UC had to take when Kenyon Martin got hurt would have occured if the Bearcats were in the BE either..


Jackson

Jackson, I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but the difference between Louisville & the other Non-BCS schools you mentioned, is money. Louisville is able to afford the Pittino's of the world. If I'm not mistaken, Tulane & Marshall lost their head football coaches after their undefeated seasons. You are probably right, to a degree, as far as the basketball seeding goes. Yes, if Louisville went 30-4 in the BE they would get a #1 seed. Does anyone think Louisville would have gone 30-4 in the Big East? If/since the Big East is a tougher conference, it would be impossible for the Cards to have that kind of record this year. The bottom line is Louisville is now in position to dominate CUSA for years to come. The last 3 years CUSA has had a team advance to the elite eight. As a member of CUSA, I think Louisville would become a yearly top 10 football program & top 8 basketball program. They might do the same in the Big East. It just seems to me that have would have a greater chance in CUSA. Only time will tell.

By the way. Louisville fans deserve their success since they put up the bucks & know how to hire a great AD.

Quote:As a member of CUSA, I think Louisville would become a yearly top 10 football program

-- I disagree...given the way college football is formatted...I don't think it is possible for a non BCS school to have a prolonged run of success...BYU has by far the best football tradition of the non BCS schools and even they have fallen on hard times....being in a BCS league allowes UL to be able to build on its football success

Quote:but the difference between Louisville & the other Non-BCS schools you mentioned, is money

-- I think that is part of the problem too....UL is a athleteic budget far more similar to the BE football schools then to the teams in NCUSA....and the amount of success/fan support/fascilitys that the Cardinals have compared to there former conference breathern have I think given the impression to many Cardianl supporters that there school were carrying the league....when was the last time Tulan or Southern Miss heavily invested cash into its bball program? You certainly don't see CUSA teams shelling out the cash to bring in a big name football coach like Pitt did with Dave Wannstedt..


Jackson

you are wrong, Marshall did not lose their HC after the undefeated season, but Tulane did.

I'm sorry about Marshall. I thought Donnan was the coach & took the Georgia job. Apparently, I'm mistaken.

Jackson, If Utah didn't lose their coach, I'd bet they would have a prolonged run as a top 10 type program. They still might. Unfortunatley, we will not be able to prove Louisville would have had prolonged success in CUSA. We will be able to prove the Big East part of the equation.

P.S. I may be wrong, but the main difference between the budgets of the Tulane's of the world & most of the Big East schools is the BCS & tv money. Put most of the CUSA schools in any BCS conference & they would probably have the same athletic budgets as the BCS programs.

Yes, the Cards will see a lot of empty seats in the Big East. Um, USF, Cincy, Rutgers, Pitt have many empty seats. It is so bad at USF that they scheduled FAMU and UCF to just fill some seats. Those games will out-draw Big East games. Have you ever seen a USF basketball game? Talk about empty seats why don't ya. Only 800 fans to watch them play St. Louis, their largest crowd this season was 4,000 against Cincy. The Big East is a great basketball league, but is on level with the likes of the MWC and C-usa in football and all other sports in my opinion and in many around the BCS.