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They have emerged from a mid-major conference (non-BCS) to become a realistic national contender in both football and basketball. Here’s a school with very little football history and although they have always been a good basketball school, the days of Denny Crum’s squads have long passed. Rather than accept the second class status of C-USA and non-BCS life, they made the moves and changes to compete on a national level – like paying the money to bring in a coach like Rick Pitino, building great facilities and giving their coaches a true opportunity to succeed. As far as I know, they are the only non-BCS school to truly become a force in both major sports. Congrats to Louisville and I wish them the best of luck in their new BCS world. They were once one of us....and now they've made it.

BTW, if we're being honest, TCU has probably done next best job of accomplishing this. They continue to make strides every year in basketball and football. Man, that must be nice.

Utah probably has some claim to that recognition especially this year but they've been successful in the past as well.

You’re right, I did overlook the Utes. They deserve to be in that small group as well. In football, several schools have cracked the BCS poll late in the year (Utah, Boise, Louisville, TCU), but I think Louisville was the first school that people actually thought really deserved to be in a BCS game. I believe the media and those that follow college football thought they were one of the 5 best teams in college football last year. No one ever really thought that about those other schools. And right now, I think UNC and Louisville are the two best teams remaining in the bball tourney.

you know the remaining CUSA teams including TCU would earn a huge financial bonanza from a Louisville National Championship-and those credits will stay with CUSA for something like 5 years so the financial benefit will continue.

I think getting dissed in the seeding really helped Louisville. They've shown more attitude in this tournament than they have all year. Louisville actually has had a great hoops program even before Denny Crum. Wes Unseld led Louisville to some national reputation in the '60's. They have made great strides in football. I do think that their invite to the BE is more hoops driven as the BE decided the only way to get the big TV $$$ is to have great match-ups game in and game out for hoops. I think South Florida was added just to keep the footprint the same. In football, who wants to watch Pitt play South Florida? Or WVa. play Rutgers? But people will tune in to watch DePaul play Pitt. Villanova play Georgetown. Syracuse play UConn. Louisville play Marquette. And Cincy play Seton Hall.

Ah those were the days EastStang. When poor little SMU sent Wes Unseld packing in the NCAA. 1967 I believe.

East Stang is correct that USF was added to maintain a Fla presence, both for TV and recruiting. Fla remains a haven for northeasterners and has natural ties to the Big East for all those "transplanted yankees". I wouldn't have been shocked to see UCF considered if the numbers warranted another school. In the long run, should changes or expansion ever occur, I would expect UCF to get more consideration than ECU or Memphis or Marshall or all of those Big East wannabes that we will be conference mates with in the new CUSA.

Bottom line is that Louisville earned their way into playing with the big boys and getting a share of the BCS pie, Utah is deserving as well, and if the PAC 10 ever decided to expand to 12, I would expect Utah and BYU to be prime candidates.

Let's just hope that if/when the next round of musical chairs comes around, SMU isn't the same door mat we've been since the death penalty and we can at least compete at the level TCU has.

Stallion wrote:you know the remaining CUSA teams including TCU would earn a huge financial bonanza from a Louisville National Championship-and those credits will stay with CUSA for something like 5 years so the financial benefit will continue.

Actually, y'all benefit from everything that Louisville did this year. Over here in Fort Worth, the only thing we'll get is whatever little payout the NIT gave us.

All of the Bowl Money & NCAA credit money goes to CUSA and is divided between the new members. Meanwhile, all of the schools leaving (including Louisville who earned the most of that money) gets nothing from CUSA and nothing from their new conferences. It is a really sad sitting duck scenario. But, that's how it goes.

Metropolis777 wrote: .... All of the Bowl Money & NCAA credit money goes to CUSA and is divided between the new members....

Are you SURE? That more than makes up for the sacrifice of WAC bowl/NCAA money.

Surely you get an even split from a year in which TCU competed in conference. Louisville will get a split from their bowl and BB Tourney appearance. I thought you just don't get to take those very valuable credits that pay-off over 5 years.

On the contrary, I think Louisville does forfeit all bowl/NCAA bucks as part of the penalty for bolting out of CUSA. And because we're moving IN to CUSA, I do believe we get a chunk of the money Louisville is nice enough to earn this year.

As I understand it, NCAA units are paid over time (like five years). So, departing schools forfeit all NCAA units earned in the last year of the deal and unpaid units. But, entering schools do not get to partake in the first year units or the old unpaid units. They will get the later year units earned in 2005. Bowl money is kept by the remaining members of a conference and will not be shared with new members. So TCU gets a double hosing. They lose the NCAA dance money from CUSA and don't get Utah's BCS bowl money. On the other hand, they apparently got out of having to pay an exit fee to CUSA (partially due to their continued series with SMU).

That's the best financial-related news I've heard in a long time.

Gotta go get a can of Penzoil for my hair so I can take on the Rick Pitino look to watch the games.

Go Cardinals!