SPORTS

Himmelsbach | Cards' ACC debut is history

Adam Himmelsbach
ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com

We all know that the University of Louisville's move to the Atlantic Coast Conference was done primarily for football, because these moves are always done primarily for football. And that's fine.

But let's be honest here. U of L is, at its core, a basketball school, and the ACC is a basketball conference, and after more than two years of waiting, these two worlds are finally going to collide.

On Sunday, the Cardinals will begin this new era when they play a road game against Wake Forest. No, the matchup will not move the needle. But think of it as an appetizer, a precursor to new rivalries against Duke, North Carolina and Virginia, or rekindled rivalries against Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame. (And if you're in the camp that refuses to call a new opponent a rival, I respect that. Let's just call them cool games then.)

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Anyway, this is certainly an excellent landing spot for U of L to play cool games, particularly amid the conference chaos that left some powerhouses on an island. (Someone send a postcard to UConn, please. I miss the Huskies.)

The new partnership between U of L and the ACC is not just good for U of L; it is absolutely mutually beneficial. The league is fortunate to welcome a basketball program of this caliber to its ranks.

The Cardinals immediately give the ACC another name-brand program with a rabid fan base. They give it another Hall of Fame coach. They give it another dazzling arena that, in my view, is second to none.

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(I grew up in Syracuse and can report that the Carrier Dome, while massive and impressive, is aging and not the best for basketball. And I've been to Cameron Indoor Stadium and can report that despite its exhilarating atmosphere, it feels like a high school gym with great charm.)

Most of the conference games will be intriguing this year, because most every opponent will be new. Of course we want to see the Cardinals battle the equally disruptive Cavaliers. Of course we want to see Montrezl Harrell on the same court as Duke's Jahlil Okafor.

Eventually, though, the novelty will fade. And then everyone will realize that this new home is most important for U of L not because of the splashy matchups, but for the stability it provides. When the NCAA selection committee browses through tournament portfolios each March, the Cardinals won't really have to worry about their strength of schedule.

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If Rick Pitino had his way—and if I had my way—the old Big East would still be here, still strong, still fascinating, still churning out conference tournaments at Madison Square Garden. But the reality is that the landscape changed rapidly, and the walls were crumbling.

Sure, the American Athletic Conference was a fine one-year stop for basketball, even producing last season's national champion. But it simply was not a viable long-term home.

U of L didn't just find a viable home, it found a perfect landing spot. It is a powerhouse basketball program that found a powerhouse basketball conference. And now it must show that it is up for this new and exciting challenge.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at 502-582-4372 by email ahimmelsbach@courier-journal.com and on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach