RE: Does Louisville Get Snubbed If They Win Out?
If it came down to UConn or UL, the easy answer is UL. But I always felt UConn was a good move to further bring the NE audience to the ACC and simultaneously strengthen ACC basketball.
Besides suing the ACC nearly 20 years ago, I think the big knock against them is that they wouid compete with SU and BC in their own recruiting territory, similar to why FSU allegedly wouid try to block another Florida team. The solution is to increase your recruiting budget which they should do anyway if they want to get over the hump.
I theorize another reason why UConn does not get consideration is that a lot of the old ACC hates playing the northern schools and the northern schools want to play more games in the south. You may notice how little UVA, Duke and UNC sacrifice on their schedules while the rest of the conference takes major hits. Time after time this was demonstrated after expansion:
2005 - Duke, UNC, UVA stick together in the same division. The 2 most northern teams (BC, UMD) in the opposite division,
2013 - SU and Pitt joins, good opportunity to split the NE teams, instead they are stuck in the same division. The Atlantic division has 3 of 4 of the most northern teams, creates a huge travel burden on FSU especially.
2014 - UL replaces UMd: Another squandered opportunity to maximize better tv matchups, balance out divisional strength and/or geographical balance.
2023 - the first divisionless season: I don’t have much to complain about what FSU got from a fan’s perspective, it seems the AD really liked having SU as an annual. Overall this was a more balanced arrangement in all respects than having divisions.
2024 - SMU, Cal, Stan join - Again, I have little to complain about from an FSU fan perspective. However, FSU went from playing everybody every other year to getting VT and UL twice in 7 years and picking up Wake and BC 4 times in that same 7 year period. If you add up that FSU played both of them this season, then FSU will play them 5 times in 8 years. WTF?!
The ACC could have made it fair and simple with everyone given 2 annual games and rotated everyone else 3 times in 7 years, everyone had to make scheduling sacrifices, but UNC was treated special, giving them 3 annuals; 2 of them being within 20 miles of Chapel Hill. The travel budget for Carolina must be half of what FSU spends.
Long story short, UConn should send their Christmas cards to Charlottesville, Durham and Chapel Hill then maybe one day they can find it in their hearts to admit UConn in.
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Does Louisville Get Snubbed If They Win Out?
