Pitino believes the Big East will survive
by Mike Rutherford on Sep 21, 2011 4:19 PM EDT
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PrintESPN's Andy Katz reached out to Rick Pitino to get his reaction to yesterday's madness, and The Godfather let it be known that he's more than happy with U of L's conference situation as it currently stands.
"I'm happy with Big East basketball," said Pitino, who was on the road recruiting when reached by ESPN.com on Wednesday afternoon. "I didn't want to lose Pitt and Syracuse, but now we're at a manageable 15 teams. We still have top-20 teams in Cincinnati, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Villanova and West Virginia. We still have a great league. The schools like Rutgers and DePaul are getting much better. Losing Syracuse and Pitt hurts our quality, but 17 was going to be ridiculous."
"None of us here want to leave the Big East or playing in Madison Square Garden," Pitino continued. "We want to be in the Big East in recruiting. We're very happy in the Big East."
Pitino stated that it's his understanding that the conference will add at least a couple of the service academies as football-playing only members, a move he wouldn't support if it meant those schools (or any others) would be joining the basketball conference.
"We don't want any more basketball teams," Pitino said. "I feel very comfortable saying that we're going to be in the Big East. Now if you said to me two months ago that Syracuse and Pitt would leave the Big East, I never thought that.
"We have a great conference. If it stays at 15, then we could get eight or nine in the NCAA tournament. We just had 11 out of 16. We will still have one of the strongest conferences in the country."
Pitino, who already wrote on his blog about his puzzlement over why Syracuse and Pitt would leave the Big East for the ACC when the same move has done so little for Boston College, added that he couldn't see U of L scheduling the Orange or the Panthers in the future.
"It's not that I wouldn't play them, but we can't," he said. "There is no animosity. I don't blame them. But there's no reason for them to play us and no reason for us to play them."
There was never any doubt where Pitino was going to come down on this issue, but the fact of the matter is that it's impossible to be so definitive at a time when members like Connecticut and Rutgers are still looking to make the move to the ACC. I've already been told that should the opportunity to jump to the Big 12 present itself, the biggest concern is that it would accelerate Pitino's retirement.
In the end, though, the decision that is best for the overall athletics program is the one that has to be made.
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I never thought about the retirment issue with Pitino
But I don’t see him enjoying road trips to Oklahoma and Iowa.
Careful man, there's a beverage here!
Who cares?
With one Final Four under his belt, I’m not too concerned about Rick’s travel preferences.
I still think we are heading for the Big 12
Did anyone else see a report yesterday that TJ and President Ramsey actually left the NYC meeting early?
Not to mention, the two statements that UConn and West Virgina released today don’t exactly inspire confidence that they are “committed to the Big East” as john marinatto put it.
WELL maybe they were just pissed, like me.
Maybe they just said, no time for these antics, bye. Go Cards.
by GOCARDSATTITUDE on Sep 21, 2011 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions
Links please
TJ & Ramsey left early?
Statements from UConn and WVU?
"...and the present, for us, is something that we really look forward to."
- Rick Pitino
The Big East is doomed...
….as a football conference. Louisville is primarially a basketball school, but football still means a lot to you guys. If the SEC won’t take WVU, I look for us to lobby for a Big 12 spot with Louisville.
by MountaineerAirman on Sep 21, 2011 4:38 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
We need to go
If Rick retires so be it. I love Rick but football drives the bus. We can grab Baylors or Memphis’s coach!
Thanks Rick.
Now, what I’d really like to hear is what HCCS thinks about the situation. Since you seem to have ignored the negative impact this will have on football.
Tell Katz to ask him, then.
Rick’s not the football coach, and can’t very well be expected to discuss that.
You seriously think no one has asked him?
As if no one is curious? I’m sure there’s a reason he’s not talking. Because he has nothing good to say.
SEXtino is hiding out
the guy that lost to MOREHEAD is no expert..He is past his prime…fading fast…
by WILDCATZRBEST on Sep 22, 2011 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Has HCCS made any comments?
we all know football makes the most money. id rather lose pitino than HCCS. where we land will likely determine both coaches futures.
by iEatWildcats4Lunch on Sep 21, 2011 4:54 PM EDT reply actions
Oh... where is that URL...
Bah! While I was cruising through Team Speed Kills I saw where someone posted a URL showing all the BCS programs’ football and basketball revenue for the 2009-2010 season in order, and Louisville’s was the ONLY basketball program to crack the top 30, their football program was well below that… if I can find that again, I’ll come back and repost it.
by MountaineerAirman on Sep 21, 2011 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions
And #1 basketball school in revenue if I recall correctly.
by Carolina Cardinal on Sep 21, 2011 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, thank you.
- basketball, better than many in football. Overall 21 in BOTH revenue sports. Pretty impressive. While I agree Louisville football has a ton of potential and you need a BCS home, it’s good to know that football doesn’t really drive the bus for you guys like it does for most schools.
by MountaineerAirman on Sep 21, 2011 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions
sorry Rick but....
This school is not just a basketball only school like the boys down I-64 who won’t attempt to spend money to make their team ever matter in football.
There are many people just like me in the cardinal faithful that started their freshmen year at UofL in the petrino glory days or what about the John L glory days. Or the schnelly glory days? This school is in a good spot for football. Don’t sweep it under the rug we love it here and see just like every other person in America that football runs this country.
Your thought shouldn’t be about this basketball only conference that sucks in football and should lose it’s bcs bid. You should b concerned with this schools football program being left out and stuck behind sweeping this school overall under the rug and left behind.
Louisville basketball is king no doubt but football matters more to your fans than you think.
Adding the service teams as football only? Give me a break you might as well add villanova and Murray state
by gary west on Sep 21, 2011 4:58 PM EDT via iPhone app reply actions
25 years ago uavel was a player
not any more..ju7st a faded view in the rear view mirror..
by WILDCATZRBEST on Sep 22, 2011 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Y'all just got run over by the train...
Vance tried to warn you. It’s coming!
by 4ul4life on Sep 22, 2011 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Respect our past, fear our future
And as for the present… you lost.
Now go crawl back under your rock.
"...and the present, for us, is something that we really look forward to."
- Rick Pitino
I hope we go to Big 12.
We stay in the Big East, its just gonna be the same shit everyear. Especially if they are adding the service academies, WTF?
by ville 606 on Sep 21, 2011 5:03 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
For crying out loud,
what else could Rick have said? He said he’s still happy with Big East basketball (I agree). That’s his bailiwick. And the official story is that U of L is staying with the Big East anyway. It would hardly be Pitino’s place to break a story contrary to that.
They didn’t ask him about the future of the football team, nor should they.
And there’s no need to get into a Strong/football vs. Pitino/basketball internecine battle anyway. They’re all caught in a nasty situation. If Strong comes out and says he’s like to go to the Big Twelve or the SEC, I wouldn’t bash him for it, but it certainly wouldn’t be my preference.
by Loouhvul on Sep 21, 2011 5:03 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Adding the service academies-- just crazy and lame. We must go to the Big 12 or the other 4
if OKLA and Texas commit to staying for 5 yrs— as if that means anything
If Rick decides to take his White Suit and go home because he can't play a tournament in NYC every year,.. then all I have to say to that is...
Not only would the Big12 be a HUUUUUGE upgrade in football, IMO the basketball would actually be better than it ever could be in some new hybrid/ service academy Big East.
+++++++++
Hear me out on this one GCA…
While the quantity of quality in basketball would take a hit…. the quality would still be there.
Kansas is Kansas, Texas is always highly ranked, K-State has been knock-knock-knocking on the Final Four door for a few years now, and Baylor is on the rise as well.
When you look at it, those four are just as good as any four in the CFKABE (Conference Formally Known as the Big East). I think we can all agree that the bottom feeders in BE made some of those games hard to watch sometimes.
I mean honestly guys,……. what would you rather see, 1 game each against Rutgers, USF, Depaul, and Prov….. or, 2 games each against Kansas, Texas, K-State, and Baylor?
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 5:21 PM EDT reply actions
Also,... I'd love to know how people would feel if Rick walked away because of a move to the Big12..
I think it’s safe to say his legacy here would take a big hit. There’s already a ton of discontent with his perceived under performance of 1 FF in 10 years. Throw in the Sypher scandal, him saying multiple times over the last two years that he’s been thiiiiiiiiiiiiis close to retiring, and all of a sudden his last couple of years make him look,….. for lack of a better word… like a selfish bastard.
Just my opinion but I’d love to know what everyone else thinks about that.
I know that for me, if he decides to call it quits because of a move that absolutely has to be made, then so be it. He’s a grown ass man.
I would personally view him as a waste of time, money, and a big embarrassment to the University for the scandal and then walking away because of the move. I wouldn’t hold any ill will towards him but, how selfish would that be? You wanna talk about “Louisville First” but then walk out the door when Louisville makes a move that really is putting Louisville first? GTF outta here
However,… if it costs us a recruiting class, and sets us back one little bit,… I’ll be pretty hot, and I will not like him very much.
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Ugh. All this drama makes my head hurt.
I agree retiring solely because of this would not be a Louisville first attitude. But I can also see how it might tip the scales a little as far as how long before he retires. Especially if recruiting is affected. But if anyone can sell a new conference it’s Pitino. I think his comments were probably for the benefit of the powers that be, not for us. He always has a spin.
In this case hie spin is shit.... FYI,. ESPN is reporting that East Carolina has applied for BE membership
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
for the second time.
They applied before and were rejected. There’s no indication that they will be accepted this time.
"...and the present, for us, is something that we really look forward to."
- Rick Pitino
very good points chick
I never looked at it that way. His very comments reak of “me first” and not “Louisville first.”
by racercard on Sep 21, 2011 6:26 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm gonna do a post with a poll right now
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions
And I'm afraid that's exactly what the top tier recruts are thinking - me first - not Loiusville First
Unless I’m very mistaken, they are looking to see which coach/program can get them to the promised land of fame and fortune the fastest, not what they can do for the program.
by Carolina Cardinal on Sep 21, 2011 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Do you really want to presume that Rick quits over this,
and then get mad at him for it? How about waiting for it to unfold. If he is going to retire in 4 years, and moves it up 1 year because of a conference move, how is that a hit to his legacy?
by 83fan on Sep 21, 2011 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
And bringing RICK into it just makes it that much worse.
Why ya gotta be that way?
by GOCARDSATTITUDE on Sep 21, 2011 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Better Get Ready..
cause Cal is gonna whip SEXtino like a red headed step child….Last year was a warm up..
by WILDCATZRBEST on Sep 22, 2011 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions
please follow the following link
now go the fuck home and stop commenting here you troll
by cardinalprideashley on Sep 22, 2011 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm really not OK with the quality of basketball taking a hit
and I don’t care about ANYTHING else you are saying— I’m TOO PO’d!!! So what if the BE is gone and the best thing for bball now is to go to some other conf. I’m still mad. LET ME BE MAD!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so proud to be the BE. I loved it. Loved ’em all. (except WVU acting like SEC peeps).
GCA IS ANGRY. IT WILL TAKE MUCH TIME TO COOL DOWN. CANNOT BE REASONED WITH.
by GOCARDSATTITUDE on Sep 21, 2011 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
The sad thing is Bball already took a hit
When Syracuse and Pittsburgh left the conference. DePaul getting better? ha… I like Pitino here as much as anyone, but he did kinda bring himself into the conference realignment talk by posting on his blog.
Silencio, por favor Ricardo
Slick Rick ought to learn sometimes it better to say nothing. I don’t think anyone would disagree he has his own motives about the Big East. He’s partial to that area of the country, but UL doesn’t fit the region.
No conference can survive under the setup we have. The interests of the basketball schools don’t always align with the interests of the football schools. You can’t have an eight team football league and a 20 team basketball league. It just doesn’t work.
We need to hit the ejection button on the Big East as fast as possible. I know Jurich feels loyalty to the conference, but we saved them in 2004. The additions of Air Force and Navy are a joke for a BCS conference looking to save itself.
Please Rick, just continue to cash your overpriced pay check and be quiet. You know I had to take a swipe at Pitino, right.
Yes
How dare Pitino voice his opinion. I mean when we have people like Whacker77 out here posting his opinion, I don’t believe there’s room left for people’s opinion who I actually give a shit about.
by 4715092117 on Sep 21, 2011 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Scorpio,... thoughts on Rick's take????
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 5:34 PM EDT reply actions
If Coach Pitino thinks that the Big East is going to 'survive' with its current members,
then that’s all the evidence we need to know that it won’t. This man is never, ever right in situations such as these. He speaks before he thinks routinely.
The University of Louisville is talking to the Big 12 and the SEC (and Mr. Slive, former Commissioner of C-USA). It is very, very likely that UofL will be joining the Big 12 once and if Texas’ Chancellor and Board of Regents concedes their pious position regarding their private network, which should ultimately happen given that they do not wish to be a football independent.
Personally, I've not given up that UofL might end up in the SEC.
It seems to me that all these conferences are just afraid to be the ones that caused the death of either the Big 12 or the Big East. They are willing to take pieces out, but not the Jenga piece that causes the conference to crumble. In chemistry and physics, unstable things always naturally seek for stability and order. The end result of this is going to be the end of the Big 12 and Big East as we know them. Period.
When the dominoes fall, I’d feel a lot more comfortable in the SEC than the Big 12 or Big East. The latter two are a whim of the PAC-12 or ACC to be wiped out completely.
by Remote Cardinal on Sep 21, 2011 6:30 PM EDT reply actions
"Cincinnati, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Villanova and West Virginia."
These names don’t really get me all excited…at least not excited enough to give up having an automatic BCS bid in football.
No UConn, Syracuse, or Pitt really makes the Big East no better than the Big 12.
With Texas and OU reportedly staying put
And the Big 12 at 9 teams currently, I would consider it a Kragthorpian mistake if TJ is not on the phone with their commish right this moment asking if he should sign in black or blue ink.
by James Sutherland on Sep 21, 2011 6:51 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I am not on board for watching the Big East
Become a mess of directional schools, and quite frankly, the joke it is looking like, and us being stuck in the fray. Charlie Strong does not want to spend his career playing ECU, Navy, Air Force, and CFU. And he won’t if it comes down to that. He’ll leave.
by James Sutherland on Sep 21, 2011 6:54 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
This, this all MF'n day long..
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree.
Keeping Charlie Strong is more important than keeping Pitino. Don’t get me wrong, I like Pitino and I want him to stay. But we will always be able to attract an elite, established basketball coach. We will never be a “stepping stone” job in basketball.
Our football program is too fragile after Kragthorpe to be able to overcome playing in a watered down conference without an automatic BCS bid. And Charlie won’t want to stick around for that either.
Also, the fact that your conference affiliation means 1000 times more in football than it does in basketball, makes it a no-brainer to join the Big 12.
If there was an NCAA Football Tournament (which there should be), then conferences would matter less (but still more than b-ball). The BCS system unfortunately means that we need to be in an AQ conference in order to have a shot at the ultimate goal of a national championship.
We could win a basketball championship even if we were still in C-USA.
Absolutely,.... great points..
We’ve been in the Big East for a long time and it hasn’t helped us get to a Final Four. Christ Almighty RIck,… why would you even say you want us to stay there? It makes no sense at all.
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Let's just try to understand Rick's feelings.
He is probably just like me. He loves the BIGEAST, he loves MSG, he knew we were the best (BE) and he is too hurt and mad to just… move on in a day.
Probably that.
by GOCARDSATTITUDE on Sep 21, 2011 10:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I have been proud to have UofL be a part of the best college basketball conference in history
but there’s always been the suspicion in the back of my mind that the Big East teams beat each other up so badly during the season that they didn’t have anything left for the NCAA tournament. On reflection, I think I’d rather be in a conference with two or three top-flight schools and a lot of cannon fodder – like teh ACC has been for UNC and Duke, and the SEC for kentucky and occasionally Florida or LSU (showgin my age with the LSU reference, I guess). Schedule some well-respected OOC opponents, play enough good teams to prove your mettle, and cruise into the post season while you still have legs.
"...and the present, for us, is something that we really look forward to."
- Rick Pitino
I understand.
I’m sad it’s over. I can’t bear the SEC. Godspeed, MSG.
by GOCARDSATTITUDE on Sep 21, 2011 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions
For sure. See Memphis St. 2008
by James Sutherland on Sep 21, 2011 7:52 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
See Butler, See VCU,.......
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions
+1
If we were in big 12 we would be in the top 2 each year in basketball and possibly revolutionize the style of play that the big 12 has. Sorry but UK sucks in football an dominates sec in basketball. We would be in a much better position than that in football if we were in the big 12.
If you asked me a year ago we would be seriously talking Louisville to the big 12 I would have slapped you. But it makes all sense. As much as I wish we would be in the ACC it will never happen and the SEC just doesn’t sound all that attractive aside getting to play UK twice. B1G and our academics make that direction impossible although geographically the best possible outcome.
Big 12 revamped with east of the Mississippi markets and Texas sharing some of the pie will ensure a long lasting conference. It would have the big names and why not jut expand the shit out of it and be the first one to get 16 teams?
Big 12 with louisville and WVU,BYU, TCU. I dunno who knows but it would be a good push in basketball and football
by gary west on Sep 21, 2011 8:04 PM EDT via iPhone app up reply actions
The Big12 would be a better football fit for us than the SEC
If you go to the SEC you’re gonna get dominated for a while before you pull yourself up.
You go to the Big12 and the only 2 teams that are ever elite are Texas and OU, and they always seem to have a down year every few.
The other teams there are good but not overwhelmingly so.
In the SEC there’s Florida, Bama, Auburn, LSU, South Carolina who could all be National Championship Contenders on any given year.
Not so in the Big12
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I guarantee Charlie will not have to harp about attendance and energy when we
Are spending a Thursday night smacking Texas or OU around. (Obviously a bit forward looking.)
by James Sutherland on Sep 21, 2011 7:51 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
You won't have to worry about that,... when was the last time you saw a Texas or OU on a Thursday night?
You play in a league with those 2 and pretty much all your games are on Saturday afternoon if you’re competing with them
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Charlie Strong does not want to spend his career playing ECU, Navy, Air Force, and CFU. And he won’t if it comes down to that. He’ll leave.
Told you that, did he?
"...and the present, for us, is something that we really look forward to."
- Rick Pitino
Come on man, you really think HCCS wants to coach in a mid-major league?
He wants to be the best, he wants BCS and national championships.
And if you think differently you’re wrong.
Coaches like him don’t wanna be the best in a second tier league. Schnelly left for OU, Smith for MSU, Bobby always wanted to be in the SEC, even after we were in an AQ.
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 11:35 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I don't *think* he does
but I’m not going to presume to speak for him.
As for the coaches who left – Schnelly left because despite years of saying we needed one, he couldn’t get us to build him a stadium; John L. knew he won here because he watered down the schedule, and needed to get out of Dodge before everyone else caught on; and Petrino left for the NFL.
"...and the present, for us, is something that we really look forward to."
- Rick Pitino
Or does 1+1 not=2 unless teacher writes it on the board?
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 11:37 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
1+1=2 is fact.
What Charlie Strong will do in a hypothetical situation is speculation.
"...and the present, for us, is something that we really look forward to."
- Rick Pitino
East Carolina has applied for BE membership
We’re officially back to mid-major football if we stay in the BE….
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 7:57 PM EDT reply actions
If we stay, it's a death sentence for our FB program.
by James Sutherland on Sep 21, 2011 8:31 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Agreed, you do'nt struggle in the Mid-Major ranks for all those years trying to prove you belong with the Big Boys,... then go back to mid-major status.
Even if Rick Pitino wants to stay in the BE or WETF they’re gonna call it?
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 8:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I like and respect Coach Pitino a lot
but if that is the biggest concern for a jump to the Big 12, then make the move.
twitter.com/jasonpsmith
Go vote on the poll I put up
# In Tom We Trust!!
by Chick-Stratino'sUrDaddy on Sep 21, 2011 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Quick, Rick Pitino said something
I guarantee every word is true.
He is never prone to waxing poetic.
Not a "TRUE" fan
Um....
Why is everyone jumping to this (retirement) conclusion?
"Morgan Newton sucks!"
- Victor Anderson
Because SEXtino is in the twilight of his career..
He’s going down faster than Karen Sypher…
Welcome
I was hoping a witty UK fan would finally show up over here…
Guess I’ll just keep waiting
Not a "TRUE" fan
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