When Bloggin' Rick takes to the keyboard on a Monday morning, you know he means business.
Today Pitino begins by saying that he's heard the reason the ACC poached Syracuse and Pitt is because its basketball coaches were upset over the amount of attention the Big East has been receiving in recent years. He then goes on to address the problem of travel for the non-revenue-producing sports programs in the Big East.
Here's part of Pitino's plan for what the Big East should do going forward:
3) Admit Temple immediately. They have a highly competitive football program with outstanding basketball tradition. They are a past BIG EAST member and an excellent school academically. And as all my friends say in Philadelphia, they are located in BIG EAST territory.
4) Offer Air Force, Navy, and Army to join in football only.
5) Location, Location, Location. We are far enough (Louisville) to be part of the BIG EAST. Let's think of all of our other sports from this point on and make them a priority.
6) Sit down with Villanova and ask them to make a major commitment to football.
7) Do not sit down at a conference table with people already meeting with their divorce lawyer at the bargaining table - which means trust the commissioner and let him do his job. If he does not get it done, then it falls in his lap and he pays the consequence. I have known this commissioner since he was 24 years of age. He is extremely bright and knows the BIG EAST and their dealings better than anyone we can deal with at this point in time.
8) Although we will miss Syracuse and Pitt, the other powers in the BIG EAST will more than uphold our reputation to be one of America's best conferences.
I'm pretty sure Rick wants to stay in the Big East.
If Louisville does make the jump to the Big 12, our entire non-conference schedule may be made up of road trips to MAAC and NEC schools.