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Tuesday morning Cardinal news and notes

The 2016 Card Chronicle Summer Tour heads to the top of Ampersand Mountain in New York, where Connor and Tanner spread the good word to other lovers of hiking and grammar.

By Mike Rutherford

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I_medium Congrats to Kevin Ware, who announced Monday that he's signed a contract to play basketball professionally in Finland. Not a lot of people would have bet on that after Easter Sunday in 2013.

I_medium Also, we didn't get a chance to talk about it over the weekend, but congrats to Trey Lewis, who will be playing professional basketball this season in Germany.

I_medium According to a report from the New York Daily News, Louisville legend Tom Jackson is reportedly out at ESPN after 28 years with the worldwide leader. There will always be a landing spot for you at Card Chronicle, Tom.

I_medium I want you to score a thousand touchdowns.

I_medium Today's U looks at Louisville and Virginia Tech, which are both sitting pretty in the ACC just 20 years after the dissolving of the Metro Conference.

I_medium Sports Illustrated is the latest to name Lamar Jackson as a "breakout star" for 2016.

I_medium ACC commissioner John Swofford believes that Louisville is "the strongest college market in the country."

The ACC needed less than two weeks to settle on Louisville as Maryland's replacement, but not until all 15 members signed a binding grant of media rights in April 2013 did the incessant chatter quiet.

"One of the great days in the history of our conference," Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said at the time.

"Because we were really in tune with potential new members," Swofford said, "we were able to very quickly move with Louisville, without really losing a beat in a lot of ways. While you hate to lose a founding member, Louisville brought us something that maybe from an athletics standpoint strengthened us actually.

"From a marketplace standpoint, even though Washington, D.C., is a great market, we still feel like that's a part of our footprint with Virginia and Virginia Tech there. And Louisville's the strongest collegiate market in the country."

The additions of Pitt, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Louisville gave the ACC and ESPN reason to revisit their 2010 contract.

I_medium A satirical news site covers the story of Kentucky spending $45 million on a new facility for its football team to practice losing in.

I_medium Would buy. Would hang in living room and/or over bed.

I_medium ESPN's David Hale says Louisville is ready to take the next step up and really compete for an Atlantic Division title.

The headliners were Jimbo Fisher and Dabo Swinney at Friday's ACC Kickoff, as it has been for the past five years, when either Clemson or Florida State has won the conference each season. And then there was Louisville, perhaps the best-kept secret in college football.

"We have a goal to win a national championship," Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino said, "and I've made sure our players understand that."

Petrino's goal wasn't to convince the media of the same, but he certainly made his case that the idea wasn't far-fetched.

On defense, a flurry of talent returns, led by potential All-Americans DeVonte Fields, Keith Kelsey, and DeAngelo Brown.

On offense, quarterback Lamar Jackson was a revelation down the stretch last season, and now he insists he'll deliver even bigger results as a sophomore in 2016.

"You're going to see a whole lot of everything from me," said Jackson, who rushed for 960 yards while learning the ropes of the passing game last season. "Last year we were a young team. This year is a whole other story. We've been hitting the books hard."

So, a stellar defense and an electric quarterback coming into his own. Is Louisville really on par with Florida State and Clemson?

"We know it's a tough road," Petrino said. "We've got Clemson and Florida State just in our division, two teams that have been to the national championship game. We know it's a great challenge, but it's one we're certainly looking forward to."

I_medium Louisville has made the final eight for top recruit Malik Williams, the four-star power forward from Fort Wayne.

I_medium Another top 2017 recruit, DJ Harvey, has the Cardinals in his final 10.

I_medium Your Tuesday morning reminder that Louisville has never, ever lost to DePaul in men's basketball.

Thanks, Charlie Bensinger.

I_medium If you missed Lamar Jackson's radio interview last Friday, he said that his favorite Halloween costume was Lamar Jackson. Perhaps this will be a common sight come October.

I_medium The Crunch Zone takes a look at how U of L might finish up its 2017 football recruiting class. The Cards currently have 15 players committed.

I_medium Former Cardinal soccer star Andrew Farrell is an MLS All-Star.

Andrew Farrell had just been informed he had at last realized a lifelong dream of being named to the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star team. But New England's stalwart defender was also told the roster hadn't been formally released, so he couldn't share the news with anyone.

He waited 10 minutes — which felt about as grueling as the full 90 he's accustomed to playing for the Revolution — before calling his parents.

"It was really hard. My roommate [Scott Caldwell] is one of my best friends, we've been together for four years, but I couldn't really tell him," Farrell said. "Some of the equipment guys and staff were talking about it; I was like, 'I'm pretty sure no one else is supposed to know.'"

The MLS All-Stars will face perennial English Premier League contenders Arsenal on Thursday in San Jose (7:30 pm ET, ESPN, UniMás, TSN, RDS).

"It's been a dream of mine. To be able to play with these guys, and train with these guys around the league who are really, really good, and then play against a top team like Arsenal, it's really exciting," Farrell said, adding he wasn't expecting the nod. "I kinda looked back like, 'Are you sure he's talking to me?'

"I'm excited to be called upon, and I hope to represent the league well, and also our team."

I_medium If Louisville wants to catch the top dogs in the ACC, consistency might be the biggest key.

I_medium Eli Rogers is competing for a spot as the Pittsburgh Steelers' return man.

I_medium Bobby Petrino will straight run your tailgate.

I_medium The Roanoke Times says even better days are ahead for Lamar Jackson.

I_medium Teddy Bridgewater spent part of the weekend doing his best Damion Lee impression by leading a group of campers in a Running Man Challenge.

I_medium Henry Famurewa wants to make sure that you're aware of the strength of Louisville's outside linebackers.

I_medium This could be the day we find out the fate of U of L President James Ramsey. My best guess is that his resignation is accepted, but that the resignation doesn't go into effect until the end of the 2016-17 school year.

I_medium And finally, this video about the Petrino Family Foundation Courage Camp is worth your time.

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