Six seasons have come and gone since Louisville joined the ACC to replace Maryland, the Cardinals’ wealth-infused athletic program and overall competitive prosperity eclipsing its modest academic stature among league decision-makers.
The Cards’ basketball teams, men and women, were particularly estimable. In fact, two years before becoming the ACC’s 15th member, Louisville won the 2013 NCAA men’s basketball championship. With Hall of Famer Rick Pitino on the bench, UL promised to be an immediate conference power, a contender for ACC supremacy.
Not quite what happened.
Louisville fared well enough, finishing in the ACC’s top four in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2020.