The University of Louisville Alumni Magazine: for alumni, faculty, staff, students and anyone that is a UofL Cardinal fan.
Issue link: https://louisville.epubxp.com/i/339710
2 6 | L O U I S V I L L E . E D U ALL UOFL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR TOM JURICH PLANNED WAS A QUIET WEEKEND AT THE BEACH WITH HIS WIFE. BUT, ONE DAY INTO HIS VACATION, ONE PHONE CALL CHANGED THAT. JOUR- NALIST PAT FORDE OF YAHOO SPORTS CALLED WITH THE NEWS THAT THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE (ACC) WAS SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING INVITING UOFL TO JOIN ITS ELITE RANKS. W hat happened next was a whirlwind 11 days of intense lobbying, negotiations and, finally, an invitation from the ACC that would transform UofL's future. "I immediately got on the phone to my colleagues across the country, and it came to fruition within hours," said Jurich of that day in November 2012. "I called in every marker I had because I knew this was a one-shot-only deal." Connecticut was rumored to already have the deal locked up, so UofL faced an uphill battle. One of Jurich's first phone calls was to ACC Commissioner John Swofford. "I told him we believed it was an incredible fit and here's why," explained Jurich. "We are committed here. From an athletic standpoint, our coaches stay a long time. I'm here for the duration. Our academics are fantastic." "What you see is what you get," Jurich added. "And what they saw, they really liked." Back in Louisville, President James Ramsey immediately began working his colleagues. His main focus fell on his old friend, Holden Thorp, who was the chair of the ACC's Presidents' Council. "We were able to reinforce our strong athletic program and convince people we are on a pretty amazing academic trajectory and would fit in nicely with the ACC schools, which are truly some of the nation's top research and academic institutions," said Ramsey. The pressure was intense. "We went 24/7 for 11 days," said Jurich. "The weight of the world was on my shoulders because I wanted to get this done for the city and the university." Athletic directors from across the country helped push Louisville's case. "The AD at Syracuse, Dr. Darrell Gross, was instrumental," added Jurich. "He could speak on what kind of a neighbor we were in the BIG EAST, what kind of coaches and facilities we have. We were able to sell a total picture to the ACC. We are good in every sport. We raise a lot of money. We have phenomenal facilities. We don't take a backseat to anybody. Our academics are riding at a high level, and we are on an upward trajectory. All the pieces started to fit." "It was an excellent fit for us," agreed ACC Commissioner John Swofford. "We felt that UofL had all of the arrows pointing up, with a great deal of positive momentum and excellent leadership in Dr. Ramsey and Tom Jurich." UofL had been on the ACC's radar for a while. Over the years, the ACC's "4-4-4" committee — made up of four university presidents, four athletic directors and four faculty/athletic representatives — continually reviewed possible candidates. "We weren't starting from zero," said Swofford. "We had quietly put together a lot of information on potential candidates should the opportunity present itself. Louisville was always a very prominent part of that conversation." The ACC Presidents' Council took the work of the "4-4-4" committee, the positive feedback on Louisville and, according to Swofford, quickly came to the conclusion that Louisville was the next member of the ACC. The Presidents' Council unanimously voted to invite Louisville to join the conference. "Louisville is in a great geographic location," said Swofford. "It has a terrific fan base and outstanding facilities. There were just positive check-offs all the way around. The decision moved very quickly, which is a big credit to Louisville and its leadership. We looked at the university as a whole and felt that it was an excellent combination of an institution that had made, and would continue to make, tremendous progress academically and athletically going forward." "Rumors were everywhere," said Ramsey. "Then, on the eleventh day, I came into the office early. I was alone and the phone rang around 7 a.m. It was John Swofford with the invitation." Ramsey's smile spread wide. "That was a good phone call to start the morning." On November 28, 2012, Ramsey and Jurich announced the good news at a press conference at UofL. THE RACE FORWARD After the whirlwind of the negotiations, invitation and acceptance, Jurich took a moment to reflect and the impact of the transition hit him. "We were coming home from the Rutgers game," he said. "We had just won the conference; we were going to the Sugar Bowl; we were going to play Florida. Teddy (Bridgewater) put on an incredible show and Charlie (Strong) was so jubilant. We came back to win that on national T V. It sank in then. We have a great opportunity to do something special." For Ramsey and Jurich, it was all about what was best for UofL students. Certainly, the Year of the Cardinal helped show that the university meant business. "The big winners are the university as a whole and the community," said Jurich. "Sports are the face of it, but, from the academic side, it gives us room to grow like crazy." Jurich saw results immediately. "The ACC embraced us. I've been going to meetings with them from the first week we were invited. We were still 18 months away from being official and they brought us right in and started treating us like family." T H E D A W N O F A N E W E R A U L _ 2 6 2 6 UL_26 26 6 / 2 3 / 1 4 9 : 4 3 A M 6/23/14 9:43 AM