11:09AM EST November 28. 2012 - The Atlantic Coast Conference voted to add the University of Louisville for conference membership on Wednesday morning, replacing former charter member Maryland as its 14th full member.
Men's basketball coach Rick Pitino said in a text to the Louisville Courier-Journal the move was "awesome" and he was "happy for U of L."
The move ended what seemed like two years of angst for the Cardinals athletic programs as the conference landscape nationally began shifting. The Big 12 chose West Virginia instead of U of L last year when it expanded, but this time the shifting was in the Cards' favor.
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Fellow Big East members Connecticut and Cincinnati were also considered over the past week, according to The Associated Press, but the ACC's presidents and chancellors only voted on U of L for expansion at this time. The school received the three-fourths vote needed for approval.
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U of L will now have to negotiate its exit from the Big East. Its by-laws call for a 27-month notice, but the league's recent defections, including West Virginia, have gotten out earlier.
The Cards will be very familiar with teams in its new league. U of L battled Florida State as members of the Metro Conference and current Big East members Syracuse and Pittsburgh will join the ACC next season. In all, seven former Big East schools including Miami, Boston College, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame have been merged into the ACC.
"With the addition of the University of Louisville, the ACC continues to be well positioned for the future competing at the highest level in all facets of the collegiate experience," said the ACC Council of Presidents in a joint statement. "The ACC continues to be a vibrant conference that remains steadfast in its commitment to balancing academics and athletics."
Said ACC commissioner John Swofford in a statement: "With its aggressive approach to excellence in every respect, the University of Louisville will enhance our league's culture and commitment to the cornerstones we were founded on 60 years ago. The University of Louisville is an outstanding addition to the Atlantic Coast Conference and I commend the Council of Presidents for continuing to position our league for the long-term future. If you look at what has been done over the last 15 months, the ACC has only gotten stronger with the additions of Louisville, Notre Dame, Pitt and Syracuse."
Tom Jurich, Vice President and Director of Athletics at Louisville said in a statement, "When it became apparent to us that we needed to make a move, the ACC is the perfect fit for us and we are so elated to be joining this prestigious conference. ... This will open so many more doors for us both athletically for all of our sports programs, and academically for our university. What I really like about this move is it's terrific for our fans, with the proximity of the institutions and we never have to leave the Eastern time zone. This is a credit to everyone at the University of Louisville and our community, as we have all pulled together to position ourselves for this opportunity. It's amazing what has happened here over the last 15 years. We appreciate so much what the BIG EAST Conference has meant to us."
Source : http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2012/11/28/louisville-acc-big-east-rick-pitino/1731501/