The Sports Monitor

I've been a fan of Pitt athletics since I was a kid. I've grown accustomed to failures and shortcomings the past 25 or so years, so it's hard to not take a cynical view of things. When Maryland announced it was leaving the ACC and moving to the Big 10, it seemed like a minor loss for Pitt fans. Maryland football is nothing exceptional, but the basketball program could excite. Today, espn.com announced the ACC has landed Louisville to replace Maryland. As a Pitt fan, that's good news. I think Louisville is an upgrade in football and turns the ACC into a superior basketball conference. In fact, I think the new ACC will be better than the Big East's basketball conference, which, before the defections, might have been the best ever.

The landscape of college athletics could be in for another change if a New York Times report plays out. Pitt and Syracuse, according to the Times , are taking to the Atlantic Coast Conference about membership. The second graph of the story was interesting: No one from Pittsburgh, Syracuse or the A.C.C. denied the conversations were taking place. Officials from all three entities declined to comment on the matter. Maybe it'll happen. Maybe it won't. I will say this, however, if the Big East can't get Notre Dame or final other colleges to expand, having Pitt jump to the ACC is a good move. I love the Big East for basketball. I think it's the best conference out there. But for football? As much as I'd like to see Pitt succeed in the Big East, I have to wonder about the future of football playing in the Big East. The Big East gets no respect when it comes to football. Even when it had Miami and Virginia Tech, the conference didn't get a whole ...