What if Jurich used bribes to get ACC votes?

[Redding Husky]

The ACC took Louisville and Miami knowing this kind of situation was not just possible, but likely.

Karma.

 

[Stainmaster]

He almost never has a point. Just likes to whine and complain and sound self-righteous.

My point is that they're acting illogically, emotionally, and overall in a stupid manner. And I will continue to call out their stupidity no matter how much that makes you angry.

 

[scoobydoo]

And I will continue to call out their stupidity no matter how much that makes you angry.

ohh ohh, can I be next???

 

[Stainmaster]

ohh ohh, can I be next???

I need to know whether or not you're imbibed again before proceeding.

 

[B1GEast]

The ACC took Louisville and Miami knowing this kind of situation was not just possible, but likely.

Karma.

And they took BCU and Pitt to boot.

 

[shizzle787]

Incontinents!

Incontinence...

 

[UCDaveD]

There is no "if" about it...

 

[B1GEast]

Ed Hardin: Why did the ACC ever invite Louisville?

 

[Fishy]

This is one of those threads that people on other boards link to to show how crazy another school’s fans are.

 

[A10 fan]

Weren't FSU, and Clemson making noise about going to the B12 if a strong football program weren't added?

 

[Hoophound]

UL is one of those schools where anything is possible. However, I doubt anyone called NC State or Wake Forest and offered the school president cash for his/her vote. If anything occurred along those lines it would have been indirect. For example, someone at ESPN getting bribed into pushing for UL's admission. I don't think anything like that happened. We were at a big disadvantage. Between FSU, Clemson, Miami and BC, we were down 4-0 out the gate and Syracuse, despite not having a vote, was against us too.

 

[pj]

If the ACC took Louisville because they wanted winning programs, and if it's common knowledge as it must be that programs like Louisville's win through cheating, then when the ACC chose Louisville over UConn they were choosing cheating over honesty.

 

[UConnJim]

I think the ACC took Louisville because Clemson and FSU wanted an SEC like school, win at any cost, to bolster ACC football. That said, take a look at the financial shenanigans that have been going on in the Louisville athletic department over the years. The governance and organization structure of the athletic department would never be tolerated in most states.

Jurich was AD for 20 years and he was fired without warning. He did not have time to clean up the books/finances before leaving, so there could be some surprises coming. Heck, Papa John himself quit the UL Athletic Association Board, the organization that runs UL athletics (believe it or not), because he thought it needed to be cleaned up.

UL could be in a world of hurt financially if they get the death sentence in basketball, lose significant revenue from the ACC, have to pay Pitino $44 million to walk, lose sponsors and donors, have to help rescue the Yum Center, and/or lose Bobby Petrino, which I would assume likely.

Bottom line, UL athletics is the biggest mess that I have seen in college sports.

 

[noeynox]

Please stop. They would have had to pay off multiple individuals at multiple universities without having worried that one of them -- not athletes or coaches but administrators and outside trustees -- wouldn't go to the cops. There was no rational strategy for bribing their way in. As much as I'd like to believe it also.

How is that different than providing hookers on recruiting visits and hoping they all stay quiet?

No I don't think they bribed their way in per se, but their whole ascent from conference USA deadbeat to power 5 school is suspect.

 

[gars44]

I think the ACC took Louisville because Clemson and FSU wanted an SEC like school, win at any cost, to bolster ACC football. That said, take a look at the financial shenanigans that have been going on in the Louisville athletic department over the years. The governance and organization structure of the athletic department would never be tolerated in most states.

Jurich was AD for 20 years and he was fired without warning. He did not have time to clean up the books/finances before leaving, so there could be some surprises coming. Heck, Papa John himself quit the UL Athletic Association Board, the organization that runs UL athletics (believe it or not), because he thought it needed to be cleaned up.

UL could be in a world of hurt financially if they get the death sentence in basketball, lose significant revenue from the ACC, have to pay Pitino $44 million to walk, lose sponsors and donors, have to help rescue the Yum Center, and/or lose Bobby Petrino, which I would assume likely.

Bottom line, UL athletics is the biggest mess that I have seen in college sports.

All true. Bribes were not needed. Every program that makes it to the top of college football had to get there by cheating, and they have all had cheating scandals. It's a measure of desire. No desire = no success. This is more a rite of passage than anything else. You want to get into the gang? Shoot someone. Now you're in. This is not going to hurt Louisville long term or the ACC either. It's just another renegade program that will ultimately be successful in the world of big time college football. In 10 years, when they're in the NC game, the announcers will be gushing all over themselves at the the remarkable program turnaround, how the great tradition of college football is bigger than any one program. "Stadium's packed, let's get ready for great game today. We'll be right back after commercial." Don't anybody kid yourself.

 

[SubbaBub]

I remember actively advocating here that UConn or the State bribe people in the ACC/B1G at the time.

A couple million bucks vs. the difference in not getting in was vast.

If UL did it, then it says more about the ACC then it does UL. I wouldn't fault UL at all if they did.

 

[SubbaBub]

Please stop. They would have had to pay off multiple individuals at multiple universities without having worried that one of them -- not athletes or coaches but administrators and outside trustees -- wouldn't go to the cops. There was no rational strategy for bribing their way in. As much as I'd like to believe it also.

I don't know if you'd have to risk that much exposure with the ACC. The BiG I agree.

Mostly I was referring to the buy ins, but payments to key decision makers in the ACC, a proven shady group of individuals, wouldn't be that hard. UL knew the BC was a no. They only needed 3 more. FSU, Miami, Clemson, plus maybe Pitt, Cuse to lobby from inside the room? I think they find 2 more UConn detractors for sale rather easily.

 

[SubbaBub]

UL is one of those schools where anything is possible. However, I doubt anyone called NC State or Wake Forest and offered the school president cash for his/her vote. If anything occurred along those lines it would have been indirect. For example, someone at ESPN getting bribed into pushing for UL's admission. I don't think anything like happened though. We were at a big disadvantage. Between FSU, Clemson, Miami and BC, we were down 4-0 out the gate and Syracuse, despite not having a vote, was against us too.

Bribes don't need to be in cash.
Listen, the story that FSU and Clemson wanted UL for football is perfectly sane but that doesn't mean there weren't other factors in play.

 

[scoobydoo]

Bribes don't need to be in cash.
Listen, the story that FSU and Clemson wanted UL for football is perfectly sane but that doesn't mean there weren't other factors in play.

@businesslawyer said something about it being too hard because you would have to bride/blackmail too many people.

If Jurich went to FL St and paid them off to say they would leave the ACC (even if they had no landing place) unless UofL was admitted, that would in fact be like bribing Clemson and Va Tech as well.

Maybe Jurich got Adidas to up NC States apparel deal. Maybe he threatened to expose UNC's sneaker money while they were on probation.

It would NOT take bribing everyone. Just grease the skids in a few places.

 

[bennyMr]

I always believed something happened. Jurich said himself "UConn was written in stone...the frontrunner." If the school is willing to hire Petrino and allow hooker scandals/pay offs why wouldn't they do anything to get a spot in the Power 5? Everyone knew what Louisville was academically and ethically. We did on this board. Certainly Presidents of prestigious academic institutions in the ACC. They should be asked some tough questions today about the wisdom behind that decision.

I worked with the Georgia Tech Athletic Association from 2009-2015. During that time I heard all sorts of rumors regarding conference realignment. My favorite was that Georgia Tech was going to the Big 10. That was a done deal until the Maryland lawsuit. The money, TV contracts and exit fees changed which in turn shut it all down, for now. I graduated from UCONN in 2008, so I was obviously pretty pissed about the Big East falling apart. I talked with a handful of coaches, AD's, associate AD's and they all pretty much said the same about why UCONN was screwed. The narrative they all pushed was all about football and BC. Louisville sold themselves in every way possible but sadly it was UCONN's admin, at that time, that was too complacent and made many assumptions about their "rightful" place in the ACC.

Louisville presumably ran a smear campaign with an assist from Boston College...it worked. I do not think bribes were ever needed because of BC's or specifically, Gene DeFilippo's, unwavering hate for UCONN.

 

[The Funster]

@businesslawyer said something about it being too hard because you would have to bride/blackmail too many people.

If Jurich went to FL St and paid them off to say they would leave the ACC (even if they had no landing place) unless UofL was admitted, that would in fact be like bribing Clemson and Va Tech as well.

Maybe Jurich got Adidas to up NC States apparel deal. Maybe he threatened to expose UNC's sneaker money while they were on probation.

It would NOT take bribing everyone. Just grease the skids in a few places.

Louisville's leadership was certainly corrupt and it's a lot easier to keep it all quiet when it is in house. To extend it multiple institutions would a hell of a lot harder to cover up. Anything's possible though and when it comes to Louisvile I don't think anything they can do would surprise me.

 

[businesslawyer]

How is that different than providing hookers on recruiting visits and hoping they all stay quiet?

No I don't think they bribed their way in per se, but their whole ascent from conference USA deadbeat to power 5 school is suspect.

You think poor high school kids are as likely to call a U.S. attorney as business leaders who serve on boards of trustees at flagship universities? You can't be serious.

Goodness knows I am not saying Louisville didn't rob and cheat it's way to the big time. I am sure it did. But the thought that bribery got them over us when Maryland left the ACC doesn't make sense.

But then again, I believe 9/11 and Sandy Hook were real and that MI-6 didn't kill Princess Di, so I am probably a bad person to be listening to.

 

[UConnJim]

All true. Bribes were not needed. Every program that makes it to the top of college football had to get there by cheating, and they have all had cheating scandals. It's a measure of desire. No desire = no success. This is more a rite of passage than anything else. You want to get into the gang? Shoot someone. Now you're in. This is not going to hurt Louisville long term or the ACC either. It's just another renegade program that will ultimately be successful in the world of big time college football. In 10 years, when they're in the NC game, the announcers will be gushing all over themselves at the the remarkable program turnaround, how the great tradition of college football is bigger than any one program. "Stadium's packed, let's get ready for great game today. We'll be right back after commercial." Don't anybody kid yourself.

I disagree about the LT harm. In college sports, the AD and the coaches are almost everything. Can they get the right AD and the right coaches after all of this? Remember, they replaced Petrino with Kragthorpe. Alabama had 10 years in the wilderness before they hired Nick Saban. Tennessee has gone 56-49 since they fired Phil Fulmer.

Financially, a problem like this could be overcome at most schools with time, but Louisville's athletic department finances appear to be shaky before this happened.

 

[BUConn10]

My point is that they're acting illogically, emotionally, and overall in a stupid manner. And I will continue to call out their stupidity no matter how much that makes you angry.

We get it. You are more level headed than every single member of this community, you have made that clear repeatedly over your several years here.

 

[Stainmaster]

We get it. You are more level headed than every single member of this community, you have made that clear repeatedly over your several years here.

Yes, I am.