WASHINGTON -- Feel free to dismiss what I am about to write as a shameless act of homerism, but so be it. Here we go: Louisville, the city and the university, are about to become a hot commodity.
This is a story about how college sports can -- and in this case, I hope, will -- vivify the intellectual, cultural and economic life of an old, but now very much alive, industrial city in Kentucky.
If you are a restaurateur, bourbon drinker or college student, head to Louisville. If you are a writer, professor or researcher, consider doing the same.
This might not matter to most of America, but it matters to me, a man who began his career in Louisville and who graduated long ago from what is now the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. (Justice Brandeis was born and reared in the city, and his remains and those of his wife are buried beneath the law school portico.)
The big news, every sports fan knows, is that the U of L is moving its athletic affiliation from the rickety Big East to the Atlantic Coast Conference, a venerable league whose founding members include the University of Virginia, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Coach K U (otherwise known to the world as Duke University).
U of L is one of the oldest colleges in the country, founded (after a fashion) in 1798, but for most of its life it was a modest commuter school with a ramshackle campus wedged between railroad tracks and a grain elevator.
When I arrived in the city to work at The Courier-Journal in 1973, the college Cardinals were part of the old Missouri Valley Conference and dueled with the likes of Western Kentucky, Drake and Wichita State universities. The Cards were good but largely unnoticed outside their home city. U of L had few dorms, and almost no one lived on the campus.
As for the law school, it was a solid local institution, founded in 1846, with good teachers and a night program, in which I enrolled in the fall of 1975 while I was covering the state legislature. I would arrive late for night classes, but couldn't sneak in because of the ancient, creaky wooden stairs.
In the intervening years, U of L's sports program has grown and moved from the MoVaC to the now-extinct Metro, to the now-wobbly Conference USA, to the Big East and now to (one has to hope) the summit. Along the way, the basketball team won two national championships.
Meanwhile, under aggressive local political and academic leadership, the university sprang to life academically and institutionally. The campus now is a lovely place, though many of the railroad tracks are still there. An ever-greater percentage of students live in an ever-expanding number of dorms. And the school is among the leaders in the country in the number of Fulbright scholarships received each year.
The law school now ranks number 89 in the country, modest enough but competitive with state schools such as Kansas and Nebraska and ahead of schools such as Syracuse.
There is still a long way to go, for sure. But this is one of those rare cases in which athletic prominence can help push a university toward true excellence. The president of the school, Dr. James Ramsey, thinks that way, I know, and so do civic and political leaders.
Like my hometown of Pittsburgh, which is now driven by "eds and meds" -- education and medical care -- and which was rescued psychologically by sports, the city of Louisville has a chance to be rise with education, entertainment and tourism (and a good medical center).
What could be more of a challenge, and an inspiration, for the U of L than to try to match wits as well as muscle memory with the likes of UVA and Duke? Laugh now, because it is laughable. The hope is that it won't always be.
If the Cards play their cards right.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law as the Louis J. Brandeis School of Law.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.