Nothing is guaranteed in life. This much Louisville football fans have learned.
Louisville’s shocking loss to bitter rival Kentucky on Saturday joins an ever-lengthening list of defeats that took a piece of my soul that will never return.
The 2016 last-second defeat at the hands of the Wildcats jumps out as another infuriating loss. But it goes back a ways across all sports. A 2014 Sweet 16 loss. The Patrick Sparks game. Hell, even women’s basketball games in the mid-2010’s.
Losing is inevitable. It happens to every team in every sport, at every level.
But losing to these guys? Well, that’s difficult to put into words.
Hate is a word simultaneously a bit melodramatic and also not strong enough to describe the way I feel about Kentucky.
This rivalry is 365 days a year. Some of my closest friends and family live and die for the game on the other end. Graduates of the University of Kentucky, donors, legacy players, and more- These make up some people I dearly love and respect.
But that makes the detestation for the school up the road that much greater- And the feeling of defeat elicits far stronger feelings than the relief of a win.
When Jeff Brohm was hired by the University of Louisville in December of 2022, the reaction by fans was understandably one of unbridled optimism. A rising star in the national coaching ranks– a member of the First Family of Louisville– joining this program brought the warm feelings of a coming-of-age Disney movie.
Louisville football was back– And many around the situation felt a rise for the program could be nearly immediate.
Season ticket sales soared right away.
When I found out about the hiring, I immediately ordered the best season tickets available sitting in my car at a stoplight.
It’s important to put the significance of Brohm’s hiring into perspective.
At the time of Brohm’s hiring, Louisville basketball was off to an 0-8 start under fellow Louisville alumnus Kenny Payne. Payne was a national champion for the Cards in the 80s. He was beloved by his teammates. Anyone who had ever met and interacted with Payne would tell you what a good man and representative of the university he would be.
But the 2022-23 season was an unmitigated disaster for the basketball program.
Brohm was also taking over for a regime that seemed to view Louisville football as a stepping stone. Former head coach Scott Satterfield was a hit at Appalachian State for decades, then came to Louisville and made a complete cultural overhaul in his first season. From there on, however, Satt and the city of Louisville didn’t jive too well. He lost beloved coaches like Dwayne Ledford, Frank Ponce, Gunter Brewer, and Dale Jones. Then, his flirtations with other jobs began. The writing was on the wall. And Satterfield skipped town in a lateral move to Cincinnati when he had his first real chance to do so.
Most importantly, Brohm was taking over as a proven coach who truly cared about Louisville and, like all of us, wanted to beat the breaks off of Kentucky.
We jumped on the Brohm train. And, outside of a few small bumps, its already been an unreal journey.
I missed two games this season- The season opener in Atlanta and the heartbreaker in Pittsburgh.
Others, like my father, dedicated a portion of their lives to following this Louisville football team.
Dad made games like Miami and Georgia Tech destination games- Blocking off weekends to enjoy the town and see the team.
Other times, it was a sacrifice. For our trip to NC State, my girlfriend and I drove to Raleigh on Saturday morning, and drove back after the game. Dad flew from Fort Meyers, Florida to Raleigh, waited in line for three hours for a rental car, went to the game, and then slept in the Raleigh-Durham airport until his morning flight.
There are thousands of fans with stories this season.
Through our site, we helped hundreds attend games that they couldn’t afford. Multiple families attended Louisville football games for the first time.
Thousands of Louisville fans attended the game in Miami- 1,100 miles from home.
Everyone has their stories, but the season feels a bit incomplete without the win against Kentucky. Which makes it sting all the more.
When might this opportunity come again?
When Louisville joined the ACC, the football and basketball programs were arguably in the best positions, collectively in school history.
Basketball was a year removed from a national title with a Hall of Fame coach. Football was 23-3 over the two years preceding its entrance into the ACC, parting ways with a highly successful coach in Charlie Strong for an equally successful coach with a history of greatness at UofL in Bobby Petrino.
Things were great. ACC Championships were the expectation.
Over the next nine years, for one reason or another, ACC title game appearances didn’t happen. And, in more than one year, Louisville was more concerned with bowl eligibility than conference title contention.
I look back at the Sugar Bowl win- Now, more than a decade ago- and remember the mindset that myself and other Louisville fans had. That there would be plenty of ACC titles. There would be College Football Playoff appearances. That the program was on a collision course with a national title.
A lot has happened since that time. And it took a lot falling Louisville’s way for a berth in the ACCCG to become a reality.
So, I am forced to ask myself… “When might this opportunity come again?”
It’s a valid question. Even with a generous schedule this season, UofL had five contests finish as one-possession games. They won four.
Next season, Louisville travels to Clemson, Notre Dame, and Kentucky. It faces Miami, Georgia Tech, and Pittsburgh.
Surmise it to say that, even with a better team in 2024 and beyond, it may be more difficult to get to Charlotte (or Dallas, or wherever the game is played).
Saturday morning, we load up the car and head to Charlotte. For (at least) one more ride of the 2023 season.
And, although it likely won’t be the last trip, I’ll bear in mind that nothing in this life is guaranteed.
Beat FSU.
