Louisville becomes the latest team to join ACC

Louisville has joined the game of musical chairs taking place with college football conferences, as the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Wednesday its presidents and chancellors unanimously voted to add the Cardinals as the replacement for the soon-to-depart Maryland.

“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,� said ACC Commissioner John Swofford, whose conference has also added Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse in the last 15 months.

Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich said in a statement that school officials “sincerely appreciate this opportunity� and that the move will “open so many more doors for us both athletically … and academically for our university.�

“The ACC is the perfect fit for us and we are so elated to be joining this prestigious conference,� Jurich said.

It is unclear when Louisville will join the ACC. The Big East has a 27-month notification period and a $5-million fee for any member wanting to leave, although it allowed Pittsburgh and Syracuse to leave early for $7.5 million each.

Maryland will be leaving the ACC for the Big Ten in 2014.

ACC leaders also considered adding Connecticut and Cincinnati before deciding on Louisville, a source told the Associated Press.

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