Louisville built very good programs while in the NBC. They are a bit down in football with the coaching turnover in the last few years. I don’t think they would have beaten West Branch in football the last 2 years and would have had good games and Salem, Carrollton and Alliance. School size, location and some natural rivalries make then a perfect fit for the EBC/NBC. I may be the minority but I think it was dumb for them to get the boot.
I'm taking both boys and girls sports into consideration with this. In XC boys they're behind Marlington and in girls behind Minerva and Salem and about level with Marlington so 2.5/3rd overall. In boys track they're behind Salem and in girls behind Salem, Alliance, Minerva, and Marlington so 3.5/4th there. In baseball top 2, in softball 4th, in Boys basketball 3rd, in girls 3/4th..... This isn't the Louisville of 10 years ago, the shine has come off completely and they're performing just like a typical school of their size does. There's absolutely no question they are a perfect fit for the EBC now but because of how parents and admins handled the top years of their programs and the years following their exile there's next to no chance they'll be brought back because nobody wants to help them out of the hole they've dug for themselves
This isn’t the Louisville of 10 years ago because they are playing much better teams. It’s really that simple.
So I figured I would do a little of my own research, mostly making use of the Louisville website. Clearly the girls' teams struggled in the tournaments, and weren't competitive in D1 during the post-season. On the boys' side, though, outside of football, it looks like Louisville did just fine... actually better than fine. I saw that Marlington took the D2 boys XC championship. Congrats to them.
The biggest fall off has been girl's sports, in the past that was the reason given when you asked why Louisville was booted but Alliance wasn't despite them being very similar in size. The boys teams are producing more than the girls are but nothing spectacular. Obviously wrestling is a power there and seemingly will be for seasons to come but is there anything else they are going to be a dominant force in? Doesn't seem super likely
The best fit for all involved would be for Louisville to be in the the EBC/NBC. Yes they will be at the top 3rd in most sports just like the past, but i really think them being in the conference is the best fit for everyone involved. But I don't think it will happen until the blow up the entire EBC and start from scratch. The group effected but this is the group the nobody talks about, the kids at Louisville. Not being in a conference, not getting a chance to be league champs, not upsetting a team in the league, not having a chance to be all league -that all stinks for the Louisville kids.
If they do blow up the EBC that will be the end of most of these teams playing each other. Salem and West Branch both have logical places to go, Minerva does as well. That leaves Alliance, Carrollton, and Marlington without a paddle and nowhere to go. Carrollton is so far away from any other schools of similar sizes I can't imagine many conferences jumping to get them added to their schedules, Marlington and their financial uncertainty would make any conference weary to add them as a member, and Alliance would almost certainly be forced to go be a small fish in a big pond or try a run at going independent. It's because of how bad the circumstances could be for half the league if they were to dissolve it that I think that's exactly why it'll stay together for much longer than others seem to think on here
Tennis, anyone? Lacrosse?