As the buzzer sounded on March 16, 2013, not only did a game end, so did a historic tradition of Big East basketball. From this moment on these two schools, Syracuse and Louisville, would no longer play each other as members of the Big East. Long nights in college board rooms and extensive, thought out arguments have resulted in conference changes for both universities. These colleges are not the only ones who are switching it up this year, many across the country have decided to pack up and move out of their current conference. Narrowing in on our conference close to home, a plethora of colleges have changed their status as schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

 Some, like the University of Maryland, have decided that they don’t want to play in the ACC anymore and have moved to the Big Ten Conference. Maryland was a charter member of the ACC when it was started in 1953. This conference change should help their success in basketball, being that they are a primarily basketball centered school while the Big Ten is stronger in sports like football. Though this will hurt their football program, they can also gain wins in other areas like lacrosse or field hockey, where they will have a less competition against the Big Ten schools. They are scheduled to leave the ACC in the 2014 season.

 Taking their place will be the University of Louisville, as well as others, including Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Notre Dame. A former member of the Big East, renamed the American Athletic Conference, Louisville will enter the ACC in 2014. This large university, with one of the best football-basketball combinations, will add strength in the currently weak football program. This addition will make the ACC home to 15 teams. Leaving behind a shaky AAC, Louisville will mostly likely be experiencing more of a struggle to attain wins in their new location. Overall, it should be an exciting first season for the Cardinals.

 Maryland and Louisville are not the only colleges that are doing a conference switcheroo, there are multiple universities attempting the same feat, some without any luck. The sudden moving and changing has everyone confused, and looking questionably into the future. Unfortunately, the only thing we as college sports fans have left to do right now, is wait and watch.