How Much Does Louisville Love College Basketball?

I’m not really a sports person. I’m definitely not athletic. Nonetheless, one of my favorite sounds in the world is sneakers squeaking on a basketball court while fans cheer.

I’m also a lifelong University of Louisville basketball fan. So, let’s just say, I’ve been working through the stages of grief over the abruptly suspended U of L men’s basketball season. Because in Louisville the season includes conference tournament and NCAA Tournament play. It just does. Not having that as an option amounts to cutting the season short.

Yet, as I talked with other fans recently, the thing we kept coming back to was that no matter what, this city will still watch the NCAA Tournament. All of it. It’s what we do.

College Basketball Capitol of the World

Trying to explain to people in other markets how enthused we get about college basketball in general, and during the NCAA Tournament in particular, is challenging.

I can share marketing data of all kinds to show how engaged this market is with college basketball. And there’s a lot of data to support that. But it’s the qualitative tidbits that really underscore just how much of a passion topic college basketball is for the Louisville market.

People in Louisville have been filling out brackets since kindergarten.

Proud to say my son started doing this when he was four.

Fan trash talking starts in pre-school.

My son got an “Eww” response to his University of Louisville t-shirt at the age of two from a University of Kentucky fan who was only three.

Companies organize viewing rooms for NCAA Tournament games during work hours, so that they can avoid their staff flooding the network with simultaneous live streaming on individual computers.

Every company I’ve worked at in Louisville.

People rearrange their schedule, and even take vacation days, just so they won’t miss a single tournament game – even if it’s not their team playing.

If you’re reading this in Boston or San Francisco or anywhere in between, you probably think I’m kidding, but I’m totally serious. I have seen women attending the opera camp out in the lobby wearing evening dresses while crowded around a tiny TV just so they wouldn’t miss a big game.

Nurses adjust routine checks during big games so blood pressure readings aren’t adversely affected.

True story. April 6, 2013. I’m in the hospital after having my second son. The entire hospital is watching Louisville play Witchita State in the Final Four, and most of the staff is wearing red. The maternity nurse comes around for a check on my vitals. She lets me know she’ll skip the next check until after the game because everyone’s blood pressure is elevated, including mine.

Even during regular season play, we regularly watch teams from around the country because we don’t want to miss good matchups.

Duke and North Carolina? Yeah, I’m going to watch it.

Former college coaches and players are treated like the President of the United States.

Seriously, when Denny Crum enters a room, everyone stops talking.

Let’s Do This

So, regardless of what just happened, and no matter how far in the tournament Kentucky and Indiana and the Louisville women’s team go, this city will keep watching college basketball.

And we’ll keep poring through the Courier-Journal sports section, and diving into mobile stories shared on social media providing extensive NCAA Tournament coverage and analysis.

And we’ll show our city’s compassion by welcoming NCAA college basketball fans from around the country when Louisville hosts Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we are again dubbed the “College Basketball Capitol of the World” for our viewership both during the NCAA Tournament, and the regular season.

Come on, Louisville, let’s do this. Let’s watch some basketball.

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