Some great news on the home front, with the word that Steve Springer will be joining the observer for the University of Louisville-Notre Dame basketball game and Senior Night at the KFC Yum! Center. The final conference home game for UofL in the Big East.
Steve, as many of you may recall, won the Biggest Fan of the Big East contest in 2011 over competitors from 15 other cities in 2011.Many UofL fans supported him during the six-month competition, which culminated in a new car and a trip to New York for his family and to center court for him at Madison Square Garden during the Big East Tournament championship game. Stories, photos and videos from the contest are here.
So he is thrilled to be returning to Louisville from Murray where he and his wife Casey reside, with their four children. Almost as thrilled as his dad, the observer. Along with his mom, Steve and the observer attended almost every UofL game until he packed his bags for college.
The former Biggest Fan of the Big East deeply regrets what conference realignment has done to the league, describing the breakup as “a tragic misuse of power that has unnecessarily disrupted many traditional rivalries while leaving some quality institutions out in the cold. Schools like Cincinnati, UConn and South Florida deserve better and I hope they are able to survive and prosper.”
First and foremost, however, he is a fan of the University of Louisville, a strong advocate for the Cardinals deep in Western Kentucky. He was beside himself when UofL was extended an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference. Like many fans, he had listened intently to every “insider” and dissected every message rumor for over two years, wanting desperately for it to happen.
“I don’t know what was more exhilarating, winning the Big East fan contest or getting the invite to the ACC,” he said. “Both were moments I will always remember. The ACC is a fabulous home for UofL teams.”
Here’s a video from the Biggest Fan of the Big East contest: