Louisville coaches happy about the ACC move

Louisville won 14 conference championships in 2013-14. The Cardinal coaches know they are in for a tougher test as the Cardinals transition to the new Atlantic Coast Conference, but they say they are ready for the challenge.

Arthur Albiero, swimming & diving

"This is a fantastic time for our athletic department and for our swimming and diving program. We are fortunate to have the best athletic administration in the country. The ACC is already one of the top conferences for Swimming and Diving as it continues to improve at a fast pace. We are honored to join this special group of schools and we look forward to the high level of competition"

Mark Beckham, women's tennis

"The ACC is the best women's tennis conference top to bottom in the country. It's very exciting because every match will be against a nationally ranked team. Three to four of the top teams in ACC are usually playing for a national championship every year, so I don't think anything really compares to it. We are really excited to compete against the best teams in the country and this is where we want to be."

Derek Copeland, women's rowing

"Everyone in the Louisville rowing program is excited and appreciative to be a member of the ACC. There have routinely been a very select group of power conferences in the sport of rowing and the ACC has everything in place to consistently be one of those elite conferences. We understand that our role is to contribute to the growth of the ACC by earning one of those NCAA berths each season and we're hungry for success in a great rowing conference. It is also nice to compete alongside all of the other strong rowing programs as the ACC continues its rise on the national scene."

Dale Cowper, men's and women's cross country/track & field

"The ACC is one of the premier track and field conferences in the country, which will provide new challenges for us. This is truly an exciting time for our teams and we appreciate all the hard work and effort Tom Jurich and President Ramsey did to solidify our future. We look forward to rekindling old rivalries and creating some new ones in the years to come."

Mark Crabtree, men's golf

"Today, there is great excitement and enthusiasm to be officially a part of such a tremendous conference. There are so many outstanding golf programs and coaches within this league. This is a tremendous day for our program. We look forward to the challenge presented to us."

Rex Ecarma, men's tennis

"Joining the ACC is dream come true and I am so thankful to Tom Jurich and Dr. Ramsey for making this match made in heaven a reality for all of us. I also want to thank all the previous conferences we were affiliated with for treating us with so much class and respect. Last season, the ACC had nine teams in the NCAA men's tennis championship. We will challenge to be the top conference in America in our sport next season."

Karen Ferguson-Dayes, women's soccer

"We are thrilled to be joining the finest women's soccer conference in the country. We are looking forward to creating new rivalries and bringing new opponents to the University of Louisville. The ACC has always been very well respected and we look forward to joining to such a prestigious and elite league."

Anne Kordes, volleyball

"We couldn't be more excited about our move to the prestigious ACC. The ACC member universities pride themselves on producing the county's most successful sports programs, as well as the highest ranked individual students in the nation. There is a tradition of success in the classroom and on the field that spans from the 1950's, which why the ACC is the premier conference in the United States. With regards to volleyball, we like the competition. We like the region where will compete and we look forward to the challenge of playing a really competitive conference schedule. In the past two years, we have played three ACC teams and had success, however, the competitiveness in the conference has continued to grow. The level of play in the ACC is higher across the board, which dramatically affects our strength of schedule and aids in our goal of advancing to a Final Four."

Ken Lolla, men's soccer

"We are excited for the opportunity to be associated with the academic and athletic standard of the ACC. The association and competition with such fine institutions will continue to raise the University of Louisville and our programs to new standards."

Dan McDonnell, baseball

"We are extremely excited about joining and competing in one of the elite baseball conferences in the country. The ACC represents academic and athletic excellence and we're thrilled they've also recognized the success we've had at Louisville, both on and off the field."

Sandy Pearsall, softball

"We are very excited about joining the ACC. Under the leadership of Tom Jurich and Dr. Ramsey, we have been fortunate to compete in some great conferences. We look forward to this new challenge as we enter what I believe will be not only one of the top softball conferences in the nation, but also a great fit for our entire university."

Bobby Petrino, football

"This is an exciting day for the University of Louisville and the entire athletic department. To officially be entering the league today, shows how much hard work and dedication everyone has put into making this historic event happen. It's exciting for our football program because today is exactly two months before we play that first ACC game versus Miami. We understand the challenges ahead of us, but we are thrilled that this day has finally arrived."

Rick Pitino, men's basketball

"We're very, very excited to be joining the ACC. We're thrilled to be a part of what we feel will be the premier college basketball conference in the nation."

Justine Sowry, field hockey

"The acceptance into the ACC could not be more perfect for our school, athletic programs and specifically our field hockey program. It is such an honor to be leading our program into the best field hockey conference in the nation. To be the best, you have to compete with the best. It would be an understatement to say that I am incredibly proud and excited for the new beginning and that opportunity. Go Cards!"

Courtney Trimble, women's golf

"We are thrilled to be joining the ACC. Women's Golf is extremely competitive in the ACC, including the 2014 National Champions. We are excited to be competing with the best and know that this move to the ACC will help our program continue to reach its goal to be one of the elite programs in the country."

Jeff Walz, women's basketball

"We are very excited and thankful to President Ramsey and Tom Jurich for securing our future in the ACC. They have done a great job making sure we have everything we need to succeed and be one of the elite programs and today is proof of what a great administration we have here at Louisville. It's an exciting time for the University of Louisville and our fans. We look forward to playing basketball in the nation's top conference while creating new rivalries and rekindling some old rivalries as well."

Kellie Young, women's lacrosse

"Our players and staff couldn't be more excited about competing in the ACC. There is no doubt it's the best lacrosse conference in the country. We will embrace the challenge and look forward to competing against the top lacrosse programs game after game."