Cincinnati making a $70 million gamble that stadium upgrades can lead to ACC invitation

The madness of realignment will end someday. We hope. But we're not there yet.

Here's an interesting little tidbit about the University of Cincinnati. The school is spending $70 million to renovate Nippert Stadium, and is bragging it up to the ACC in an effort to get that league to invite it to join, according to the Clarksville (Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle.

It's basically the most expensive bouquet of flowers in an attempt to get a date ever. And it's pretty funny that the Big East is in such bad shape a school is spending $70 million in an attempt to get out.

The Leaf-Chronicle reported that a DVD of the video on the top of this post was sent to all of the ACC presidents. The paper also wrote that Cincinnati president Santa Ono sent holiday cards to all the ACC presidents. It did not say if Cincinnati passed a note in class saying, "Do you like me? Check one ... Yes/No."

According to the Leaf-Chronicle, Cincinnati said no general tuition funds will be used for the stadium renovations, but that UC would borrow the money and pay the bonds with private donations and ticket revenue. The stadium improvements are probably needed for the old place, and no matter what conference the Bearcats are in, having a better stadium will be a benefit for UC. So we're aware there's much more to this project than just impressing the pretty girl in class.

But there's also something a little off-putting about a school spending that much money, at least in small part, to impress a conference. That's realignment, though. We're not near the end of it yet.

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