Monday evening, the Cards Nation was out in force throughout Louisville as the Cardinals men's basketball put the pressure on the Michigan Wolverines. After 40 minutes of competition, Coach Rick Pitino and his crew came away with the NCAA Division I championship, the second one for the 2013 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee after bringing one home for the Big Blue Nation in 1996. The streets filled with revelers, the couches were set alight, and celebrations were planned. All that was needed now was a second championship for the cherry on top.
Figuring that Baxter Avenue and Bardstown Road would become a flashpoint of craziness once more, I hiked from my home in the middle of The Highlands to O'Shea's, hoping for a decent, if not packed crowd for the Lady Cardinals as they faced the UConn Huskies for the women's NCAA Division I basketball title. Alas, it was a bit quiet inside Tuesday evening, and it would ultimately turn out to be a quiet night as well.
That said, there will be a celebration this afternoon at the KFC Yum! Center as Cards Nation welcomes home their heroes and heroines. U of L season ticket holders will have the opportunity to pick up free tickets to the event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Gate 2 of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Holders should bring their Cardinal Athletic Fund number for confirmation; numbers will have been sent out Tuesday evening at the latest. After 2 p.m., remaining seats, if any, may be picked up on a first come, first served basis at the KFC Yum! Center Box Office. Doors open at 3:30 p.m., with the celebration to commence at 5. For more information and updates, you can follow Louisville Athletics through Facebook and Twitter.
Photos: Cameron Miquelon/Louisville.com.