The external and internal environments at UofL Athletics are quite challenging at this point.
Here's what the BoT and the President and the AD (whomever it is) face:
1. NIL and Transfer Rules and Media Revenue disparity favor larger traditional schools in the SEC and Big Ten. It has changed everything. It is a very different college athletics world than it was 5 years ago.
2. UofL's Athetics "bank" is empty. There's no money there. It's been spent. It's gone.
3. Covid, MBB scandal fatigue, generally fading fan interest (nationwide and in Louisville), pervasive TV viewing options, and average/poor on-field/on-floor performance here at Louisville have chopped ticket sales and donations in half. The life's blood of college athletics is ticket sales/donations.
4. Huge Booster dollars have gone away. And Yum is too big and Cardinal Stadium is too big for what is becoming a downsized sports in-person experience.
5. The MBB scandal is not over. Its effects will go on for years and years. It's a pall that hangs over UofL sports.
6. The NCAA is stepping back to allow conferences MUCH more latitude to decide how their teams recruit, play and pay athletes.
7. UofL Sports has historically been one of the finest achievements to point to when singling out excellence at UofL. Certainly for 40 years Cardinal Sports have been one of very few bright spots which distinguished this small public university.
8. It is going to mean spending a lot more money annually to "compete" with the SEC and Big Ten big boys. Plus about a dozen other schools who want to make the semi-pro jump. Clemson, FSU, etc etc. But there's no money. UK, for instance, will have $45m to $50m more annually from just their SEC-ESPN media contracts than UofL will have.
9. Louisville's endowment is quite small as compared with other P5 universities. And the undergrad population is also relatively small, especially for a public school. Louisville's living alumni count is small.
10. Louisville has drawn virtually all of its sports revenue for MBB and FB since the beginning. While Olympic and Title IX sports initiatives have been fantastic here, they've always been paid for by MBB and FB. MBB and FB have been in a severe performance recession since the 2017 seasons were completed.
11. Louisville cannot and will not ever generate much support from the state in terms of appropriations and fan interest, as compared with flagship Kentucky.
12. Louisville is "The Little Engine That Could". Until the last 5 years. It played best and survived best as an underdog.
13. The City's own newspaper consistently gives short shrift to UofL in everything it publishes.
14. The University was beset with change starting in 2016. The President was pushed out. The BoT was redefined and a new interim and then permanent President were appointed. The AD was forced out. A new interim AD was appointed. And then made permanent. A MBB coach was forced out after scandals. A FB coach lost support of the new AD and quit on his team and was terminated. A new FB coach was hired and is struggling to play and coach successfully in an average P5 league. A new MBB coach was hired and has not performed up to most expectations and made a considerable rules-error while the university is still under sanctions.
The BoT and President and AD and MBB coach and FB coach have a lot on their plates.
Here's what the BoT and the President and the AD (whomever it is) face:
1. NIL and Transfer Rules and Media Revenue disparity favor larger traditional schools in the SEC and Big Ten. It has changed everything. It is a very different college athletics world than it was 5 years ago.
2. UofL's Athetics "bank" is empty. There's no money there. It's been spent. It's gone.
3. Covid, MBB scandal fatigue, generally fading fan interest (nationwide and in Louisville), pervasive TV viewing options, and average/poor on-field/on-floor performance here at Louisville have chopped ticket sales and donations in half. The life's blood of college athletics is ticket sales/donations.
4. Huge Booster dollars have gone away. And Yum is too big and Cardinal Stadium is too big for what is becoming a downsized sports in-person experience.
5. The MBB scandal is not over. Its effects will go on for years and years. It's a pall that hangs over UofL sports.
6. The NCAA is stepping back to allow conferences MUCH more latitude to decide how their teams recruit, play and pay athletes.
7. UofL Sports has historically been one of the finest achievements to point to when singling out excellence at UofL. Certainly for 40 years Cardinal Sports have been one of very few bright spots which distinguished this small public university.
8. It is going to mean spending a lot more money annually to "compete" with the SEC and Big Ten big boys. Plus about a dozen other schools who want to make the semi-pro jump. Clemson, FSU, etc etc. But there's no money. UK, for instance, will have $45m to $50m more annually from just their SEC-ESPN media contracts than UofL will have.
9. Louisville's endowment is quite small as compared with other P5 universities. And the undergrad population is also relatively small, especially for a public school. Louisville's living alumni count is small.
10. Louisville has drawn virtually all of its sports revenue for MBB and FB since the beginning. While Olympic and Title IX sports initiatives have been fantastic here, they've always been paid for by MBB and FB. MBB and FB have been in a severe performance recession since the 2017 seasons were completed.
11. Louisville cannot and will not ever generate much support from the state in terms of appropriations and fan interest, as compared with flagship Kentucky.
12. Louisville is "The Little Engine That Could". Until the last 5 years. It played best and survived best as an underdog.
13. The City's own newspaper consistently gives short shrift to UofL in everything it publishes.
14. The University was beset with change starting in 2016. The President was pushed out. The BoT was redefined and a new interim and then permanent President were appointed. The AD was forced out. A new interim AD was appointed. And then made permanent. A MBB coach was forced out after scandals. A FB coach lost support of the new AD and quit on his team and was terminated. A new FB coach was hired and is struggling to play and coach successfully in an average P5 league. A new MBB coach was hired and has not performed up to most expectations and made a considerable rules-error while the university is still under sanctions.
The BoT and President and AD and MBB coach and FB coach have a lot on their plates.
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