UofL's biggest Athletics challenges no longer seem dominated by basketball scandal/sanction stuff.
Media Revenue Disparity and NIL Funding are now bigger issues. In fact they are the defining issues. Unless they are overcome UofL's Athletics future is in limbo.
Media Revenue Disparity:
The huge media revenue difference (between the SEC and everyone else) will absolutely create an equally huge difference in the quality and quantity of coaching staffs. And in recruiting, as well. Louisville cannot solve this $30m media revenue issue by itself. The ACC is the problem. ACC Football would need to get a lot better for a considerably sustained time to have much chance of renegotiating their ESPN contract and closing an increasingly massive gap with the SEC (and to a lesser extent with the Big Ten, as well). That's probably not going to happen. Which then suggests that the ACC will get torn apart as 2035 gets closer. So Louisville must begin thinking what it wants to do in a few years as this begins to occur. In theory Louisville could make up for some of the disparity with massive improvements in contributions and ticket sales. Louisville would need to increase annual donations by around $20-25m. Honestly that's probably not in the cards. It would take 3 or 4 "whales" to continually invest every year in UofL Athletics. Again, that's not likely to happen. So if Louisville can't compensate for the media revenue difference with donations and ticket sales, and if the ACC can't make sustained FB improvements, and if some ACC schools will get plucked by the SEC and Big Ten, then what should UofL's strategy become? De-emphasize Football? Focus On Basketball and Women's, Olympic Sports? Wait till ESPN or others make enough changes that College Super-Major Sports become fully Professional. Louisville would surely NOT be included in the College Pro leagues, but a whole underclass of leagues would still exist and Louisville could play in them. The BoT and President and AD need to develop a strategy for this issue. They need to map out approaches. The ACC is a very unusual conference. And Louisville is one of the smallest public universities in the entire P5. Can UofL develop a strategy that allows it to pay excellent FB coaching staffs
NIL Funding:
The NIL Funding issue is setting up to be a challenge for all schools, but especially for those without historical national FB presence or tremendous local/regional financial support from businesses. Louisville has neither of these features going for it. Those schools who do not figure this out are destined to fall further behind in attracting and keeping high-level athletes. High levels of NIL funding can, to a degree, compensate for lower media revenue. Universities must be active in arranging NIL funding channels. This is obviously "legal". Can UofL implement a strategy that channels local businesses and desirable athletes together in a way that helps Louisville?
Media Revenue Disparity and NIL Funding are now bigger issues. In fact they are the defining issues. Unless they are overcome UofL's Athletics future is in limbo.
Media Revenue Disparity:
The huge media revenue difference (between the SEC and everyone else) will absolutely create an equally huge difference in the quality and quantity of coaching staffs. And in recruiting, as well. Louisville cannot solve this $30m media revenue issue by itself. The ACC is the problem. ACC Football would need to get a lot better for a considerably sustained time to have much chance of renegotiating their ESPN contract and closing an increasingly massive gap with the SEC (and to a lesser extent with the Big Ten, as well). That's probably not going to happen. Which then suggests that the ACC will get torn apart as 2035 gets closer. So Louisville must begin thinking what it wants to do in a few years as this begins to occur. In theory Louisville could make up for some of the disparity with massive improvements in contributions and ticket sales. Louisville would need to increase annual donations by around $20-25m. Honestly that's probably not in the cards. It would take 3 or 4 "whales" to continually invest every year in UofL Athletics. Again, that's not likely to happen. So if Louisville can't compensate for the media revenue difference with donations and ticket sales, and if the ACC can't make sustained FB improvements, and if some ACC schools will get plucked by the SEC and Big Ten, then what should UofL's strategy become? De-emphasize Football? Focus On Basketball and Women's, Olympic Sports? Wait till ESPN or others make enough changes that College Super-Major Sports become fully Professional. Louisville would surely NOT be included in the College Pro leagues, but a whole underclass of leagues would still exist and Louisville could play in them. The BoT and President and AD need to develop a strategy for this issue. They need to map out approaches. The ACC is a very unusual conference. And Louisville is one of the smallest public universities in the entire P5. Can UofL develop a strategy that allows it to pay excellent FB coaching staffs
NIL Funding:
The NIL Funding issue is setting up to be a challenge for all schools, but especially for those without historical national FB presence or tremendous local/regional financial support from businesses. Louisville has neither of these features going for it. Those schools who do not figure this out are destined to fall further behind in attracting and keeping high-level athletes. High levels of NIL funding can, to a degree, compensate for lower media revenue. Universities must be active in arranging NIL funding channels. This is obviously "legal". Can UofL implement a strategy that channels local businesses and desirable athletes together in a way that helps Louisville?
