2013 Men’s Basketball Team Set to be Honored vs Clemson Saturday Night Wednesday, Feb 15 2023 

2013 National Champions and basketball and clemson and Josh Heird and Kevin Ware and Luke Hancock and NCAA and Peyton Siva and Rick Pitino and Russ Smith and sports and YUM! Center Spencer Laws 7:44 pm

By Spencer Laws

The 2013 men’s basketball National Championship team is set to be honored Saturday, February, 18th against Clemson (18-7, 10-4 ACC) at 7 P.M. at the KFC Yum! Center. 

It has been 10 years since the magic historical run ended with the Cards knocking off the Michigan Wolverines in Atlanta. 

The tournament was capped off with then senior Luke Hancock being named the NCAA Most Out Standing Player; he etched his name in history with fellow Cardinals Darrell Griffith (1980) and Pervis Ellison (1986). 

Many members from the 2013 team will be attending, including Mike Baffour, Logan Baumann, Wayne Blackshear, Jordan Bond, Gorgui Dieng, Luke Hancock, Montrezl Harrell, Tim Henderson, Mike Marra, Zach Price, Peyton Siva, Stephan Van Treese, and Kevin Ware.

Players Chane Behanan, Mangok Mathiang, and Russ Smith are the only players that are confirmed not to make an appearance Saturday night. 

Many fans remember the 2013 run coining the “Win it for Ware” phrase. Sophomore Guard Kevin Ware endured a gruesome compound leg fracture in the first half of the Elite Eight game against Duke. 

Ware is famously remembered for repeating the phrase, “I’m fine, just win the game” repeatedly after being tended too. 

The elusive banner

In addition to the players being celebrated, Athletic Director Josh Heird has worked diligently to raise a banner that does not violate the NCAA’s restrictions since the title was vacated in 2018 — a banner reading “2013 Final Coaches Poll #1” will be raised in the KFC Yum! Center Saturday night. 

In addition to the celebration, fans can purchase upper-level tickets for just $13 to attend the game and help celebrate this team, which can be clicked here. 

File Photo // GoCards.com //

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Cardinal Stadium to be renamed to “L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium” Tuesday, Jan 31 2023 

Cardinal Stadium and Cardinals and Football and Jeff Brohm and Josh Heird and L&N and L&N Federal Credit Union and Louisville and News and Papa John's and u of l Tate Luckey 5:57 am

By Tate Luckey

It’s been approximately 5 years since the University parted ways with Cardinal Stadium’s Papa John’s sponsorship, and today its identity can finally begin anew: Cardinal Stadium is now to be known as L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium (or to some, L&N Stadium).

“We are thrilled and honored to have this opportunity to partner with the University of Louisville. We are proud to have the L&N name on the stadium as a visible sign of our commitment to the Louisville community and the University,”L&N CEO and President Chris Brown said.

“L&N has been a long-standing partner with the University and, ironically, the credit union had its start on the same site as the stadium in 1954. This long-term commitment strengthens our relationship into the future. We are aligned with Josh Heird’s vision and it’s our honor to be associated with a great program.”

The 20-year, $41.3 million dollar deal secures rights through 2042. L&N annual payments begin at $1.7 million this year, growing by 2% annually until reaching about $2.5 million in 2042. It’s among the top 3 most valuable college football stadium naming deals.

In 2018, then-president Neeli Bendapudi opted to part ways with Papa John’s founder John Schattner due to his use of a racial slur during a conference call. Last July, athletic director Josh Heird stated that the stadium’s new sponsor has to be “the right fit.”

“We don’t want somebody to just say, ‘Hey, let’s slap our name up on this stadium’. I would tell you that stadium means too much to us to just give it to, you know, whoever might want it. Let’s make sure that we create a comprehensive partnership,” he told WDRB.

The stadium site of the former South Louisville Rail Yard is also the original site of the credit union, founded in 1954 to serve L&N rail workers. The all-to-familiar horn you hear when Louisville scores a touchdown is the same horn used on the original site, too.

Now the real question: What do fans nickname it? The Fed? The L?

Photo Courtesy // Eric Crawford, WDRB //

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The best moments of Fall athletics, according to our Sports Editor Monday, Jan 23 2023 

#Wake Forest and ACC and ACC Field Hockey and duke and Final Four and Football and Howard Schellenberger and Jeff Brohm and Josh Heird and Michigan and Penn State and sports and Volleyball Spencer Laws 8:47 pm

By Spencer Laws

The 2022 fall sports season officially ended, capped off in part with the volleyball team’s magical run to the National Championship last month. I thought I would go back through and review the prime moments from this semester. 

Volleyball’s magical run 

Starting out with the most apparent moment of the semester — the volleyball team’s run to the NCAA National Championship.

The Cards have produced back-to-back final-four appearances. This year, they advanced to the National Championship by beating ACC foe Pittsburgh in a five set dogfight. Along this journey, the team also collected a shared ACC Championship with a total record of 31-1, dropping only one conference game. This was the first time in not only Louisville history, but ACC history that a program from the conference has reached the championship match. 

The best third quarter ever? 

During the spookiest weekend of the year, the Louisville Football team had one of the most dominant single-quarter performances in the history of the game.

In the third quarter, the Card’s defense forced six Demon Deacon turnovers, bringing the total for the whole game to eight. The Cards came into the second half one point down to Wake Forest, 13-14, and finished the quarter leading 41-14. The final score of this thrashing finished with a 48-21 Cards win, which led to the latest edition of football faithfuls storming Cardinal Stadium. This will likely be looked at as one of the more notable Scott Satterfield wins during his time leading the Cards. 

Field hockey braves a tough schedule

The field hockey team had a very tough task throughout the entire season; they ended up facing 12 Top 25 nationally ranked opponents over a 20-game schedule.

In those 20 games, the team was able to knock off many ranked opponents including beating No. 11 Penn State 2-1 at the end of August, No. 4 ranked Michigan 2-1 at home this past September, and lastly downing No. 24 Duke in a shoutout to win 2-1 at home in mid-October. With their impressive performance weathering the tough schedule, the squad was able to clinch an NCAA tournament birth. Unfortunately for the Cards, it was all Penn State in the first round.

Brohm’s Home, Satterfield’s Out 

The U of L football program is set to have some new management for the 2023 season in what became one of the weirder coaching turnovers in recent history.

Former head coach Scott Satterfield found himself a new program to run the ball with during a 2nd and 14th situation in the Cincinnati Bearcats. Athletic Director Josh Heird stepped up to the plate and hired Louisville football’s proverbial son, Jeff Brohm.

Brohm is coming off a very impressive stint at the University of Purdue, revitalizing the culture up in West Lafayette. In nine seasons as a head coach, Brohm has accumulated a 66-44 record, won five of six bowl games, and lastly won the division or conference three times while at Purdue and WKU. Brohm played for legendary U of L coach Howard Schellenberger from the years 1989-1993.

(Another rather interesting fact: Brohm was also a very good baseball player while in high school; he was drafted to the MLB twice while in high school and college.)

The Fall as a whole

There were a lot of great moments that came out of the Fall Semester that will hopefully forge the path for this new era the University is heading into as new leadership continues to manage the University we attend and love.

Photo Courtesy //  Taris Smith, Annabelle Merz, Rachel Klotz, Louisville Athletics //

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Satterfield out at head coach, accepts Cincinnati job; former player Deion Branch named interim Monday, Dec 5 2022 

ACC and Big Ten and Football and Jeff Brohm and Josh Heird and Luke Fickell and Madden Sanker and malik cunningham and News and Pierce Clarkson and Ruben Owens and Scott Satterfield and sports Spencer Laws 2:53 pm

By Spencer Laws

In a surprise move that brings many long-term fans a familiar sense of deja vu, Louisville football head coach Scott Satterfield is moving on from the program to go north to the University of Cincinnati. 

Big morning news

It was reported Monday morning by multiple sources, starting Cincinnati Enquirer’s Keith Jenkins, that Scott Satterfield had accepted a six-year deal to become the next head football coach at the University of Cincinnati. 

The Cincinnati job had been open after their previous coach Luke Fickell accepted the University of Wisconsin head position this past November. According to his contract, the buyout Cincinnati had to pay was $3.5 million. 

This move seems very much unforeseen and sudden, with Satterfield and his team picking up a lot of momentum in the second half of this season. They finished 7-5 after starting 2-3, including defeating No. 10 Wake Forest and No. 25 NC State. 

Multiple players and coaches were surprised by the whirlwind move across social media. “I literally just woke up,” defensive lineman Selah Brown posted.

“Coach Satterfield’s heart was never in the Ville; he was trying to leave after year one. My son has been at Louisville for five years, and I never spoke with the guy. He never built a relationship with parents or players,” Xavier Abdullah, father of star linebacker Yassir tweeted.

Consistency in the wrong areas

Satterfield’s time at Louisville was filled with inconsistency in the team’s performance, with the only consistent being the predictable play calling. The whole city could see when the run play coming in long yardage situations.  

In the 3 games against in-state rival Kentucky during the Governor’s Cup rivalry, it was a loss each time. In 2019, the Cards put up an embarrassing 45-13 loss; Lynn Bowden and the Wildcats ran all over the Cards, racking up 517 rushing yards. 

Covid held off the 2020 match, so following in 2021 the Cards endured another 52-21 loss- this time, Will Levis and Chris Rodriguez Jr. combined for 234 rushing yards and five touchdowns.

The latest thrashing took place not long ago on the 26th. Another 26-13 loss- although, Satterfield was without starting QB Malik Cunningham. 

Questions We Have

A lot of question marks rose from this move, most importantly: what does this do to the impressive top 20 recruiting class of ‘23? 

A few of these players are set to enroll early and hit campus next spring, including #1 ranked running back in the class, Reuben Owens. Other players- four-star dual-threat quarterback Pierce Clarkson, and four-star offensive lineman Madden Sanker are also reporting for the spring semester. 

A personal question I have is where would Satterfield be if he didn’t have Malik Cunningham over the last four seasons?

Satterfield’s best player during his time here is a guy that fell into his lap when he accepted the job. As this situation continues to unfold, you have to wonder how successful would Satterfield have been without a playmaker as good as Cunningham.

A lot of the wins and surprising success Satterfield has had here are due to players that he had no part in recruiting. If you remember, Satterfield’s arrival in 2019 was preceded by former head coach Bobby Petrino’s second stint. Petrino was fired in 2018, with the university buying out the rest of his 14.1 million dollar contract.

Brohm Bound?

The overwhelming majority of the fans have put current Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm at the top of their wishlist. 

Brohm is finishing up his sixth season in West Lafayette and reached a bowl game in 4 of those seasons. He most notably picked up an impressive overtime win against Tennessee in last year’s Music City Bowl and is also coming off the program’s first Big Ten championship appearance.

Brohm is 3-1 against top 5 ranked opponents, demonstrating that he has the ability to coach alongside the best in the country. 

Where the program goes from here

Whoever Athletic Director Josh Heird hires for the job will have their hands full next season, beginning with the hole left in the quarterback position post-Malik Cunningham. 

Heird released the following statement this morning: 

“We’re grateful to Scott for his dedication to our program and wish him well. We are always prepared to conduct head coaching searches, and we will begin a national search immediately to identify our next head coach. We will be looking for a tremendous leader who recognizes both the history and potential of Louisville Football and is committed long-term to helping the program reach new heights.”

Heird has had his hands full over his short stint as AD so far. He first dealt with Chris Mack and the University mutually parting ways, which resulted in hiring Kenny Payne. He is now set to begin the search again.

Bowl Bound…but coaching both teams?

Ironically, the Cards face off against Satterfield’s new landing spot, the University of Cincinnati in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl on December 17th at 11 A.M. ET.

Super Bowl MVP and Louisville alumni Deion Branch will serve as interim head coach.

Photo Courtesy // Spencer Laws, The Louisville Cardinal //

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Men’s basketball avoids postseason ban in NCAA IARP ruling Thursday, Nov 3 2022 

basketball and Chris Mac and Josh Heird and Kenny Payne and Lori Gonzalez and Louisville and MBB and Men's Basketball and News and Rick Pitino and u of l Tate Luckey 4:03 pm

By Tate Luckey 

After five years, five coaches, four university presidents, three athletic directors, and lots of questions, the Louisville men’s basketball program received the details of its punishment from the Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP). The IARP is responsible for reviewing select complex infraction cases within Division I. Their Nov. 3 decision detailed what penalties the University would face for its alleged involvement with Adidas and improper recruiting practices.

The Penalties

In May of 2020, the NCAA accused U of L of committing a Level I violation dating back to 2017, in which Adidas recruited Brian Bowen in part by paying his family $100,000 if he attended U of L , and then signed with Adidas after going pro. There are additional Level II violations, that can be found here.

The IARP panel could not find sufficient proof Adidas was acting in U of L’s interests, or that the University played any role in Adidas’s actions.

According to the 105-page decision, the NCAA argued that former head coach Rick Pitino was “too strict on compliance for it to be effective.” The IARP rejected the argument, stating Pitino had fostered an adequate atmosphere of compliance.

Major penalties include a $5,000 fine, a two-week ban on unofficial visits during the 2022-2023 academic year, a seven-day reduction in recruiting days for the 2022-2023 academic year, and a two-year probationary period, in which Louisville is to develop a “comprehensive educational program on NCAA legislation designed to instruct…with recruiting responsibility.” Former head coach Chris Mack also avoids any punishment.

The full list can be found here. IARP decisions cannot be appealed.

“A step in the right direction”

U of L Athletic Director Josh Heird emphasized in a press conference Thursday to “not forget [the impact] the allegations have had on the fanbase.” He and Interim President Lori Gonzalez are focused on moving past this era of athletics, instead focusing on rebuilding the enthusiasm of the fanbase. Both consider this outcome a check off of the many items on their to-do list.

“If you’re a U of L fan and don’t feel better after today, then I’m not sure you’re a fan,” Heird said.

“You can’t forget the last five years- the millions of dollars that have been spent, the millions of dollars the program has lost, and opportunities that have been lost for our athletes to compete. Today marks the beginning of a new chapter.”

Students, alumni, and fans alike can now breathe a collective sigh of relief that this era of Louisville Basketball can finally be pushed behind them.

So…will that 2013 banner be raised?

When the IARP’s penalties were revealed Thursday morning, reactions from fans were swift. Former player and current Cleveland Cavalier Donovan Mitchell sent “BANNER UP” on his social media, and Barstool Cards tweeted a simple “Hang it.”

But with this case finally resolved, does that mean anything for this important piece of University of Louisville sports history?

For context, the 2013 title was vacated due to a separate 2017 investigation that uncovered a stripper and sex-related scandal involving former players, former director of basketball operations Andre McGee, and Pitino. The now Iona Gaels head coach stated in a Zoom call Thursday that he believes in the character of the NCAA, and that the vacated 2013 National Championship banner will be hung again.

“You cannot take championships away. We won the 2013 championship. If the IARP was involved in looking at that case, that banner would still be hanging today,” he said.

“I’m not going to make any promises, but if there’s an opportunity to do something along those lines, we’re going to do it,” Heird said. “I’d have to have more conversations with the NCAA- it’s not as simple as rolling down to the arena and raising it.”

This is a breaking story, and as such will be updated.

File Photos // GoCards.com //

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How Much Pressure is on Kenny Payne This Season? Sunday, Oct 23 2022 

ACC and basketball and Chris Mack and danny manning and Denny Crum and El Ellis and Final Four and Josh Heird and Kenny Payne and NBA and Nolan Smith and Rick Pitino and sports and Sydney Curry Spencer Laws 9:26 pm

By: Jason Krell

Earlier this year, University of Louisville athletic director, Josh Heird named Kenny Payne to the head coaching role of the men’s basketball team. With the firing of former head coach Chris Mack, Heird faced a lot of pressure in getting this decision right in hopes of bringing Louisville back to the national powerhouse it used to be.

A former player under coach Denny Crum, Payne knows what it takes to be successful having won a national title as both a player and as an assistant at the University of Kentucky. Payne also spent four years in the NBA as both a coach and player and was selected in the first round of the 1989 draft.

Louisville legend, Denny Crum welcomes Kenny Payne to Louisville in March of 2022.

Historically, Louisville basketball is a winning program. With dominance in the 1980s and steady success through the 2000s and 2010s, a lot is at stake for Payne to make Louisville basketball relevant again. Former coaches like Denny Crum and Rick Pitino have set the standard where anything less than an ACC championship and final-four run would be considered a lost season. Or would it?

This will be Kenny Payne’s first gig as a head coach, at any level so it is expected for things to not be perfect and smooth sailing. However, valuable assets such as Nolan Smith and Danny Manning showcase to fans that Louisville basketball has one of the most experienced coaching staff in the country.

Assistant coach Kenny Payne and PJ Washington getting ready for a game in the NCAA tournament.

In addition to a distinguished coaching staff, players such as Sydney Curry and El Ellis will be looking to make their case for ACC player of the year and make a run in the NCAA tournament. With so much young talent on the roster, you can’t help but think they have nothing to lose, and a team that has nothing to lose come March can be a dangerous thing.

With the rich history that comes with Louisville basketball, there is going to be pressure to succeed right away as a new head coach. For as long as Payne knows the expectation from fans and is realistic with the roster he has, Louisville will be put back on the map as the powerhouse in the state of Kentucky.
File Photos // Darrell Bird (247Sports), Pat McDonogh (Courier Journal), GoCards.com //

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Cards Can’t Close at BC, 34-33 Wednesday, Oct 5 2022 

ACC and boston college and Cardinals and Football and Josh Heird and Louisville and malik cunningham and Scott Satterfield and sports and UVA Spencer Laws 4:16 pm

By Spencer Laws

One Point Short

This past Saturday, October 1st, Louisville lost what many would consider another easy ACC win. The Cards came into the game 14-point favorites, yet choked one away 34-33.

The loss was a combined effort by the whole team. The defense was lit up in the passing game, giving up 304 yards and three touchdowns in the air. Boston College receiver Zay Flowers recorded five catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns, receiving ACC Receiver of the Week awards for his performance. 

Cunningham added to his already impressive rushing touchdowns total by adding three more against BC. His passing game still somewhat struggled, as he put up 19-28 completions with only 186 yards and a touchdown. Cunningham took a big hit midway through the 4th quarter, so junior Brock Domann came to close out the game. He is considered day-to-day.

A special teams miscue came back to bite the Cards as kicker James Turner had an extra point blocked in the second quarter. That kick would be the difference maker in overtime.

What Comes Next

With this result, it feels like the point of no return for Satterfield and the company. Many are up conflicted in the fan community about his coaching staff and play- some are already calling for his firing. One Twitter account even replies to U of L related posts “#BringBrohmHome“

However, what good would it do to fire Satterfield mid-way through this season? With the outstanding recruiting class of ‘23 set to hit campus in the spring, how many of those recruits would de-commit with Satterfield’s exit? 

When Heird took the Job last December he came out and stated that he as AD wouldn’t settle for mediocrity. Card Nation has their hands up right now as their football team continues to lose games week in and week out. Louisville now has 4 consecutive losses versus Power 5 teams, leaving us among the bottom 5. 

Meanwhile, you would assume to see some changes from Satterfield in the coming weeks as he attempts to save his job. In an October 4th press conference Satterfield stated that he’s “Got to spend more time helping all the facets of the game, particularly defensively and on special teams.” As for why? “Losing games.”

The Cards are back in action this Saturday, October 8th traveling to Virginia to face off with UVA at noon, on the ACC network.

Photo Courtesy // Taris Smith, Louisville Athletics – GoCards.com //

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