Louisville Cardinals
 |
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| Louisville Cardinals | |
|---|---|
| Logo | |
| University | University of Louisville |
| Conference | Big East |
| Division | Division I |
| Athletic director | Tom Jurich |
| Location | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Varsity teams | 18 |
| Football stadium | Papa John's Cardinal Stadium |
| Arena | Freedom Hall |
| Mascot | Cardinal Bird |
| Nickname | Cardinals |
| Colors | Black and Red |
| Website | uoflsports |
The Louisville Cardinals (also known as the Cards) are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as a traditional power in men's basketball and women's volleyball. In recent years, the football team has also gained national prominence with a 32-5 record since 2004 and finishing in the top 6 in both the final Bowl Championship Series and AP polls in two of the last three seasons. On the gridiron, the Cardinals were the 2006 champions of the Big East Conference and the 2007 Orange Bowl.
UofL's fanbase is strongest in the greater Louisville area and Western Kentucky (particularly in the cities of Bowling Green, Paducah, and Owensboro), but has expanded into other parts of state in recent years, especially in the Northern Kentucky and the Lexington/Frankfort areas. UofL has cable tv and radio affiliates throughout the state.
The total sales of UofL merchandise has tripled since 2001, now ranking 32nd nationally in sales. Since 1997, the school has spent over $150 million, all from private funding, in upgrading its sports facilities. Since 2004, UofL has won conference titles in eight sports. UofL currently fields 13 women's teams and 10 men's teams.
Louisville team sports
Baseball
- Team Established: 1909
- All Time Record: 1,356-1,284 (.513)
- 2006 record: 31-29
- Playing Facility: Jim Patterson Stadium (2005)
- Head Coach: Dan McDonnell
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2007
- College World Series Appearances: 1 (2007)
- Conference Titles: 2
- Drafted Players: 50
- Players In The MLB system: 5
Men's Basketball
- Team Established: 1911
- All Time Record: 1,529-816 (.652)
- Playing Facility: Freedom Hall (1956)
- Court: Denny Crum Court (2007)
- Head Coach: Rick Pitino
- National Titles: 2
- NCAA Final Fours: 8
- Conference Titles: 11
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 33
- NIT Appearances: 14
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2007
- All-Americans: 18
- Drafted Players: 71
- Players In The NBA: 1 (Fransico Garcia)
| National Championship Years |
|---|
| 1980, 1986 |
| Final Four Years |
|---|
| 1959 |
| 1972 |
| 1975 |
| 1980 |
| 1982 |
| 1983 |
| 1986 |
| 2005 |
UofL's basketball tradition was established by Muhlenberg County native, Coach Bernard "Peck" Hickman. The Cards never had a losing season in Hickman's 23 years, prior to his arrival the team had only had 11 winning seasons. In 1956, Hickman's team won the NIT, then considered a national championship on a par with the NCAA tournament. After retiring he became the school's A.D. and hired, then John Wooden assistant and future Hall of Famer, Denny Crum, who led the team to two NCAA's Division I basketball championships in 1980 and 1986 and eight Final Fours. The men's basketball team currently ranks fifth in all-time NCAA Tournament wins and has been in the top five in average attendance each year since the 1982-83 season. Perennial rivals include the University of Kentucky, University of Cincinnati, and the University of Memphis. Over the past 12 years, Marquette University has also become a heated rival.
The Cardinals' hired former Kentucky coach Rick Pitino in 2001, adding fuel to the UK rivalry. In the 2004-2005 season, Pitino led the Cardinals return to the Final Four after a 19-year absence.
Women's Basketball
- Team Established: 1975
- All Time Record: 547-390 (.583)
- 06-07 record: 26-8
- Playing Facility: Freedom Hall (1955)
- Head Coach: Jeff Walz
- Conference Titles: 12
- NCAA Appearances: 11
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2007
- All-Americans: 6
- Drafted Players: 2
Cheerleading
The cheerleading squads are also a national powerhouse, with the co-ed squad winning 11 NCA (National Cheer Association) championships since 1985 and the all girl squad winning 5 consecutive championships since 2001.
Dance Team
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Field hockey
- Team Established: 1976
- All Time Record: 229-286 (.444)
- Fall 2006 record: 12-8
- Playing Facility: Trager Stadium (2000)
- Head Coach: Pam Bustin
- Conference Titles: 3
- NCAA Appearances: 2
- Last NCAA Appearance: 3
- All-Americans: 3
The UofL women's field hockey team received the NFHCA Division I National Academic Team Award for their 3.65 GPA, which was the highest in the nation. [1] The team also won two MAC tourney titles in 2003 and 2004 and finished one game back in their first Big East season.
Football
- Team Established: 1912
- All Time Record: 425-405 (.51)
- 2006 Season record: 11-1
- Playing Facility: Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (1998)
- Head Coach: Steve Kragthorpe
- Conference Titles: 4
- Bowl Appearances: 13, incl. 9 straight
- Last Bowl Appearance: 2007 FedEx Orange Bowl
- All-Americans: 22
- Drafted Players: 85
- Players In The NFL: 21
Year after year, the Cardinals are the most overrated team in college football.
Under the guidance of head coaches John L. Smith (1998-2002) and Bobby Petrino (2003-2007), the Louisville football program has been to nine consecutive bowl games.
Under Coach Smith, the Cardinals spent 11 weeks in the AP Top 25, including a #17 final finish in 2000.
Under Coach Petrino, the Cardinals were ranked in all but three of the weekly AP polls since the beginning of the 2004 season. This includes a #6 final finish in both 2004 and 2006, as well as a #19 final finish in 2005.
In the 2004 season, the Cardinals went 11-1 and won the Conference USA Championship. The Cardinals went to the Liberty Bowl, where they defeated #10-ranked and previously-undefeated Boise State.
In 2005, the Cardinals finished 9-3 after falling to Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl and completed the season ranked #19 in the AP Poll and #20 in the Coaches' Poll.
In 2006, the Cardinals began the season ranked #13 in the AP poll and finished the season with a 12-1 record, their first Big East Conference title and completed the season with a 24-13 victory over the Atlantic Coast Conference champion Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the FedEx Orange Bowl. The Cards finished the 2006 season ranked #6 in the AP Poll and #7 in the Coaches Poll, while being ranked #6 in the Bowl Championship Series Poll
On January 9, 2007, Steve Kragthorpe was introduced as the new head coach of the Cardinals, within 48 hours after Bobby Petrino announced his departure to take the head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League.
None of the football program's recent success would have been possible without the vision and efforts of former coach Howard Schnellenberger, who was the head coach from 1985-1994. His greatest achievement at UofL was a 34-7 drubbing of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 1991 Fiesta Bowl, which culminated in UofL's first national ranking (11th) and a 10-1-1 record.
The University of Louisville football program's home is Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.
Retired numbers
- The only number retired by the University of Louisville's football program is #16, which was worn by NFL legend Johnny Unitas. A statue of Unitas prominently overlooks the north end zone of Cardinal Stadium and is touched by every Cardinal as he enters the field prior to kickoff.
Retired jerseys
- UofL has retired the jerseys (not the numbers) of the following former Cardinal football players: Bruce Armstrong, Ray Buchanan, Doug Buffone, Ernie Green, Tom Jackson, Joe Jacoby, Otto Knop, Lenny Lyles, Sam Madison, Frank Minnifield, Chris Redman, Otis Wilson, Roman Oben, Dwayne Woodruff, and Jeff Brohm.
| Football All-Time Bowl Appearances |
|---|
| 1958 - Sun Bowl |
| 1970 - Pasadena Bowl |
| 1977 - Independence Bowl |
| 1991 - Sunkist Fiesta Bowl |
| 1993 - St. Jude Liberty Bowl |
| 1998 - Motor City Bowl |
| 1999 - Humanitarian Bowl |
| 2000 - AXA Liberty Bowl |
| 2001 - AXA Liberty Bowl |
| 2002 - GMAC Bowl |
| 2003 - GMAC Bowl |
| 2004 - AutoZone Liberty Bowl |
| 2005 - Toyota Gator Bowl |
| 2006 - FedEx Orange Bowl |
Rowing
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Lacrosse
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To be added in 2007
Soccer
Women's
- Team Established: 1985
- All Time Record: 125-234 (.348)
- Fall 2005 record: 11-7
- Playing Facility: Cardinal Park Soccer and Track Stadium (2000)
- Head Coach: Karen Ferguson
- Conference Titles: 0
- All Americans: 1
Men's
- Team Established: 1979
- All Time Record: 185-272 (.404)
- Fall 2005 Record: 5-11
- Playing Facility: Cardinal Park Soccer and Track Stadium (2000)
- Head Coach: Tony Colevechia
- Conference Titles: 2
Softball
- Team Established: 2000
- All time record: 259-157 (.622)
- 2006 record: 48-10
- Playing Facility: Ulmer Stadium (2000)
- Head Coach: Sandy Pearson
- Conference championships: 2
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 2
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2006
- All-Americans: 1
Volleyball
- Team Established: 1975
- All Time Record: 662-360 (.647)
- Playing Facility: Cardinal Arena (1990)
- Record at Cardinal Arena: 153-19
- Head Coach: Leonid Yelin
- Conference Titles: 16
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 14
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2005
- All-Americans: 2
Volleyball has traditionally been one of UofL's most successful programs, led by head coach Leonid Yelin, whoose .772 career winning percentage ranks 9th among active coaches. During the 2005 season, UofL was ranked as high as #6 en route to a 30-3 record, a regular season tie for the Big East title, and a second straight trip to the Sweet 16. The team also had an average attendance of 1,215 per game in their 840 seat Cardinal Arena, with fans turned away at several games. Currently UofL is seeking state funding to expand the arena to better meet fan demands and prevent unsafe "standing room only" crowds. UofL also hosted both the 2005 Big East Volleyball tournament and the first two rounds of NCAA volleyball tournament at the Kentucky International Expo Center in Downtown Louisville.
In 2005, two Cardinals, seniors Lena Ustymenko and Jennifer Hoffman, were named second team All-American. Previously only one Big East volleyball player had been named an All-American. [2] Ustymenko was also named the 2005 Big East player of the year and Hoffman led the nation in hitting percentage in the Card's 6-2 offense. [3] The program has won 14 of its last 15 conference titles (with another in 1983) and has been to the NCAA tourney 16 times since 1982, with 44 players making their all-conference team. The team has a 153-19 all time record at Cardinal Arena.
Cross Country
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Golf
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Swimming And Diving
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Tennis
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Conference Championships
Sport Facilities
| Facility | Team | Capacity | Year built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Papa John's Cardinal Stadium | Football | 42,000 (being expanded to 63,600) | 1998 |
| Freedom Hall | Basketball teams | 19,000 (proposed arena would be at 22,000) | 1957 |
| Cardinal Park Soccer and Track Stadium | Soccer and Track & Field teams | 2,200 | 2000 |
| Jim Patterson Stadium | Baseball | 1,500 | 2005 |
| Cardinal Arena | Volleyball | 840 | 1992 |
| Ralph Wright Natatorium | Swimming | 800 | 2005 |
| Ulmer Stadium | Softball | 700 | 2000 |
| Trager Stadium | Field Hockey | 600 | 2000 |
| Bass Rudd Tennis Center | Tennis | 400 | 1994 |
| Lacrosse Field | Women's Lacrosse | 300 | 2006 |
| Trager Center Indoor Practice Facility | Football/Track | none | 2006 |
| Yum! Center Practice Facility | Basketball/Volleyball | none | 2007 |
| Olympic Sports Practice Facility | Soccer/Track/Field Hockey | 2007 |
| UofL Team | All Time Record | Winning Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Basketball | 1,529-816 | 65.202% |
| Volleyball | 687-367 | 65.180% |
| Softball | 259-147 | 62.2% |
| Women's Basketball | 547-390 | 58.377% |
| Football | 426-405 | 51.3% |
| Baseball | 1,316-1,264 | 51.2% |
| Field Hockey | 229-286 | 44.4% |
| Men's Soccer | 190-282 | 40.2% |
| Women's Soccer | 138-239 | 36.7% |
| Overall | 5,270-4,178 | 55.9% |
Fan Support
| Team | National Attendance Rank |
|---|---|
| Men's Basketball | 4th [4] |
| Women's Field Hockey | 7th [5] |
| Men's Soccer | 17th [6] |
| Women's basketball | 25th |
| Volleyball | 30th [7] |
| Football | 54th [8] |
Average Per-Game Attendance by Sport, 2005-2006
| Team | 06/07 Attendance | 05/06 Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| Football | 42,481 | 41,101 |
| Men's Basketball | 18,645 | |
| Women's Basketball | 2,649 | |
| Volleyball | 1,215* | |
| Men's Soccer | 1,325 | 1,075 |
| Baseball | 523 | |
| Softball | 365 | |
| Women's Soccer | 554 | 332 |
| Field Hockey | 323 | 237 |
- Volleyball total includes three games at the 3,000 seat Kentucky International Convention Center.
Notable athletic alumni
Radio affiliates
Rivalry with Kentucky
The Louisville Cardinals are part of what is widely considered one of the most intense college rivalries in the U.S. It is also one of the few rivalries to be equally intense in basketball and football, and practically every other sport as well. The men's basketball game is called the Battle for the Bluegrass; the football game is officially called the Governor's Cup.
Unlike many in-state rivalries that have been played continuously for many decades, these two schools went through a long period from the 1930s to the 1980s of rarely facing each other. They did play frequently from the 1900s to 1920's, with UK dominating in both sports. The results have been mixed since the renewal of the Men's basketball rivalry in 1983 and football in 1994, with UK dominating the basketball rivalry (16 of 23 or 69.5%) and UofL dominating the football rivalry (9 of 13 or 69.2%) by almost identical percentages.
UofL's success in football has been aided by University of Kentucky alumni, such as former Head Football Coach Howard Schnellenberger, Co-Defensive Coordinator Mike Cassity, and Assistant Coach Greg Nord, as well as Lexington-area players Eric Shelton, David Akers, Frank Minnifield, and Travis Leffew. Additionally, native Louisvillians such as Brian Brohm and Michael Bush have helped move Louisville Football to an upper tier football program. Louisville also recruits heavily out of Florida.
In 2006, UofL overtook UK in the number of college license plates (18,300 to 17000).
Sports trivia
- Within the intrastate rivalry with UK, the team that has won the football game has lost the following basketball game every year, except in 2003 when UofL won both.
- In 2005, UofL was among only a handful of schools to average better than 97 percent attendance to capacity in volleyball, men's basketball, and football.
- The film "The Replacements" was based on former Cardinal quarterback Ed Rubbert (played by Keanu Reeves), who led the Washington Redskins' 1987 strike team to a 3-0 record en route to the franchise's Super Bowl XXI championship.
- The high five was popularized by the Cardinal basketball team during its run to the 1980 NCAA Championship.
- UofL is one of two universities in the state of Kentucky to have a women's rowing team, the other being Murray State University.
- The UofL football program annually plays for the Governor's Cup (awarded to the winner of the Louisville-Kentucky football game) and the Keg of Nails (awarded to the winner of the Louisville-Cincinnati football game). Both currently reside in Louisville.
- The Cardinal volleyball team has won 14 of the last 15 conference championships. In the past two years the team has a combined 60-6 record with consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 appearances.
- The 2006 Baseball Cardinals broke the Big East Conference Tournament record with a .409 batting average.[9]
References
See also
External links
- University of Louisville official athletic website
- Big East Conference official website
- InsideTheVille.com - unofficial website
- Cardinalsports.com - unofficial website of the Louisville Sports Report
City of Louisville and metro area | ||
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| History |  | |
| Geography | ||
| Government |
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| Transportation | ||
| Other subject areas | ||
| Top subjects | ||
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| Full members |  | |
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