I know that there is a group of people on here that really don't like the fact that Louisville's job.....is a very, very good job....and that the program is on a meteoric rise......I kind of relish that.

Legendary?

Disagree.

 

Gruden has no reason to take a college job, and Gundy has made OK State into one of the better jobs in the country. No reason for him to leave a good thing....

 

I think T. Boone Pickens has more to do with that than Gundy...although Gundy is a very good coach.

I think T. Boone Pickens has more to do with that than Gundy...although Gundy is a very good coach.

 

When funds will be pretty much unlimited I don't see why he would leave.

Legendary?

 

Considering that 15 years ago Louisville was playing in a crumbling minor league baseball stadium? That about 12 years prior to that they were about an inch away from cutting football?

 

I'd say so.

Considering that 15 years ago Louisville was playing in a crumbling minor league baseball stadium? That about 12 years prior to that they were about an inch away from cutting football?

 

I'd say so.

And South Florida football did not even exist 15 years ago so they must be in God like territory j/k

 

Look, UL is a solid program. There is no denying that. They have had a lot of advantages with respect to their conference affiliations and exposure during the past 15 years and to all their credit, they have taken full advantage of it in to what it has become today. Though I seriously question it ever becoming a college football power.... Though anything is possible with what they have done thus far if it keeps trending that direction. But it is tough to break that barrier I would say in to being regarded as one of the elite teams of college football in attracting recruits, money, facilities, etc.

My responses have been in response to the word "job", not program. No one is probably crazy enough to think it's a top 10 program....yet. But what I DO feel is that we're on our way, moving forward. People can make fun of the conferences all day long. At the end of the day UK/SEC fans' elitist attitude about SEC football is at the base of it. I'd rather be rising in a fledgeling conference, a mid-tier conference, or a solid conference others doubt than a perennial bottom feeder in THE best football conference. With the move to the ACC (laugh all you want, it's a huge step in the right direction), Strong staying, returning 19 starters, and an AD firmly committed to improvement, we will succeed. Yes, we are building a program. What's wrong with that? And why wouldn't a school invest in that?

 

As to the financial health of UL, the moves of the Athletic Department are funded BY the Athletic Department. As to the YUM! Center, the city and University took the step of severing the management from the KFEC (a state organization) and awareded it to AEG. Under the agreement, AEG absorbs the losses (if any), if I read it correctly. But there's already been substantial savings in the costs of management, and with an ever-growing list of events scheduled, looks to be solidly producing revenue in short order. And there's already an initiative to increase it's potential. Louisville has bid on being a host site for the Olympic Swimming trials in, I believe, 2016. To do so would mean installing an Olympic pool under the YUM! Center and another pool (practice) down on River Road. I'm not sure what I think of it from an overall perspective, but I can definitely see potential for the future for NCAA events, etc.

 

Never fear....UL will survive and thrive!

Edited December 7, 201213 yr by rockmom

Using what criteria?

 

Come on RM. You are better than this. Use absolutely any criteria you want. Your bias is fine as well as where mine is, but really?.....Geez.

As to the financial health of UL, the moves of the Athletic Department are funded BY the Athletic Department. As to the YUM! Center, the city and University took the step of severing the management from the KFEC (a state organization) and awareded it to AEG. Under the agreement, AEG absorbs the losses (if any), if I read it correctly. But there's already been substantial savings in the costs of management, and with an ever-growing list of events scheduled, looks to be solidly producing revenue in short order. And there's already an initiative to increase it's potential. Louisville has bid on being a host site for the Olympic Swimming trials in, I believe, 2016. To do so would mean installing an Olympic pool under the YUM! Center and another pool (practice) down on River Road. I'm not sure what I think of it from an overall perspective, but I can definitely see potential for the future for NCAA events, etc.

 

The Olympic trials would be a phenomenal event, but it's the construction of a temporary pool over the top of the existing floor. It would be removed as soon as the trials are complete.

 

Moving management away from the Fair Board (which is awful) and moving management to AEG was a big step in the right direction for the arena.

The Olympic trials would be a phenomenal event, but it's the construction of a temporary pool over the top of the existing floor. It would be removed as soon as the trials are complete.

 

Moving management away from the Fair Board (which is awful) and moving management to AEG was a big step in the right direction for the arena.

 

 

Pool...I could SWEAR I read they were going to install it permanently UNDER the floor. Well, that blows a hole in my dissertation. :lol: Still would be an awesome event for Louisville.

Come on RM. You are better than this. Use absolutely any criteria you want. Your bias is fine as well as where mine is, but really?.....Geez.

 

So I'm biased toward Louisville. I'm supposed to aplogize?

 

As to my question, I feel "criteria" is subjective. I listed what my criteria were to another question. Why can't I ask what criteria another may be applying?

Pool...I could SWEAR I read they were going to install it permanently UNDER the floor. Well, that blows a hole in my dissertation. :lol: Still would be an awesome event for Louisville.

 

You could be right. I'm working off three-week-old memory of an article in Business First. I do recall them saying that they would also have to build a permanent second facility off River Road in order to accommodate the event.

You could be right. I'm working off three-week-old memory of an article in Business First. I do recall them saying that they would also have to build a permanent second facility off River Road in order to accommodate the event.

 

OK...now searching the web, I can only find that they'd build 2 pools, and both would be donated to area schools and colleges afterward....so I think now they're both temporary. Which is cool too.

 

I also found a bit of info about the AEG deal. The contract guarantees $1M in profit each year. YTD (fiscal I assume) YUM! is operating at -$330K. But that was before this latest onslaught of concert announcements. I shook my Magic 8 Ball. It came up "Outlook Good". :lol:

 

I

All Strong has to do is leave and I think UL fans would QUICKLY realize this isn't currently a top ten job. It's definitely a good job and headed in the right direction, but not top ten...

The public debt is what is killing the arena. It simply isn't producing the tax revenue that some had forecasted for the surrounding area. UL may profit but the city is getting fleeced.

There's a lot I could say about the arena, but why waste my time when Eric Crawford has already done an excellent job?

 

And when it came time to negotiate a deal for that arena, U of L did so in order to protect itself from one scenario above all others -- to have the city use U of L's reputation and stability as an anchor tenant to get a downtown arena built, only to be elbowed out of the way after construction was complete to bring in an NBA team when one became available. U of L doesn't want to be the professional equivalent of the person who supports and helps someone all the way through professional school, only to see them "upgrade" once the higher status is attained.

That's why the current contract between U of L and the arena is essentially NBA-proof. And the interest in city leaders now in bringing an NBA team shows that negotiating such a deal was, in retrospect, pretty wise for U of L.

So now, in addition to an arena financing problem, and a problem of finding an interested NBA team, city leadership has a U of L problem if it wants to make these things work.

What can't be argued by that leadership is that U of L has not delivered on its side of things. City leaders point to the 40 home games a year that NBA teams play and the amount of revenue that would draw into the Tax Increment Financing District. And they are right. It would.

But in terms of bringing fans through the doors -- and downtown to the TIF district to spend money -- U of L basketball has delivered just fine. In fact, in the first year of arena operation, U of L men's basketball alone delivered 517,777 fans in 24 home dates, exhibitions included. What few counted on was women's basketball adding nearly 12,000 per game, or 165,892 fans coming downtown for 15 home dates and one exhibition.

So here's the number. Men and women combined for 683,669 fans in 39 home dates in 2010-11, the last year for which there was a full slate of 41 NBA home games.

Compare U of L's 683,669 with the Indiana Pacers attendance that season -- 555,077 for 41 home dates. In fact, the combined U of L attendance figures outdrew the 41-game regular-season totals for the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, New Jersey Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats and Detroit Pistons.