All Entries Tagged With: "Papa John’s Cardnal Stadium"

Tom Jurich And The Louisville Football Promise

Season ticket sales for the upcoming University of Louisville football season are reportedly down 6,000 from last year. This is regrettable but not surprising, given all the grumbling surrounding the program.

A significant portion of the non-renewals has to include avid fans who want to send a message to Vice President of Athletics Tom Jurich expressing their displeasure about the disappointing descent of the program under Coach Steve Kragthorpe over the last two seasons.

The number also includes a large number of Johnny-come-lately types, those who jumped on the bandwagon during the years leading up to the historic Orange Bowl victory.

And there are undoubtedly many individuals and families whose disposable incomes have been affected by a sour economy.

One suspects, however, that many from the above categories come from those who continually roam the concourses during games, those who show up late for game starts, and those who hit the exits early in spite of what is happening on the field.

On the other hand, the 27,000 ticket holders who will be at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium include people who know that U of L football will have its ups and downs. They may have serious doubts that Steve Kragthorpe is up to the job. However, they will be there for the program as they have been in the past, knowing their support is essential for future success.

They also are willing to tolerate the current coach, hoping Kragthorpe will defy the odds, hoping that he is a better manager of the game than he has demonstrated heretofore. They refuse to throw in the towel before a season has even begun.

They recognize that the long-term future of the program is defined in the steel framework of the expanding stadium. The construction is a guarantee that Tom Jurich will make the right decision at the right time to make good on his commitment to a much stronger future for the program.

...