Fans of University of Louisville athletics expecting changes on the UofL Board of Trustees are going to be disappointed. Nothing will change for now. That’s despite the fact that the terms of two members have technically expired this month.
The official listing on the UofL web site indicates that the terms of Mary R. Nixon, current Chairman of the Board, and James M. Rogers were set to end January 13, 2024. That date has come and gone, someone may need to remind Governor Andy Beshear.
Even though their terms have expired, Nixon and Rogers will remain on the board, according to John Drees, vice president of Communications & Marketing. “They will continue to serve on the board until the Governor appoints new members,” he told CardGame. “The dates are correct in the board listings but they will continue to attend board meetings and be part of the governing process.”
Critics of the board believe the trustees could be much more supportive of athletics. They also believe the board should include more UofL alumni who have been more active in supporting the school financially.
Nixon, a graduate of Western Kentucky University, is considered by some to be lukewarm about UofL athletics. Her curriculum vitae indicates that her expertise is in corporate accounting, taxes and auditing.
Rogers, although a graduate of the UofL School of Business, was the trustee who made the motion in 2016 to fire Tom Jurich, the former Vice President of Athletics. His action remains highly controversial because of the things Jurich accomplished at UofL, including the program’s entry into the Atlantic Coast Conference on July 1, 2014.
Diane Porter, another member of the board and a UofL grad, recently resigned from the Jefferson County Board of Education for health reasons. But she has made no statements regarding her future on the UofL board.
* * *
Notably, there are are no graduates of the University of Kentucky serving on the current board. Other members of the Board and their undergraduate ties.
Jerry Abramson, UofL, term expires Jan. 13, 2027.
Raymond Burse, Centre College, Jan. 13, 2025.
Larry Benz, Bowling Green University, Jan. 13, 2028.
Alfonso Cornish, University of Maryland, Jan. 13, 2026.
Brian Lavin, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Jan. 13, 2029.
Dianne Medley, UofL, Jan. 13, 2025.
Sherrill Zimmerman, UofL, Jan. 2027.
Katie Hayden, UofL student representative
Kevin Ledford, UofL faculty representative