Amused by the article's description of their campus when Jurich arrived as an "industrial wasteland". That's my recollection as well. I'm sure they've had a building boom like most other public universities but the setting remains the same. Pick UC's campus up (circa 1975) and place it next to Ivorydale and you get the idea.

Before the dust settles there, I expect the endowment to come under close scrutiny. I won't be surprised if some creative accounting went on there too, especially with money for athletics. Unless a school is elite, endowment growth doesn't happen quickly as many large donor gifts are spent now for capital improvements and never add a penny to the endowment bucket.

The perceived advantage Louisville had over UC in athletics--not operating in a major league city, ultimately led to much of this. U of L became the surrogate for major league sports in that town and the curtain has now been pulled back to reveal the dark side of what it took to build that machine.

We on this board dissect wins and losses daily and bemoan coaches, the conference and the state of Bearcat athletics. But there has never been a better time in the history of our University: the world class campus, record enrollment, student academic success, research funding, rising national rankings, a top public U. endowment and some fine new athletic facilities online and underway. Much to be proud of in view of the dumpster fire going on 100 miles down I-71.

U of L achieved a lot in athletics but the university remains inferior to UC in most all areas.

(12-11-2017 07:56 PM)bearcatmill Wrote:  

(12-11-2017 07:08 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(12-11-2017 05:26 PM)BearcatsUC Wrote:  

(12-10-2017 12:50 PM)Bearcat 1985 Wrote:  Horrible institution and an indictment of everything wrong with American higher education. And for all their "success," they're still taking subsidies from the students and academic side.

Honestly, I'm really shocked that some here are looking at UL with some kind of "wish we'd done it" viewpoint. This so-called university has literally saddled taxpayers with a billion dollar tab. It, most likely illegally, siphoned money from an already meager endowment to build its AD. Is Louisville seriously any more respectable as a university than before any of this madness? No. Now, it's just a ****** commuter school that bought its way into a P5 conference with likely disastrous results in the near and possibly long term. UL isn't something to be admired. As its house of cards collapses, it's something to be viewed as a cautionary tale when an obsession with rising into the upper ranks of college athletics clouds any institutional judgement and morality regarding why a university exists in the first place.

Despite lack of institutional control, UL’s endowment is not meager. It’s over $700m and I believe it has been growing more quickly than UC’s.

Saw recently ours is now up to $1.3m.

You mean $1.3 billion

Sorry— 1.3 billion— and that was as of June 2017.

(12-12-2017 09:16 AM)OKIcat Wrote:  Amused by the article's description of their campus when Jurich arrived as an "industrial wasteland". That's my recollection as well. I'm sure they've had a building boom like most other public universities but the setting remains the same. Pick UC's campus up (circa 1975) and place it next to Ivorydale and you get the idea.

Before the dust settles there, I expect the endowment to come under close scrutiny. I won't be surprised if some creative accounting went on their too, especially with money for athletics. Unless a school is elite, endowment growth doesn't happen quickly as many large donor gifts are spent now for capital improvements and never add a penny to the endowment bucket.

The perceived advantage Louisville had over UC in athletics--not operating in a major league city, ultimately led to much of this. U of L became the surrogate for major league sports in that town and the curtain has now been pulled back to reveal the dark side of what it took to build that machine.

We on this board dissect wins and losses daily and bemoan coaches, the conference and the state of Bearcat athletics. But there has never been a better time in the history of our University: the world class campus, record enrollment, student academic success, research funding, rising national rankings, a top public U. endowment and some fine new athletic facilities online and underway. Much to be proud of in view of the dumpster fire going on 100 miles down I-71.

U of L achieved a lot in athletics but the university remains inferior to UC in most all areas.

Agreed. My company, which has a sizable office in Louisville, will not recruit at UL. We've found that the quality of their graduates and general preparedness for the workforce is lacking....to put it mildly. Even the cooperation from the university itself is pretty pathetic.

I just drove from Lexington to Louisville today on 64


They have a UL Golf and Country Club now...WTF?

(12-10-2017 05:55 PM)Ragpicker Wrote:  

(12-10-2017 12:37 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(12-10-2017 12:17 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  Good thing the ACC is going to kick them out...

not.

Like in many stories, the lesson here is that being dirty pays off if you have enough money.

This.

20 years ago Louisville athletics mirrored UC athletics. In many ways we were ahead of them. Today they have a ton of hardware and are a household name.

At the end of the day, despite the embarrassment they are going through, they will remain in the ACC and be a national player in both revenue sports m, while we will still be broke as hell in the AAC.

Bob Goin, with the support of Joe Steger, did whatever it took to get UC into the Big East. They understood, found a way, and made it happen.

Since then, self-promoting carnival barkers and snowflakes have done irreparable harm. Enjoying UC athletics these last few months? Anyone? Anyone?

Sad that a AA soccer team has captured the imagination of the city.

Was wondering who would look at UofL right now with jealousy. Not shocked!

And what on earth do "snowflakes" have to do with UC not being in a top athletic conference?

http://www.ulgc.net/About-Us/The-new-ULGC.aspx

FSources have told Insider Louisville the University of Louisville has been in negotiations to acquire Cardinal Country Club, where U of L’s golf team practices, after Cardinal membership declined during the recession.ormerly the Cardinal Country Club

I think the value was in the land,,not the golf operations..
a common play in declining golf revenues..

Another article on the subject...

College Basketball Made Louisville, Then Broke It
Money ruled everything around this basketball-mad university town long before the Adidas bribery scandal.
By Joe Nocera , Eben Novy-Williams , and Michael McDonald
December 13, 2017, 2:00 AM PST

The first basketball practice was just days away, and in Louisville the expectations were high. Although the University of Louisville Cardinals had lost several top players, they had an influx of new talent, especially Brian Bowen, a highly regarded prospect from Saginaw, Mich. In the preseason polls, the team was ranked in the top 20. Two years earlier the basketball program had suffered an awful scandal—an assistant coach had been exposed for hiring strippers to entertain recruits and players—but the furor had died down. Now the fans were mostly concerned with whether the NCAA would lessen the sanctions it had initially imposed.

Article

(12-13-2017 11:24 AM)OregonBearcat Wrote:  Another article on the subject...

College Basketball Made Louisville, Then Broke It
Money ruled everything around this basketball-mad university town long before the Adidas bribery scandal.
By Joe Nocera , Eben Novy-Williams , and Michael McDonald
December 13, 2017, 2:00 AM PST

The first basketball practice was just days away, and in Louisville the expectations were high. Although the University of Louisville Cardinals had lost several top players, they had an influx of new talent, especially Brian Bowen, a highly regarded prospect from Saginaw, Mich. In the preseason polls, the team was ranked in the top 20. Two years earlier the basketball program had suffered an awful scandal—an assistant coach had been exposed for hiring strippers to entertain recruits and players—but the furor had died down. Now the fans were mostly concerned with whether the NCAA would lessen the sanctions it had initially imposed.

Article

Thanks for the link. The Adidas money seems to be only the tip of the rot at that place. I can't fathom how anyone can look at what went on at Louisville and think it was worth it just so the foosball could get into a P5. What went on there is shaping up to be the most disturbing series of events, warped institutional priorities and betrayal of public taxpayers' trust in US higher education during my lifetime. The Penn State and Baylor scandals are the only things that I think can rival it.

(12-13-2017 01:06 PM)Bearcat 1985 Wrote:  

(12-13-2017 11:24 AM)OregonBearcat Wrote:  Another article on the subject...

College Basketball Made Louisville, Then Broke It
Money ruled everything around this basketball-mad university town long before the Adidas bribery scandal.
By Joe Nocera , Eben Novy-Williams , and Michael McDonald
December 13, 2017, 2:00 AM PST

The first basketball practice was just days away, and in Louisville the expectations were high. Although the University of Louisville Cardinals had lost several top players, they had an influx of new talent, especially Brian Bowen, a highly regarded prospect from Saginaw, Mich. In the preseason polls, the team was ranked in the top 20. Two years earlier the basketball program had suffered an awful scandal—an assistant coach had been exposed for hiring strippers to entertain recruits and players—but the furor had died down. Now the fans were mostly concerned with whether the NCAA would lessen the sanctions it had initially imposed.

Article

Thanks for the link. The Adidas money seems to be only the tip of the rot at that place. I can't fathom how anyone can look at what went on at Louisville and think it was worth it just so the foosball could get into a P5. What went on there is shaping up to be the most disturbing series of events, warped institutional priorities and betrayal of public taxpayers' trust in US higher education during my lifetime. The Penn State and Baylor scandals are the only things that I think can rival it.

All this is bad, but if we are being honest this won't harm them in the grand scheme of things. Despite all of these shenanigans applications and enrollment has been up at UofL the past 4 years. I'd be shocked to see a decline next year too.

For all the horror stories about how terrible their academics are, a colleague of mine went to UofL undergrad (UD Law) and is a very successful attorney in this state. My sister went to nursing school there and she does quite well.

(12-13-2017 01:06 PM)Bearcat 1985 Wrote:  

(12-13-2017 11:24 AM)OregonBearcat Wrote:  Another article on the subject...

College Basketball Made Louisville, Then Broke It
Money ruled everything around this basketball-mad university town long before the Adidas bribery scandal.
By Joe Nocera , Eben Novy-Williams , and Michael McDonald
December 13, 2017, 2:00 AM PST

The first basketball practice was just days away, and in Louisville the expectations were high. Although the University of Louisville Cardinals had lost several top players, they had an influx of new talent, especially Brian Bowen, a highly regarded prospect from Saginaw, Mich. In the preseason polls, the team was ranked in the top 20. Two years earlier the basketball program had suffered an awful scandal—an assistant coach had been exposed for hiring strippers to entertain recruits and players—but the furor had died down. Now the fans were mostly concerned with whether the NCAA would lessen the sanctions it had initially imposed.

Article

Thanks for the link. The Adidas money seems to be only the tip of the rot at that place. I can't fathom how anyone can look at what went on at Louisville and think it was worth it just so the foosball could get into a P5. What went on there is shaping up to be the most disturbing series of events, warped institutional priorities and betrayal of public taxpayers' trust in US higher education during my lifetime. The Penn State and Baylor scandals are the only things that I think can rival it.

Good article. The sports apparel companies are loco. Nike (and I guess the others) signed a lease last year in Manhattan, moving from a Trump property, to another that is like 700 Million ;ease. BTW they have years left on the Trump lease so the new landlord will give Trump 200 Million buyout. There is no way they make a profit at that Niketown store, it is really interactive advertising.

(12-13-2017 01:13 PM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(12-13-2017 01:06 PM)Bearcat 1985 Wrote:  

(12-13-2017 11:24 AM)OregonBearcat Wrote:  Another article on the subject...

College Basketball Made Louisville, Then Broke It
Money ruled everything around this basketball-mad university town long before the Adidas bribery scandal.
By Joe Nocera , Eben Novy-Williams , and Michael McDonald
December 13, 2017, 2:00 AM PST

The first basketball practice was just days away, and in Louisville the expectations were high. Although the University of Louisville Cardinals had lost several top players, they had an influx of new talent, especially Brian Bowen, a highly regarded prospect from Saginaw, Mich. In the preseason polls, the team was ranked in the top 20. Two years earlier the basketball program had suffered an awful scandal—an assistant coach had been exposed for hiring strippers to entertain recruits and players—but the furor had died down. Now the fans were mostly concerned with whether the NCAA would lessen the sanctions it had initially imposed.

Article

Thanks for the link. The Adidas money seems to be only the tip of the rot at that place. I can't fathom how anyone can look at what went on at Louisville and think it was worth it just so the foosball could get into a P5. What went on there is shaping up to be the most disturbing series of events, warped institutional priorities and betrayal of public taxpayers' trust in US higher education during my lifetime. The Penn State and Baylor scandals are the only things that I think can rival it.

All this is bad, but if we are being honest this won't harm them in the grand scheme of things. Despite all of these shenanigans applications and enrollment has been up at UofL the past 4 years. I'd be shocked to see a decline next year too.

All of which begs the question, which has been raised by others, why not cheat? if there are no material consequences and others are doing it, why not? Who was the last institution to fall from grace and not recover? SMU?

(12-13-2017 05:35 PM)eroc Wrote:  All of which begs the question, which has been raised by others, why not cheat? if there are no material consequences and others are doing it, why not? Who was the last institution to fall from grace and not recover? SMU?

Well, in this current scandal, a few assistants have been criminally indicted by the federal government. And Pitino and Jurich have been fired. This isn't over yet.

Also, I know we're far down the path of schools having sold their souls for big time athletics, but these colleges are still nominally in the business of educating kids and doing research and generally being a force for good in the world and a benefit to their communities. It's not a great look when the local university is in the papers because the basketball team is under investigation by the FBI.

And the other thing that sickens me about the events at Louisville is that now, when P5 jackholes like Gordon Gee start talking about which schools don't belong they'll be able to point to Louisville and cast doubt on any school that's trying to make the investment to move up.

I'm sure if the ACC could get rid of UofL they would. Yes they got a Heisman winner, but no one will remember that in a few years. At least UofL is now taking a hit for everything underhanded they did, and with how poor of shape Kentucky's state finances are in, it could be a lean times ahead for the academic side.

Clearly, the ACC didn't care about academics when admitting Louisville so they'd be hard pressed to dismiss them from the conference on that basis. Has a school ever been bounced from any conference because of NCAA infractions, malfeasance, or illegalities on the athletic side? Not sure, but I don't think so.

For Louisville though, I think it gets worse before it gets better.

(12-13-2017 10:48 PM)Section 200 Wrote:  I'm sure if the ACC could get rid of UofL they would. Yes they got a Heisman winner, but no one will remember that in a few years. At least UofL is now taking a hit for everything underhanded they did, and with how poor of shape Kentucky's state finances are in, it could be a lean times ahead for the academic side.

Yeah North Carolina, Miami and Syracuse are embarrassed by Louisville's actions.. embarrassed they didn't think of some of their shenanigan's themselves.

I know we all want to be in the ACC, but to be honest you have to play dirty in that league. There are no saints over there. Back in the late 70s BC had a point shaving scandal for crying out loud.

Let's not forget what the true missions of a university. Education and research. Athletics serves as a means to tie alumni for donations and as an advertising media to attract students.

That said look what happens if you drop football. Xavier dropped football and they have ugly girls.

(12-10-2017 12:56 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  Cheating pays...at least in college sports

Its proven over and over again.

This. It's really that simple. U of L has something UC never will with ACC membership, having a seat at the table that matters.

(12-14-2017 09:19 AM)doss2 Wrote:  Let's not forget what the true missions of a university. Education and research. Athletics serves as a means to tie alumni for donations and as an advertising media to attract students.

That said look what happens if you drop football. Xavier dropped football and they have ugly girls.

The ugliest.

(12-14-2017 09:30 AM)Marcus Wrote:  

(12-10-2017 12:56 PM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  Cheating pays...at least in college sports

Its proven over and over again.

This. It's really that simple. U of L has something UC never will with ACC membership, having a seat at the table that matters.

Once you are in the club, you can do whatever you want. U of L did what was needed to elevate the athletic department, hoping it would extend to the rest of the University.

Those P5 schools, as well as individuals such as Gordon Gee, still point to SMU when discussing everything wrong with college athletics. However, SMU was child's play compared to Penn St/community of State College harboring/covering up a pedophile, Baylor covering up sexual assaults, Miami U(FL) and all their criminal/booster transgressions, UNC have a 30yr academic fraud scandal, the DOJ had to clean up xavier's sexual assault issues and now UofL.

Nothing is going to happen to UofL. This will be all forgotten in a few years, especially if they win a big bowl or make a deep run in March.