LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Nearly five years later, the University of Louisville has renamed the football program's home stadium.
During a special meeting Monday afternoon, UofL's Board of Trustees voted to name Cardinal Stadium the "L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium."
The 20-year, $41-million contract ensures naming rights for the football stadium through 2042, university officials said.
Chris Brown, CEO/President of L&N, said he is proud to have the company's name on the stadium.
“L&N has been a long-standing partner with the University and, ironically, the credit union had its start on the same site as the stadium in 1954," Brown said. "We are aligned with Josh Heird’s vision and it’s our honor to be associated with a great program.”
UofL Athletic Director Josh Heird said he's looking forward to continuing a relationship with the credit union.
“We wanted an entity that was aligned with our mission statement and invested in the community and the University," Heird said. "We’ve found that and more with the L&N Federal Credit Union and their leadership team."
Heird adds this investment will greatly help the athletic department financially.
"It’s a big impact. I'm not kidding here, it's a really big impact." He said. "We got to make sure that our fans trust what we’re doing, that we’re making really good decisions, and they believe in what we’re doing. I think if we can do that, we can get back to a really good spot financially. But that’s going to take time.”
UofL football head coach Jeff Brown says it's a contribution they're all thankful for.
"When those things happen we all need to do our part," he said. "And I think us thanking them is winning football games and putting a good product out on the field."
In July 2018, the university removed "Papa John's" from the stadium's name after John Schnatter said he used a racial slur during a May conference call.
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