By Whitney Spencer

2000

With the bulldozers clearing the way for a state of the art softball field at Cardinal Park, all that remained to be set in place for the newly-formed softball team was the players themselves. Towards that end, head coach Sandy Pearsall inked 12 signees who made up the nucleus of the fledgling Cardinal team.
The University of Louisville football team finished with a 9-3 record, ended the season at the top of the Conference USA and visited their third consecutive bowl game.
Men’s tennis head coach Rex Ecarma won Conference USA coach of the year after the conference championships. Men’s tennis player Joachim Lien was also named freshman of the year in the conference.
All-American guard Jill Morton became the first U of L women’s basketball player to be drafted in the WNBA draft, going to the Charlotte Sting with the 34th overall pick.

2001

In March of 2001, after weeks of negative commentary and a $7 million buyout, the 30-year career of men’s basketball head coach Denny Crum came to an end. The season had been full of confusion, as Crum insisted he would be back to U of L, while athletic director Tom Jurich said he could not guarantee the return of Crum. The Cards finished the season with a record of 11-18.
In the latter part of March, Rick Pitino was named head coach of U of L, five years after leading the University of Kentucky to its sixth national championship.
The football team visited their fourth straight bowl game, finishing 11-2, with the top spot in the Conference USA. The Cards went on to win the Liberty Bowl and finished the season ranked 17th in the nation.

2002

Athletic director Tom Jurich signed a contract extending his term at U of L through 2016.
The Ladybirds dance team won their third national Division IA title.
Head football coach John L. Smith controversially left U of L for Michigan State University, after accepting the job before U of L’s bowl game, and then telling the team during halftime of the game.
Bobby Petrino was named head coach of the football team on the 23rd of December, to become the 19th head football coach at U of L.

2003

U of L was invited to join the Big East Conference, beginning in 2005.
In Petrino’s first year as head coach, the Cards finished with a 9-4 record and tied for third in the Conference USA. They once again reached a bowl game.
In December, during the annual Battle of the Bluegrass rivalry on the hardwood, the 20th-ranked Cards upset the second-ranked UK Wildcats.
Freshman tennis player Jhonny Berrido was named Conference USA freshman of the year, after posting a 33-8 singles record, the most victories for a freshman in school history.
Senior midfielder Adrian Cann became the first All-American in U of L men’s soccer history. Cann was also named All-Conference USA for the fourth time.
Senior guard Sara Nord was named Conference USA scholar athlete of the year in women’s basketball.

2004

In May, U of L launched its new athletics Web site, uoflsports.com, as a product of College Sports Online.
The football team had its most successful regular season to date and garnered its first Top 10 ranking. The team finished the season with a No. 7 Associated Press ranking and a No. 10 Bowl Championship Series ranking. The team did not score less than 28 points in any game of the season. In seven games, the Cards scored more than 50 points per game. They finished with a record of 10-1. The Cards sold out four of their five home games, and the average attendance at home games—40,531—was the highest ever. They went undefeated in conference play and finished atop the conference. They also won the Liberty bowl.
The Cardinal volleyball team tied their best national ranking, at No. 15. They also had their longest winning streak, at 22 straight matches. U of L hosted the NCAA regional tournament on Dec. 10 and 11. It marked the team’s second appearance in the Sweet 16.
The university broke ground for the new baseball stadium—Jim Patterson Stadium—on Oct. 7.

2005

Students at U of L took the first dive into the pools of the Ralph R. Wright Natatorium. The $11.6 million facility features eight lanes and a 50-meter competition pool, among other things.
Jim Patterson Stadium officially opened in February. The state of the art $9 million baseball facility seats 2,500 and houses offices for staff and indoor batting cages, as well as a medical facility operated by Jewish Hospital.
In December, the football team practiced for the first time in the Trager Center indoor practice facility. The facility is a 120-yard FieldTurf field and is used for offense, defense and every phase of special teams practice. 
The men’s basketball team finished the season as Conference USA champions and advanced to the school’s first Final Four since 1986.
For the first time in school history, both the men’s basketball and football teams were ranked in the Top 10 nationally.

2006

Men’s basketball finished 21-13 in 2006, with a losing record in the Big East. They were invited to the NIT and made it to the NIT Final Four.
The football team traveled to the Gator Bowl, where they lost to Virginia Tech. In the summer of 2006, Bobby Petrino signed a contract for $25.6 million to stay at U of L for 10 years.

2007

The U of L baseball team reached its first ever College World Series.
The football team capped off a 12-1 season with an Orange Bowl victory over Wake Forest University. Later that month, Petrino accepted an offer from the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
Less than 48 hours later, Steve Kragthorpe was hired as the 20th head coach at U of L. The season began with the Cards ranked 10th in the AP Poll. They finished the season early, with a 6-6 record, and missed a bowl game for the first time since 2005.
The Yum! Center officially opened in August. It houses training facilities and offices for the men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and women’s lacrosse teams.

2008

The football team continued its downward spiral, opening the season with a loss to rival UK, 27-2. The last time they opened the season with a loss was 2002. They defeated ranked University of South Florida, 24-20, but closed the season with a loss to Rutgers University, 63-14. It was U of L’s worst loss since 1987 and their first losing season since 1997.
The women’s basketball team hit the national stage when they battled through the NCAA Tournament to face the University of Connecticut Huskies in the national championship game. They finished with a ranking of second in the nation.
The men’s basketball team finished the regular season atop the Big East—the deepest conference that season. During the Big East Tournament, the Cards defeated the Syracuse Orancge to win the tournament, which led to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, only to lose in the Elite Eight.

2009

After their second consecutive losing season, U of L fired head coach Steve Kragthorpe, following their season-ending loss to Rutgers University at home.
The women’s volleyball team made an unexpected run through the Big East Tournament, hosted at the Kentucky International Convention Center.  They won the tournament, but lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The men’s soccer team finished the year with their best record in school history, 13-3-4. They lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Indiana University.