By Sam Draut–
The University of Louisville Athletic Association approved a ticket price increase of $3 for men’s basketball and football while also approving the proposal for athletic director Tom Jurich to begin working on a contract extension for coach Bobby Petrino.
Jurich said Petrino’s best performance as a coach came in the 2015 season when the Cardinals started 0-3, but finished the year winning eight of their final 10 games culminating with 27-21 win over Texas A&M in the Music City Bowl. He believes the “time is now” to extend the six-year contract Petrino signed in 2014. Set at $3 million annually, Jurich didn’t specify any particulars in extension.
“I really like the foundation that he is setting,” Jurich said. “The future is extremely bright. We start with Lamar (Jackson) and bring back 18 starters.”
Petrino is entering into his third season in his tenure as the head coach of Louisville, and Jurich said the program’s Academic Progress Rate has never been higher. Professors Enid Trucios-Haynes Mary Hums, two members of the Athletic Association voted against the approval of Petrino’s contract extension.
The $3 ticketprice increase was approved unanimously. Six football games will be hosted at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in 2016 and 19 men’s basketball games will be hosted at the KFC YUM! Center. The $3 ticket price increase covers categories of all seating and packages. Student tickets are the only category that will not increase. Jurich said student ticket pricing has been the same for nearly a decade.
File photo / The Louisville Cardinal
