It's time for Coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine days. Now, here's Nick Coffee.
All right, let's get it started at five o'clock hour on a Friday afternoon of Valentine's Day edition of Coffee and Company. Thanks for hanging out with us, and we'll get right too.
Let's bring him in.
He is the one and only mister Kent Spencer from w h a S eleven. Kent, I'll start with this. I'm not trying to give you more work. I know you work very hard for the folks at WHS eleven.
But let's just say you.
Were asked to be a part of the n C double A selection committee. Where would you slot Louisville and Kentucky right now?
As of today?
As of today? That's so, that's so good.
I haven't even seen any of the latest bracketologies. I would say this right now. I would I would probably have Louisville anywhere from a six to a seventh seed.
That's that checks out. That's where just about everybody as them.
Okay, okay, so I've got them around six or seven, and with Kentucky, I would probably have them around Like.
I think they'll probably end up being like a three or four.
Yeah, but I wouldn't be shocked if kind.
Kind of depends on honestly, it kind of depends on how they finish out the season. That being said, like, and this is more with them, you know, the selection the selection committee looks at more of who.
Have you beat, in my opinion, rather than who you've.
Lost to, And so there's not too many people that have the wins that Kentucky has.
Kentucky tomorrow, if they end up on the two line, because we're getting that early look at the bracket tomorrow, which we get every year, they give us the first
the top sixteen seed, seeds one through four. I mean, I don't expect it, but I wouldn't be shocked if they're on the two line, because again, they don't have a bad loss per se, and they have a lot of really valuable wins, a sweep of Tennessee, I think right now, when you look at that game in Knoxville in Tennessee still being where they are today, there's not a more valuable win on anybody's resume than that one. Not to mention, they also beat Florida, They also beat Gonzaga.
They beat Duke.
I mean, they've got a lot of wins along the way, and I think to see them be able to win games against really good teams whenever it doesn't look great because of these injuries that they've had, or maybe they just don't have momentum because they're coming off of one of their rare losses. I think it speaks to Mark Pope and really how good of a coach he is. But what would you other than you know, these guys
just sticking together, next man up, continuing to fight. What would you say if anything that has led to them having these types of wins whenever again their back was against the wall. I mean against Tennessee the other night, they had the two freshmen from Kentucky come in and give them really good minutes. I think everybody from top to bottom deserves credit. But is there something that stood out to you in these games? And there's been many of them where you felt like, you know, what, probably
going to be tough to do. Right, They're coming off of a big beat down against Ohio State.
What do they do? They go to Gonzaga and win, Uh, they ended up.
Losing to Georgia. Then they go to Mississippi stated game that they were I think nearly double digit dogs they win that one. Is there anything specific that stood out to you that has been able to that they that has been that has given them the ability to win these games where it feels like they, you know, they have no chance. I'm I'm convinced now there's no game left where you can say Kentucky shouldn't win. I mean, they they they they'll lose, they can lose to anybody
they don't play well. But man, these wins they have. I mean, I don't know if you have a team out there that's got better wins than them.
You know what, though, Nick, here's what I would say, outside like, when you look at I think the big wins that they've that they've been able to pick up, outside of maybe the Florida game where they just outscored Florida, I think it was like one oh six to one
that game. One of the things, one of the biggest things that I would say is their effort in those games on the defensive end, which has kind of been their crutch in their in their losses, they just haven't been you know, tough defensively, tough on the boards, and the losses but when they really needed to lock down defensively, they've been able to do that. And you can see in those kind of games, you know, they distrain and the desperation that they play on the defensive end in those.
Games, they just haven't been able to do it, you know, game in and game out. You know.
One of the things I'd say is, like a couple weeks ago with the at Ole miss I mean, that's one of the that's one of the worst defensive effort games that you'll ever see, and.
They just didn't bring it that night.
So if they can get to the point like they did the other night against Tennessee, where everybody on the court is straining and making everything difficult on the other team, they're so good offensively that you know, it's it's really hard to beat them when they do it.
When they play that way, Both coaches Mark Pope and Pat Kelcey have legitimate excuses and reasons to where if these seasons weren't going as good as they currently are for both sides, everybody would understand. Now, you still let people complain and that's just what we do, but it would make sense right with injuries. I mean, this roster, the Pope put together is certainly a good roster, but I don't think it's anywhere close to one of the more talented teams, and he's going to have a lot
more talent moving forward. Yet they're not loaded. They've had a lot of injuries. Like Louisville, they clearly just have some guys that aren't great defenders, but again, they find ways to win. And I think there's some real similarities between both of these coaches and their first seasons as far as how it's gone. Clearly Kentucky's having a better year and clearly is a better team at least they were when they played, and they've got a much better resume.
But I see some parallels between these two guys, and really I'm not sure if it'll be this way the rest of their careers. In Lexington and Louisville. It probably won't, because I can't imagine a scenario where either of these guys will need to build a completely brand new roster. But I think you did that and you got guys that really everybody for the most part that joined your program from the portal, they had somewhat of a big role where they were rather it be at a bigger
school or a smaller school. And I think when you are shorthanded, you know, it gives guys more more of an opportunity to kind of, you know, make something happen. Like Javon Hadley. I'm not sure he turns into the Javon Hadley that we're seeing now if Cason Pryor is still getting twenty seven to twenty eight.
Minutes a game.
And again, you'd be foolish to say that that Louisville's better without Prior, And same thing could be said about Kentucky not having Butler and Jackson Robinson. But you know what, Kobe Brea, he's comfortable kind of taking on more minutes and having a bigger role. I think, in a weird way, nobody would say these injuries are ideal. You're better when
you're at full strength with more talent. But I think you're seeing other guys kind of not have too much of a tough time kind of finding a new role whenever they have more minutes available to him.
You know, it's it's so funny because you hear it a lot, and I've probably heard you know, Pat Kelsey always says it. You know, he says it a lot, you know that they have an xt man of mentality. Yep, Nick every coach in the country as a next man up in mentality, Like that's not that's not anything.
New, every single one of them. That's their mindset. If you don't have a guy, you get next man's up.
Yeah.
Yeah, like every coach in the country, Like if you get like, hey, cliches to say, it's like one of the top five things that you need to say when you're.
Dealing with injuries, if you're if you're a coach. But the difference is.
Like what are your guys going to do in the moments when the opportunity presents itself, And so like, you know, let's just take Louisville.
I mean, and we've kind of talked about this before.
I don't think Javon Hadley is the player that he is if he's not playing like the.
Undersized power forward position.
Yep, he's a matchup nightmare down there. And he's really I think, you know, probably in my opinion, I think he's played the.
Best basketball of his college career. Not that I watched him a ton of Colorado.
But I mean, like, like he has been a dude, you know, and and early on in the year, James Scott wasn't really kind of thought of in any sort of a way.
Now he is a major piece.
So like they needed those two guys to really step up, and they've done it.
And so you know, and and.
Like the other night with Kentucky against Tennessee, like you needed Trent Noah to do.
Some things and guess what he did it. He got the opportunity.
And it's you know, everybody wants to talk about the eleven points, but like, like if you watch that game, that kid went toe to toe physically with Tennessee and he won a lot of there. Yes, whether it was running down rebounds and guarding and all of that stuff, like he belonged on that court.
It wasn't just smoking mirrors.
And so like, you know, that's what these guys, that's what the next man of mentality, you know, and everybody says it, but but who can actually do it? And both of these programs this year have done an excellent job when it came to you're a little down of the dumps. You've got guys that you really didn't need to lose, But how.
Do you make up for it?
You know, they've been piece mailing it together, but they still been doing it.
Yeah, And I think the cliche as far as next man up, everybody says it. Everybody has that that's just a canned answer for a coach if he gets asked about a player not being able to play. But clearly, these guys that play for Pat Kelsey and Mark Pope, it's something that's truly playing out. Hey, I know I'm gonna get more minutes. I better be ready to play. And for the most part, the guys that get more
minutes have. But another cliche that is just you know, probably one of the most often set things in sports is one game at a time, we're only worried about. I think that's also a you can tell that's what both these teams have really been able to do. I mean with Kentucky, anytime it seems as if momentum is gone and they're looking at a likely loss, they win Louisville.
You know, I think the reason they've been able to roll through January and February outside of the one lost to JO or to Tech is because they don't get too high or too low. And I you know, I it's one thing to have all these cliches, but I think it's a mixture of things. I think these guys are really good at relating to people. You can just tell these players for Kentucky and the players for Louisville
they love their coach. But also I think that you're benefiting from having some real maturity on your roster, Like, for the most part, these are grown ass men. I mean, obviously Kentucky's playing a couple of freshmen who play bigger play, I mean, played older than they are. Certainly Trtonoa did the other night. But I think I would hope Kelsey and Pope will realize moving forward they're not going to have such an old roster with a bunch of veterans.
But man, I wouldn't be shocked if these guys end up realizing, you know what, we need to prioritize that to an extent, because there's real value in having guys that have that are mature, that have that have grown up throughout their first few years of college or whatever it may be.
I mean, am I crazy?
I know they don't look the same, but I think that these two teams kind of have had some similar storylines throughout the season thus far.
Well, let's let's let's just think about some of the things that we've even seen and then and then we can actually get an eye on the future.
Right.
And and I heard a quote I think Rick Patino actually said this today about like his seniors on Saint John's team, because he tells him, He's like, guys, this is over before you know it. And the role of a senior on a team around this time of the year, they understand.
It's almost all.
It's almost over, and you know, they they start kind of playing I don't want to say with it with a desperation, but they play with this. You know, they they do play desperate to a certain extent, but they play with an unbelievable amount of confidence.
And so when you look at Louisville.
Hepburn Edwards Hadley like it there's no tomorrow, you know, for for these guys after this year, they got to they gotta go get it now.
When you look at Kentucky.
Yeah, there's that is that level of desperation.
Yeah, like even like Lamont Butler, Jackson Robinson, like those guys need to rest.
There's no tomorrow.
That's why Lamont Butler is playing with that shoulder thing. And trying to gut it out and still diving on the floor when to be honest, with that shoulder, you got no business diving on the floor. But that's that kid's makeup, like it's almost over. You're trying to gut this thing out. And so that's why I think, you know, you see those guys, and you see that veteran leadership, and it's meant so much to both programs this year. And the guys that I mentioned, you know, they're not
coming back. And when you look at the freshman classes or the classes that both Wolveoine and Kentucky have coming back, like they still have to replace.
A lot, Well, how you going to do that?
I would imagine Kelsey and Pope are going to look for veterans from the transfer port.
Yeah, a good mixture is the best way to go.
And even if it's not as many as you have now, having a few, and even if they're not necessarily guys who produce a ton, I just think having mature and guys that really you know they can set to tell them they're leaders. They're likely going to be older than a lot of their teammates. And if they're doing what you mentioned, especially with Butler out there diving on the floor.
I mean that that's going to become infectious, And yeah, I hadn't really thought of it that way, but yeah, these guys, I mean, this is it for them, and they don't feel sorry for themselves after a loss. They're just trying to make the most of it, meaning their career, what they have left. And I think again that that speaks to the leadership from their coach, but also just their their maturity. All Right, I'm gonna give you another job, can't.
You're gonna be the You're gonna be the hypothetical Indiana Athletic director. What direction would you go in if you know Mike Woodson went he beat Michigan State. I still don't see a scenario where he's back, at least doesn't sound like it. What direction would you go in to try to find a new coach for Indiana? Obviously, college basketball has changed quite a bit since she since they last hired a coach, and really, Indiana, my opinion, has everything you need to be insanely.
Successful at college basketball.
They just have not been able to get the coaching thing right since Bob Knight left. They did once get it right, but then they had to get rid of Kelvin Sampson for something that it's crazy to think was against the rules. But you have any idea of what direction they're going to go or any any any input that you would you would give them if asked.
I mean honestly, Like there's probably a lot of names that that people are, you know, throwing out there, and it's you know, you got to make the call and you got to make him say no and stuff like that. Like there's probably three names that I've kind of I've kind of settled in, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of these.
Three would end up being the next Indiana head coach. I think TJ.
And I'm going to mess up his name because it's not.
The easiest thing.
Otsberger.
Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if if he doesn't get a call, and he may be like he may end up being like the first legitimate call, you.
Know what I mean.
I went through this, but like he may be the first legitimate call to see if to see if he wants that.
And then the two guys that I.
Wouldn't I are Chris Beard from Ole Miss, an old Bobby Knight disciple, but we would see with his past if if Scott Dolson ends up making that call.
But I think that, like if they called.
Him, I'd be shocked if he wouldn't have, if he wouldn't say yes. And then the other guy, honestly is the guy that's in believe it's in tonight, Mick Cronin.
Yeah, I hadn't thought about Mick cronan. What about Bruce Pearl. He's not leaving, you don't think so.
I mean, he's got everything he needs, He's making a lot of money, they're the number one team in the country. Like, he has no reason to leave. But you know, Indiana is a great job. But if you already have a really really good job and you're successful, it is foolish to kind of rock the boat and mess that up, especially considering I mean, there was a time where people didn't think Bruce Perl would be back in college bass, you know.
And also like twenty years ago, I think that you would have seen some of these jobs that come open, like the bigger fish of college basketball would have crawled to those places, right.
But now, like you.
Can make a ton of money, and you can win a national championship, and in some places you don't have to deal with all the bs and the pressure.
And so I think a lot of these guys like they love that.
Yeah that Like I think like Bruce Pearl, like he loves that. Like I'm sure like he loves like Auburn's his thing and like that's his place. They're gonna put up the statue of him at Auburn one day.
Yeah.
I mean, we've got Charles Barkley and Bruce Pearl. That's what That's what's gonna come to mind for people when they think about Auburn basketball probably until the end of time.
Yeah.
And I mean like look and and and to be quite honest with you, like.
Look no further.
And by the way, as I say this, both guys are doing a great job and they're in they're you know, present jobs at Kelsey and Mark Pope Louisville and Kentucky. That's who they hired and both of them, Like at the end, nobody was.
Really shocked that it was Kelsey.
But look, let's be honest, Louisville could have hired Kelsey two or three weeks before they did. Yeah, I mean, like it it took a it took a while for Joshua to be okay with that.
And I think there are some other examples like Pope and Kelsey haven't. I mean, they haven't even finished their first season, but they were successful at a lower level. They had a winning formula and the challenge was taking it to the higher level and seeing if it can work. And I think the days of needing to be this larger than life presence like a Patina or Caliperi, you know, first of all, that's just not really the way to
go about it anymore. And you can make up for the larger than life personality if you've got an il money and you can relate to players and they may not know a whole lot about you, but man, they feel a connection to you.
I just think when you look at me NATO's he was a Buffalo.
And now he's at Alabama doing the exact same thing but with better resources, and he's winning at a really, really high level. You mentioned Alzolberger. He was he was at one of the Dakota's I believe it was, and then was at UNLV briefly, and now he's got Iowa State rolling. I think sometimes you just, you know, you can look at a coach's success. But big programs, they want a big name, They want a guy that they know has been there and done that, and that's just
one of those guys aren't around as much anymore. But also there's more evidence that you don't have to go about it that way to get to get a home run higher.
Yeah, and and and look some of these programs, like you know, when Indiana hired Mike Woodson, you know that kind of came out of like what they hired Mike Woodson, and some of that was like you know that the ad was kind of pressured to make the hire sure Louisville with Kenny Payne, like that was that was that was a pressure higher like it was you know, there were a lot of people, a lot of people that
were like, that's the guy you have to hire. And there were they were a small group that was like, I don't know if that's gonna work. But the masses you wanted Kenny Page didn't work out.
And so sometimes like.
You have to go through like that higher before you can get to the real one. And I think this time around, I think is at the is at the real higher, like when they're just gonna go out and They're going to go get the best coach that they can.
Get, can't you are the man.
I always appreciate your time, enjoy your weekend and we will talk soon.
My friend, Hey, thank you, buddy, appreciate it again.
That is Kent Spencer from WHAS eleven. Always appreciate his time. Always a great conversation. Some good stuff there. Let's get to a quick break. We'll come back a couple more segments before we wrap it up and get out here for the weekend. Happy Valentine's Day, everybody, now.
Back to coffee and company. Fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
Just a beautiful, beautiful song. Absolutely, there's a lot lot of hip hop songs over the year. Is probably nothing recent. I'm talking about like mixtapes in the two thousands, the twenty tens that you know, that was when I was downloading a different one every day before I went to the gym, and much more. I guess into what was currently,
you know, popular when it comes to hip hop. But there's a lot of rap songs that have sampled that hook, and it's they are like I don't even care about the bars, like it's just it that that's a beautiful, beautiful song to sample.
Yeah, so absolutely, I love it. Some Cydney Lapper for you. She's she's one of the best.
For the radio host Delilah, she oh hell yeah Sunday Night is she's still around.
She's still around.
I don't think we're supposed to talk about it because it's probably on a competing station.
But either way, like, yeah, she's still alive.
Yeah, and she's still she's still doing her thing. And am I allowed to say this? I think I can. The reason I know Delilah still is around because one of the stations in town and I'm not saying it because I'm not supposed to. I legitimately don't know which one it is. It's probably not hard for people to figure out because there are a few stations in the market that will go to Christmas music way earlier than others.
And I'm all about that, sir.
Once I realize, like, if I'm driving home from work or I'm out and about and I still have it on one of those stations and they've stopped playing Christmas music, one of those stations has Delilah Oh okay, and I remember, like, she's just got such a I mean, I feel like I'm sitting on the couch at my grandmother's house when she's talking.
Such an angelic voice, but her calls aren't real, Like that doesn't shock me. Well, if you work in the business, as they say, we're not shocked at all by that.
But I guarantee you the vast majority of the people listening don't at all even think that that's not a real person calling because they want to reconnect with somebody they broke up with in college and they just want to let they want to send this song out to them and let them know they love them so much, and they're thinking about forking it.
So Delilah's still around, and good for her, and really that's longevity, right, I mean, that's a hell of a career. But yeah, shut out Delilah. All right, So not a whole lot of time left here before we get out of here. I do want to let you know that the whole Brad Stevens thing has already been officially shot down.
I mean again, Indiana fans, some of them are legit when they say they never believed it and they were just making jokes, But there were some that were, like, you know, his wife should let him come now because the kids are older. Well, Jeff Goodman got a update from Brad Stevens today that says he is not a candidate for the Indiana job and that he loves being able to wake up every day and work with the fine folks in the Boston Celtics organization. So you could
scratch him, scratch him off the list. Also, one thing to remind you if you did not hear this, and maybe you didn't know, maybe you weren't with us in the three o'clock hour, The YouTube TV paramount issue is at least just kicked down the road. So they've come to an agreement a short term extension on their current situation that will avoid anybody not having access to inns, DOAA tournament games.
That has you two TV.
So maybe eventually you'll have to move on from YouTube TV because they're losing all these stations, or maybe they will.
But as far as March madness, if you've got YouTube TV, you're gonna be good to go to be able to watch all the games, which you know around here we probably this market Louisville, Kentucky, and I should say we care about that stuff more than anybody, all right, let's see, we don't have a whole lot of time, and I meant to get this isn't something that is really this doesn't fit the Friday vibes, but I do want to get to it because it's been out there for a few days and I just keep seeing it on my
list of things to talk about.
But it's not fun to talk about, but it is informative.
So one of the things that has been brought up throughout the Louisville basketball season, specifically especially early on, was why are fans not going back to games? Why is the maximum capacity looking like, you know, sixteen seventeen thousand, and A lot of folks say because of price, and that's legit. So the Courier Journal did a breakdown earlier this week that highlighted the UFL Athletics having their largest operating deficit, which is at fourteen point five to seven million.
So here's a little bit of a breakdown. I'm not going to nerd out too much on these numbers, but UFL generated a record one hundred and fifty point six million in revenue but also spent a record of one hundred and sixty five million on operating expenses. It's the third time in the last six years that u OFL has reported a net negative revenue to the NCAA. They first reported an operating deficit in twenty nineteen of eleven
point twenty one million. Again, this is around the time when you're buying out coaches and there's big, big contracts.
You got to buy out.
Obviously, Bobby Petrino's buyout was humongous in twenty nineteen, and you know, they they had to pay it, they had to get rid of them. So fourteen point five to seven million, that deficit. It's it's the highest amount of reading here directly from the CJ, but it says the fourteen point fifty seven million deficit came despite the highest
amount of direct institutional support, not adjusting for inflation. Since the USA Today Network has began tracking these numbers in two thousand and five in partnership with the Knight new House College Athletic Database, so Louisville reported seven point zero seven million in direct institutional support, which the NAA defines as direct funds provided by the institution to athletics for the operations of intercollegiate athletics, So essentially they borrow money
from the school to help keep the lights on with the athletic department. So this includes unrestricted funds allocated to the athletics department by the university.
What else here?
I'm trying to skim through here just to get, you know, notable numbers that may be of interest to you or at least make some sense out of why they're at a loss and why certain things have been have been so expensive. Here's a quote from Josh Hurd that he provided to the Courier Journal when they did this write up.
Quote.
For three years, our men's basketball program did not experience success, which resulted in significant decline in revenue reflective in our current deficit. Heard also said referencing the failed head coaching tenures of Chris mac kinny Payne.
Quote.
Also reflection in the deficit are significant expenses incured by the men's basketball coaching staff transition in March of twenty twenty four. As with many of our peers, inflationary factors in fiscal year twenty twenty four resulted in higher operating and salary expenses.
Quote.
As we enter the revenue sharing era of college athletics, we will continue to explore every option available to us to maximize revenue while mitigating expenses. Every area of our department has a responsibility to ensure that the fiscal health of our athletics department now and into the future. So payroll increased as Kenny pain and others got their payouts
their severn. So Louisville's payroll increased from forty nine point three million in twenty twenty three to fifty four point six million in twenty twenty four, so ten point six percent overall, and coaching salaries increased by four point one million, or fourteen point nine percent, while support staff administrative salaries increased by one point six million, or five point two percent. So Kenny Payne got seven point five million and severance
this past year and he'll continue to get that. His support staff also received seven point four million. And again those are guys who got buyouts. I mean the fact that the bums that Kenny brought here to help coach are still getting paid by Louisville. That actually chaps my ass more than anything. To be honest with you, I saw Josh Jamison sitting on Dane Alban's bench in Oregon the other night looking like a bum. I mean a
true bum. I'm sorry, I'm getting personal. I don't know him as a human, but man, those guys really sucked.
They really really sucked.
So it says he that Max's buyout is not reflected in the report as it would have been included in previous NCAA reports. So Mac is either done receiving money or yeah, yeah, at the end of January, Mac has been paid in full. And by the way, not saying that, you know, we need to send Chris Mack a letter because you know that's not where I'm going, although I guess I feel the need to throw the disclaimer out there because I know people are aware that I'm a big fan of Chris Mack and still talk to him
to this day. So what people didn't realize it's not really relevant now, but he took half and said I'll walk for half. He could have got every penny, and in fact, he probably still would have been the coach until things really fell apart, or maybe they wouldn't have fallen apart, but like him wanting to leave did leave us in a tough spot to where that season fell apart, and then they hired Kenny Payne. But he also, you know,
he took half of what he could have. I mean, so as bad as this is, it could have been a lot worse. And what I think is hilarious is there's all this there was. It's not again, it's not a talking point now, but there was all this noise out there about how he did that because he was worried that if he didn't then they were gonna they're not gonna fire him with cause like that was never
gonna that was never gonna happen. So he did us a favor, to be honest with you, and at least he gave us some success.
Can he pay?
The fact that he's getting paid anything is crazy. It's just insane, absolutely insane. All right, we'll finish up on the other side because this will this, this is all gonna make sense. But there's a reason that big donors have had to buy tickets in bulk and give them away because things because of this transition and the buyouts, you're in a financial crunch to where you can't lower the ticket prices.
If they would, they could.
They know that the price of these tickets is not ideal, but they can't give them up for any cheaper because of how dire things are financially at least least now, like that's why you look at the Spaulding Exhibition game and see a ticket being sold for what it's being sold for, because they got to try to make up whatever money they can. All right, quick break, We'll come back and wrap it up on the other side right here on Sports Talk seven ninety.
Now back to coffee and Company, fueled by Thornton's on Sports Talk seven nine day.
So one more thing to pick up on from the article the CJ did earlier this week about UFL athletics financial situation. So donations, you know, used to be a big, big deal, meaning they were really valuable, and they were there were a lot of donors and they were donating, donating a lot of money. And that was certainly during the time of the boom, when Louisville was in the midst of you know, the year of the Cardinal, that
kind of stuff. And I don't know if anybody would be better at getting people to donate money and partner with U of L than Tom Jorge was. I mean, I think Josh and even Vince did a good job. It's just there's some people that just want to go back to that era when Tom was rolling and that's just not one Tom was that's what he was great at. But also UL athletics was on top of the world.
So to see donations declining, you know, some people say, well, that's that's that's an issue with our leadership, and and maybe it is to an extent, but what you have to keep in mind is that donations certainly went down in the pandemic. I mean that, I mean that's just a factor. Also you now, I mean donations decline for Louisville, but I think recently, meaning this past year, it wasn't
because of lack of success. I think it's because there's some money that you know would be coming in from supporters that we're going to be donating to the athletic department that now they have to donate to the Nile Fund because that's super important. So Louisville won't be the only school I think that has a decline in donations
to the athletic department. It's still going to be important and you need it, but you also are going to be mindful of how all this works now and say, instead of giving us all of it, let's give half to the NIL collective and half to us. Because that's just what we have to do now. But yeah, ticket sales revenue is up along with football seasons, so football is helping. Football is making money now at least well,
football is getting better from a financial standpoint. I mean, Louisville's ticket sale revenue returned to the pro pandemic levels this past football season, bringing in thirty two point eight million, which is just over the thirty two point eight one
million they had in twenty nineteen. So football was responsible for nineteen point six million after selling thirty eight thousand season tickets last in Brahm's first season, which was a sixty five hundred increase from the twenty twenty two campaign. So obviously, once Louisville starts succeeding, and they are right now, it's happening.
Football is in a good space.
Basket basketball seems like the future's bright, and that's how you start to get back to where you're not looking at these kind of numbers. That and of course, getting everybody off the books that came here and robbed us, essentially meaning Kenny.
Payne and his cast of clowns.
I'm sorry I shouldn't end the show and end the week on Valentine's Day base being so negative. We're loving and I hope everybody has a Greatvalentine's Day and a great week and we're back at it on Monday.