A Winning Match: ESPN & Louisville

ESPN & Louisville

In a recent presentation to donors and alumni, University of Louisville president and economist, Dr. James Ramsey gave what most thought would be a gloom and doom “state of the university” address.  While government funding and support from the State of Kentucky are certainly in decline, Ramsey’s presentation was surprisingly upbeat.  Freshmen test scores were up dramatically.  The graduation rate was stronger than ever, and the research budget had quintupled since 1998. 

As if that weren’t enough good news, the university was recently invited to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the football team scored a victory in the Sugar Bowl.  While he may have been attributing the university’s wave of good fortune to more benevolent sources, those in the know say it’s a direct result of their strengthening relationship with ESPN.  In a fascinating article from The New York Times, Steve Eder, Richard Sandomir and James Andrew Miller examine the valuation benefits for a university and it’s sports teams in such a partnership.

“Over the past dozen years, to feed its unending appetite for live football, ESPN has made Louisville Cardinals midweek games a mainstay in prime time. In turn, Louisville has made exposure on ESPN the centerpiece of a campaign to rise above its commuter-school roots and become a powerhouse in college sports.”