Louisville basketball student section mainstay Ethan Sprowles reflects on his time at the helm of The Ville’ns, and what’s next.
The University of Louisville has been kicked while it was down the past few years.
New coaches, new presidents, new athletic directors, infractions, more infractions, players losing seasons, you name it. Of late, they have become the No. 1 villain in the eyes of the NCAA and punchline of college sports.
During one of the toughest times to be a Louisville basketball fan, UofL freshman Ethan Sprowles saw this as an opportunity to counterpunch.
“It was tough at the beginning,” Sprowles said. Right at the start, the school just got dumped in scandal again. Rick Pitino and Tom Jurich were both fired. So much uncertainty and zero momentum. But there was a job to do.”
The fanbase needed a beacon.
“There was already a need, the student section and gameday atmosphere were lacking. The turmoil just amplified the need. So I hit the ground hard.”
A steady climb
One has to ponder how the student support became what it is today: A nationally-recognizable branch in the tree of Louisville sports lore.
“Brand recognition was priority number one. We needed people and it’s harder to get people involved when they don’t even know what it is they’re being recruited to. So I went all-in on social media, and set out to create a following,” Sprowles said.
Social media and social interactions in person were key.
“One viral tweet at a time, the following slowly grew,” Sprowles, 22, explained. “We’d go around my hall at my dorm, invite my fraternity, whatever it took to get bodies to the games. Not many people cared at first but we sure as hell were gonna get them to. We’d hype it up on our own social media, and throw pre-game or post-game parties. Eventually, the numbers came.”
The Ville’ns helped develop some of Louisville’s newer rivalries.
“I can vividly remember humble beginnings in my Cardtowne apartment, having some of our first meetings. I would pull up the next opposing roster, and our research would begin. I’d call those the ‘Roast Sheets’,” Sprowles said.
The foundation was sturdy, but The Ville’ns needed a push to really gain traction.
“At the end of the day, we want to support these athletes and have fun representing our school. That’s it. I want a student presence that fans and alumni can be proud of.”
“The meeting with Chris Mack in his office after he was hired was a big start. I reached out to him early and we met up almost immediately.
That whole summer in 2018 was the big push before the start of the athletic season. The followers turned into the thousands, and social media and recognition were picking up. Vince Tyra, Lottie Stockwell, and Brian Vamos were such a big help in the athletic department.
The first Louisville Live in 2018 was such a takeoff for us. The administration made it a point to involve us and it really impacted the event & I think set the tone.”
Eventually, Louisville sports media took notice, and the Ville’ns family was blossoming.
“Ethan Moore of Louisville Sports Live was the first to have me on his show, along with Marques Maybin and Steven Rummage, and Mike Rutherford all had me on their shows over the years and that was such a help. Other guys in media like Jody Demling and Mark Blankenbaker were so kind and helpful as well. I also have to shout out my good friend Jake Weingarten, he’s been such a help in getting athletes more involved with us. I can’t go without mentioning Jacob Lane and Presley Meyer, they reached out to me so early on and it’s been so good to work with them and get to know them over the years. They’re basically like big brothers to me now. There are so many more people at UofL I could thank, it would take all day,” Sprowles said.
Creating the atmosphere
A lot went on behind the scenes to make Louisville sporting events’ environments special.
Faced with the challenges of steering The Ville’ns through the fog of turnover and punishments, The Ville’ns collaborated with the university to do some unprecedented things.
“Every Louisville Live! has been pretty special,” Sprowles said of the newest Louisville basketball fan experience. “The atmosphere was incredible and I think anybody there would say how the Ville’ns played such a big role. It was a great way for us to showcase and grow the brand. Some games that come to mind are the 2019 Michigan game and the 2018 Michigan State game. We had pep rallies at those games where Vince and I spoke. Those were some special nights and I think almost everybody would agree some great environments. Making that 2013 banner and rolling it out over the student section for the Michigan game was a lot of fun as well.”
The section suddenly became something every fan could identify with, something that added to the vibe on game day.
“The athletic department was super helpful with that. We could come to them with lists, ideas, or even pictures. I’ve always liked to involve the fans. So I’d reach out to media for fathead suggestions on their shows from fans, or for input on Twitter and Instagram. We focused on relevant pop culture references, major former athletes, and current athletes,” Sprowles said.
The ideas were a lot of fun for everyone in attendance and spectators at home alike.
“Whether it was ‘Stranger Things’ or ‘Game of Thrones’ when those things were big a couple years back, or must-haves like Donovan Mitchell and Lamar Jackson fatheads. The Spiderman Donovan fathead was a popular one. So was the infamous Chris Mack Thanos meme fathead. At the time it was 100% relevant in 2018, and we were able to put together an awesome photoshop.”
Occasionally, fans would throw stones, saying the student section was lacking or not showing up all the time, but mind you, Sprowles had to navigate through a thundercloud just to get this bad boy off the ground.
“Understand the reality of the situation. UofL is a really unique one. Not many schools have an off-campus, NBA-like, downtown basketball arena. Not many schools have gone through such a transformation as ours, formerly a somewhat small commuter school, now a major ACC university. Many in the area would go elsewhere to get the ‘college experience’,” he said.
No lies detected.
“Now, that’s changing,” Sprowles explained. “UofL has been and still is growing. We started our student section right when everything got nuked in 2017-18. We had huge growth and momentum, then COVID hit in 2020. It’s a slow build, but we’ve still come a long way despite setbacks,” Sprowles explained.
What’s next?
Sprowles has done an outstanding job, all while being a full-time college student. Along the way, the young man has already blazed a trail for the UofL history books.
“I want The Ville’ns to be one of the first things that come to mind when fans or opposing players come into our arena. I want a unique tradition. The fatheads are great, the theme nights we do like ‘Beach Night’ are all great. At the end of the day, we wanna support these athletes and have fun representing our school. That’s it. I want a student presence that fans and alumni can be proud of,” Sprowles said.
Speaking of alumni, Sprowles will be forging on to new adventures when he graduates in May. But, he is optimistic about the future
“The past 4+ years have been a wild ride. Finally finishing up school for good here soon, so that’s the immediate focus. I’m stepping down from the Ville’ns, which is a big change. I’ll still be around doing some UofL-related things though, there’ll probably be more on that to come soon, so be on the lookout. Of course, I’ll be there to help out the new Ville’ns board if they ever need it. I’ll definitely still be around at games, so never hesitate to say hey. I may not be at the front anymore, but will always cheer on the Cards,” Sprowles said.
So who’s next man up for The Ville’ns?
“My dude Branden Bailey is taking over my current role with Social Media & Marketing. He’ll do a great job, he’s been rolling with me for the last year. The dude loves UofL and he’s a smart guy. I’ll be handing over the keys to him shortly. Thomas Lotspeich just got re-elected president of the Board, he’s a good friend and will continue to kill it. It’s all in good hands.”
On behalf of the fanbase, I send my appreciation to Ethan and the entire Ville’ns crew for their hard work and effort in our darkest hours. Godspeed!
“It has been such a great honor of my life and a dream of mine, to play some role in helping my school and my home,” Sprowles said.
A Ville’n forever.
