Louisville football is making preparations for what may be the most-attended home football slate ever.
When Louisville football head coach Jeff Brohm was hired in December, the UofL ticket office had a massive influx of fans wanting to purchase or renew season tickets.
During an 8-5 season, some Louisville football fans were determined to send a message to the administration. Even during a top 10 upset of Wake Forest and marquee home games against Florida State, Pitt, and top 25 NC State, some Cards fans proved that their disapproval of the coaching staff was enough to stay away from the confines of L&N Stadium.
Now, however, Cards fans are putting their money where their mouths are.
Louisville football has exceeded 6,000 new season tickets sold since Brohm’s hiring, according to Louisville Senior Associate AD Lottie Stockwell.
Additionally, 90% of existing Louisville football season ticket holders have renewed from a season ago.
With right at 30,000 season ticket holders in 2022, that means about 27,000 people have renewed.
According to Stockwell, close to 36,000 total season tickets are currently on accounts. The deadline for previous ticket holders to renew is July 5th. Those ticket holders who do not make a decision to do so will have their tickets hit the market again.
As things currently stand, however, there are about 33,000 Louisville football season ticket holders locked in for 2023 with more than 2 months remaining before the season.
Stockwell also notes that, traditionally, season ticket plans are purchased at the highest rates in the months of July and August. Meaning that the administration expects an influx of ticket sales over the coming weeks.
Louisville football has never approached the 40,000 season ticket sales mark, coming closest in 2017 during Lamar Jackson’s junior season.
However, recent budget decisions by the University of Louisville indicate that the school anticipates its most-attended season ever.
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Louisville increased its annual football budget from $20.6 million, up from $14.4 million a season ago. A seventh home game and a marked increase in ticket sales likely played a major role.
The administration has gone to great lengths to adjust the L&N Stadium parking situation as well, changing all lots south of the Denny Crum overpass to a hybrid parking model. Parts of Planet Fitness lots will be first come, first served, while other parts of the lot will feature assigned parking. Louisville has partnered with Waze to provide real-time updates to traffic patterns and is adding a significant amount of what Stockwell calls “Disney simple” directional signage.
Louisville football has an opportunity to blow any previous season’s attendance and atmosphere out of the water.
There has not been a sellout at L&N stadium since a 2018 expansion, but home games against the likes of Notre Dame, Kentucky, and Virginia Tech present opportunities to bring the most raucous crowds in school history.
Louisville drew 58,187 for its season opener against Notre Dame in 2019 and 55,018 for Kentucky in 2021.
Add in the fact that Louisville football is being more than casually mentioned as a College Football Playoff dark horse, and you have the makings of one of the most exciting seasons in program history.
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