LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After several years of sponsorless limbo, Cardinal Stadium officially has a new name: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.
What You Need To Know
- Louisville's Cardinal Stadium is no more—it will soon be known as L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium
- UofL and L&N reached a 20 year, $41.3 million naming rights deal on Monday
- The credit union has nearly $2 billion in assets and serves over 109,000 customers in the Kentuckiana area
- The 60,000-seat stadium was known as Papa John's Cardinal Stadium until 2018
UofL Director of Athletics Josh Heird on Monday announced a deal with L&N Federal Credit Union for the naming rights to Louisville’s 60,000-seat football stadium. The Cardinals' home turf will also be known by its shorthand, L&N Stadium.
“From the beginning of this process, we have been very strategic with how we chose our naming rights gift. We wanted an entity that was aligned with our mission statement and invested in the community and the University," Heird said.
L&N was a sizeable corporate sponsor of UofL Athletics long before Monday. The credit union, billed as Louisville’s largest, holds the naming rights to UofL’s volleyball arena and the student activities center, and was a primary donor to the construction of Denny Crum Hall.
“We are thrilled and honored to have this opportunity to partner with the University of Louisville. We are proud to have the L&N name on the stadium as a visible sign of our commitment to the Louisville community and the University,” said L&N’s president and CEO Chris Brown.
The credit union has nearly $2 billion in assets and serves over 109,000 customers in the Kentuckiana area, according to a news release.
The deal, totalling $41.3 million over 20 years, comes nearly five years after UofL canceled its deal with Papa John’s International founder John Schnatter.
It was known as Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium until July 2018, when then-UofL President Neeli Bendapudi removed Schnatter’s nickname and his company’s likeness from the stadium after a swirl of controversy concerning a private conference call.
UofL Athletics subsequently reached a five-year, $9.5 million settlement with Schnatter to relinquish his naming rights.
It seems fitting the credit union would sponsor the stadium. In 1954, the credit union was founded to serve the L&N Railroad workers in Louisville — on the exact spot where the stadium sits today. The original train horn from the site is still used. It is heard everytime UofL scores a touchdown.