LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Denny Crum Court at the KFC Yum! Center is getting a facelift for the upcoming University of Louisville basketball season. Director of Athletics Vince Tyra unveiled the new design Thursday and it features the fan-favorite logo, the "Dunking Cardinal."
“No other Louisville logo elicits more affinity across all generations of our fan base than our Dunking Cardinal,” said Tyra. “After a lot of thought and consideration, we determined that showcasing that was something that would really resonate with our fan base. We are excited about both the men’s and women’s upcoming seasons and can’t wait for our fans to see their new court.”
While the cardinal is the centerpiece, the rest of the court pays homage to both Freedom Hall and the city of Louisville. The university says great care was taken to update the Dunking Cardinal but still retain the vintage appeal of the logo. If you look closely you can see that the bird's facial features, eyes, and beak were refined to more closely align with Louisville's primary bird head logo. And since Louisville is an Adidas-sponsored school, the bird is, of course, sporting 3-stripe, Adidas basketball shoes.
Each baseline reads "Louisville" but the font pays tribute to the iconic scorer's table signage at Freedom Hall and the fleur de lis on the baseline corners pay are a tribute to Louisville's city flag. The Cardinals played basketball in Freedom Hall from 1956 until 2010, when they moved to the KFC Yum! Center.
Denny Crum Court in the KFC Yum! Center has served as the home for both Louisville men’s and women’s basketball since the 2010-11 season. In the first nine seasons at the KFC Yum! Center, the men’s basketball team has posted a 145-25 record, while the women’s basketball team has produced a 139-16 record. Combined, the two teams have posted an impressive 284-41 record at the downtown arena.
Work will begin on the floor in the middle of August and will be ready just before the start of the men's and women's 2019-20 seasons. You can learn more about season tickets to both the men's and women's basketball seasons HERE.