University of Louisville Athletic Association

The University of Louisville Athletic Association (ULAA) continued to further and enhance its mission during fiscal year 2023, providing invaluable support for both the student athletes and the University which it serves. During the year, ULAA awarded over $16.1 million in scholarships to nearly 800 students. The graduation success rate for ULAA student athletes during the year was 92% -- a rate which ties for the highest in program history. Overall student grade point average (GPA) of 3.28 was the highest in the program's history, with fiscal year 2023 also containing the 25th consecutive semester where students earned a department grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. ULAA's student athletes completed more than 4,000 hours of community service through the Cards Care program, and the organization expanded its ELEVATE NIL program with the creation of the CARDS NIL Exchange to help student athletes and businesses/individuals connect easier than ever before. The organization completed its first year of a transformational partnership with UofL Health. The partnership has yielded numerous gains for its students, but none more notable than the unprecedented growth of ULAA's mental health and performance department, which now includes 10 professionals - the most in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). ULAA also upgraded or added a number of facilities in support of its mission. In partnership with the University of Louisville, ULAA opened Denny Crum Hall. The state-of-the-art, $23.5 million residence hall is home to men's basketball, women's basketball and lacrosse student-athletes, as well as the University's general student population. The organization also upgraded wi-fi access for its football stadium and unveiled a new turf. A $1 million project was also completed to update the entrance and concourse of the baseball program's Jim Patterson Stadium. In terms of achievements in competitive sports, ULAA finished the year's campaign with 13 different sport programs ranked in the top 25 at one point during their seasons, with seven programs ranking in the top 10 at some of its respective seasons. The Cardinals recorded 50 All-Americans during the 2022-23 athletic seasons, most notably, 35 coming from the women's swimming and diving program. Volleyball also registered four All-Americans in its run to the national title game. Louisville finished 32nd in the nation in the Learfield Directors' Cup standings, the 13th consecutive season that the Cardinals have finished among the top 40 teams in the country. The Cardinals' women's sports programs ranked 12th in the nation in the Capital One Cup standings.