Could Louisville Live return under Pat Kelsey? 3 venues we think the Cards should consider
Could the arrival of new Louisville men's basketball head coach Pat Kelsey mean the return of Louisville Live?
It seems likely.
During an interview with Cardinal Companion last month, assistant coach Brian Kloman said there's been at least one meeting to plan a comeback for Louisville Live; which celebrated the beginning of the men's and women's basketball seasons in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Coming off a 4-28 finish to Year 1 under former coach Kenny Payne, U of L announced in a news release last September it was "opting to take a break from the event before determining the next iteration."
Lottie Stockwell, a senior associate athletics director for external relations, is taking the lead on organizing Louisville Live's return, Kloman told Cardinal Companion.
"All she's thinking about is, 'How in the world (can) we get it hype in here?'" he said. "She's going to produce something for you guys that's going to be awesome. I believe that wholeheartedly."
Kloman did not disclose any further information about the event, but what set it apart from others around the country was that it brought a basketball court to well-known destinations around the city — Fourth Street Live!, Churchill Downs and Louisville Slugger Field.
Where could Louisville Live head next? Those aforementioned venues could very well be in the mix to host again, but we decided to have some fun brainstorming three new (but familiar) locales:
Freedom Hall
Considering how much Louisville fans enjoyed turning back the clock last summer by watching a team of mostly former Cards compete in The Basketball Tournament (TBT) at Freedom Hall, kicking off a new era where it rose to national prominence feels like a slam dunk. U of L called the arena home for 54 seasons, from 1956-2010.
For what it's worth, TBT this week said ticket sales for Game 1 of this year's regional at Freedom Hall were, as of Monday, on pace to challenge its all-time record of 7,202.
L&N Stadium
This is the most ambitious (and ludicrous) of the three ideas: plopping a basketball court in the middle of the field at L&N Stadium, which has a capacity of 60,800, and trying to pack it out. Navigating around the football schedule would be tough, but there's an opening when Jeff Brohm and the Cards travel to Virginia the weekend of Oct. 12. That would be nine or 10 days before an exhibition Kelsey scheduled against Young Harris College.
Would L&N Stadium be filled to the brim? Probably not, but it'd be a spectacle nonetheless.
KFC Yum! Center
It's not very imaginative, hosting Louisville Live at the KFC Yum! Center; but the 22,090-seat arena is due for a raucous basketball crowd after it had an average scanned ticket attendance of 6,504 across the 35 home games of Payne's tenure. There were only three crowds of 10,000 or more during that stretch, too; and one of those included a lot of fans wearing Kentucky blue.
Kelsey has said numerous times since being hired he's champing at the bit to see and hear the Yum! Center at its finest. Why not give him, his staff and their overhauled roster a taste before the nonconference slate begins in earnest when Tennessee comes to town in early November?
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Live return under Pat Kelsey? L&N Stadium, more venue ideas
