It’s safe to say the move to the ACC has worked out for both Louisville and the conference but you know who it’s really worked out well for? The Cardinals’ bank account.
The school confirmed reports of a new deal between them and apparel company Adidas on Friday and let’s just say that it puts the team in elite company among their college athletics peers... and ahead of some pretty big names. The Louisville Courier-Journal obtained full details of the whopping 10 year, $160 million agreement and notes those figures will make for the fourth-richest deal in the country -- ahead of schools like Michigan and Notre Dame and in the same range as powerhouse departments at Ohio State and Texas.
"(It’s) an unprecedented deal from our university’s standpoint and an unprecedented deal for Adidas,” athletic director Tom Jurich told boosters.
We’ll say.
The Courier-Journal notes that Louisville will average $16 million a year in both cash and product as part of the new contract that runs through the 2027-28 season. That includes a nice $10 million check from Adidas between 2018-21 alone and there are various performance bonuses attached to the deal as well, such as if the Cardinals made the College Football Playoff.
Between this deal and quarterback Lamar Jackson winning the Heisman Trophy last season, life isn’t bad if you’re a Louisville fan nowadays.
