Yum! Center Louisville vs. NC State 1-22-2023 Photo by William Caudill, TheCrunchZone.com

What’s Happened To Louisville Basketball Attendance? The Actual Scanned Ticket Numbers

Mark BlankenbakerFebruary 19, 2024

Only 88,790 tickets scanned this year during regular season games. The Cards have played 14 games. The Yum! holds 22,500 for basketball.

We requested the SCANNED attendance at the Yum! Center dating back to the Cards championship season. It’s important to note that “Total Scanned Attendance” can sometimes be a misleading number as the number of Louisville home games fluctuates from year to year.

Also for this year in 2023-2024 Louisville’s game against Kentucky drew 14,095 fans to the Yum! Center which was the highest scanned attendance since pre-COVID (3/1/2020 Virginia Tech, 15,491).

Louisville Basketball Scanned Ticket Average Per Game History:

Year	Average Scanned Attendance Per Game	Total Scanned Attendance
2023-24	6342	88,790
2022-23	6849	116,431
2021-22	7567	121,065
2020-21: COVID	1850	18,497
2019-20	12,842	231,158
2018-19	13,120	236,163
2017-18	11,965	227,326
2016-17	14,779	251,242
2015-16	13,997	265,940
2014-15	15,726	298,787
2013-14	15,513	279,227
2012-13	17,006	255,091

Key dates:

10/17/2003: Sebastain Telfair Commits to Louisville
1/25/2004: Rajon Rondo Commits to Kentucky
5/4/2004: Sebastain Telfair Declares for NBA Draft
6/13/2004: Andre McGee Commits to Louisville
6/1/2010 (est): Rick Pitino hires Former Guard Andre McGee as a Grad Assistant
6/12/2012 (est): Andre McGee promoted to Director of Basketball Operations
2013 (est): The SEC (Securities & Exchange Commission) Alleged that Marty Blazer misappropriated $2.3M from five clients from 2010-2012 to finance movies.
4/2014: Andre McGee Hired By UMKC
6/2014: Marty Blazer Begins Assistance with Federal Government while facing 67 years in prison
10/2014: Marty Blazer Begins Undercover Operations with FBI
10/2/2015: Katina Powell’s existence of a book became known.
10/3/2015: Katina Powell’s book: Breaking Cardinal Rules Released by IBJ Publishing
10/7/2015: Louisville Hires Chuck Smrt
10/23/2015: Andre McGee Resigns from UMKC
2/5/2016, Louisville Announces Self-Ban of Post-Season, At Recommendation of Chuck Smrt
4/6/2016 Louisville Announces Self-Imposed Recruiting Sanctions of 2 scholarships over next two years.
6/17/2016 UofL President James Ramsey Resigns, Neville Pinto Named Interim President
6/29/2016 Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin Replaces Majority of UofL’s Board of Trustees
10/20/2016, Louisville Receives Notice of Allegations Related to Katina Powell
11/2016: FBI takes over Marty Blazer’s Undercover Operation
1/17/2017, Louisville Responds To & Contests NCAA’s Allegations
1/30/2017, Interim UofL President Neville Pinto Named New President at Cincinnati
1/30/2017 Greg Postel Named Interim President
3/17/2017, NCAA Responds to Louisville’s Reply to the Notice of Allegations
3/19/2017: Michigan Beats Louisville in NCAA Tournament 2nd Round
4/20/2017: Louisville & NCAA Enforcement Hold Hearing
6/2017 (est): Christian Dawkins gets caught in Marty Blazer’s Undercover Operation with the FBI, accepts money to start a sports management company.
6/3/2017, Brian Bowen commits to Louisville
6/15/2017, NCAA Rules that UofL must vacate records & Suspends Rick Pitino for 5 ACC Games. UofL announces appeal.
7/27/2017: Merl Code, Christian Dawkins & Marty Blazer Meet with several college basketball coaches in Las Vegas Hotel Room along with an undercover FBI agent
9/26/2017, FBI/SDNY Announces Arrests/Uncovering Basketball Corruption
9/27/2017 Rick Pitino & Tom Jurich placed on administrative leave
9/28/2017 David Padgett Named Interim Basketball Coach
10/3/2017 Vince Tyra Named Interim Athletic Director
10/6/2017 Jordan Fair & Kenny Johnson placed on administrative leave
10/11/2017 Jordan Fair & Kenny Johnson officially fired
10/16/2017 Rick Pitino officially fired
10/18/2017 Tom Jurich officially fired
10/24/2017 Rice Commission Formed
11/22/2017 Louisville Announces Brian Bowen Will Not Play For Cards
11/30/2017 Rick Pitino Sues Louisville for $37.6M
1/10/2018 Brian Bowen Enrolls At South Carolina
2/20/2018, NCAA denies UofL Appeal of vacation of records, 2013 NCAA Championship & 2012 Final Four is vacated along with wins during that period.
3/8/2018 Virginia Beats Louisville in ACC Quarterfinals
3/11/2018 Louisville Misses NCAA Tournament, Cards to Play in NIT
3/21/2018 David Padgett Is Not Retained
3/26/2018 Vince Tyra Named Permanent Athletic Director
3/28/2018 Chris Mack Named Head Coach
4/3/2018 Neeli Bendapudi Named University of Louisville President
4/18/2018 Brian Bowen Enters NBA Draft
5/18/2018 Tom Jurich & UofL Settle Lawsuit
8/2018 IARP is formed by the NCAA
10/4/2018 Brian Bowen Sr Testifies He Was Given $1300 by Kenny Johnson on 8/23/2017
3/5/2019 James Gatto Convicted in NCAA/FBI Scandal
3/21/2019 Minnesota Beats Louisville in NCAA 1st Round
5/8/2019 Christian Dawkins & Merl Code Convicted in NCAA/FBI Scandal
12/2/2019 Louisville Ranked #1
9/18/2019 Rick Pitino & UofL Settle Lawsuit
2/2020: Nike Attorney Admits to Funneling Money to Players & Players’ Families
2/6/2020: Marty Blazer Walks Free (Probation & Fine)
3/12/2020 College Basketball is Shut Down Due to COVID-19, UofL was #9 in Ken Pom
3/31/2020 HBO’s The Scheme is Released featuring Christian Dawkins detailing the FBI’s investigation into college basketball.
5/4/2020 NCAA Sends Louisville Notice of Allegations for FBI Scheme
1/15/2021 Court Upholds Convictions of Christian Dawkins, Merl Code and James Gatto
3/10/2021 Louisville loses to Duke in ACC 2nd Round, finishes 13-7. Missed several key games due to COVID protocol.
3/14/2021 Louisville Selected As 1st Replacement Team in Field of 68, Omitted from Tournament
3/18/2021, Dino Gaudio & Luke Murray Contracts Not Renewed. Gaudio Attempts to Extort Chris Mack
5/17/2021, Louisville Hires Ross McMains As Assistant Coach
5/18/2021 Dino Gaudio Charged with extortion in Federal Court
6/4/2021, Dino Gaudio Pleads Guilty to Extortion
8/26/2021, Chris Mack 6-Game Suspension Announced
8/27/2021, Dino Gaudio Sentenced to Probation + Fine
11/29/2021, Chris Mack Returns From 6-Game Suspension
12/9/2021, Athletic Director Vince Tyra & Universitry President Neeli Bendapudi Resign
12/20/2021, Lori Gonzalez Named Interim UofL President
1/26/2022, Chris Mack Resigns, Receives $4.8M Settlement
1/26/2022 Mike Pegues Named Interim Head Coach
3/9/2022 Louisville Finishes Season With a 13-19 record
3/18/2022, Kenny Payne Hired by Louisville
6/1/2022, Josh Heird Named Permanent Athletic Director
11/3/2022, IARP Hands Down Ruling to Louisville 2 Years of Probation, $5000 fine
11/3/2022, NCAA Exonerates Rick Pitino
11/7/2022, Lori Gonzalez Will Not Be Louisville’s Permanent President
11/30/2022, Kim Schatzel Named UofL President
3/7/2023 Louisville Finishes Season With a 4-28 record
3/9/2023 L.A. Times Report Details How FBI Agents Misappropriated and Gambled Bribe Money intended for NCAA investigation
10/11/2023 IARP issues final ruling (to Kansas) and disbands
TBD, Kenny Payne Resigns/Fired