Papa John's Cardinal Stadium to Be Renamed Because of Founder's Racist Comments
University of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi announced Friday the school is removing the corporate branding from its Papa John's Cardinal Stadium after racist comments by Papa John's Pizza founder John Schnatter became public.
Eric Crawford of WDRB noted the home of the Louisville football team will simply be Cardinal Stadium effective immediately.
ESPN's Darren Rovell provided a look at the fallout from Schnatter's remark:
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"News reports attributing the use of inappropriate and hurtful language to me during a media-training session regarding race are true," Schnatter said in a statement Wednesday. "Regardless of the context, I apologize. Simply stated, racism has no place in our society."
The naming rights were previously scheduled to continue through Dec. 31, 2040.
It's unclear whether Friday's decision allows the school to seek other potential sponsorship opportunities before that date.
The Cardinals are set to play their first home game of the 2018 season on Sept. 8 against Indiana State.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
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