KFC Yum! Center

Louisville Cardinals Are College Basketball's 'Most Valuable' Team, Forbes Says

Joseph Lord — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:33:22 +0000

The Louisville Cardinals are the "most valuable" team in men's college basketball with a worth of $38.5 million, according to an analysis by Forbes.

The Cards held the honor last year, too, with a worth of $36.1 million.

Seattle Times Columnist Jerry Brewer: 'The NBA Could Work in Louisville'

Joseph Lord — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

The question of whether Louisville could and should have an NBA team has entered a quieter phase since the Sacramento Kings began talks of relocating to Seattle. Though it's no done deal, as a Sacramento group is also trying to keep the franchise in place.

Either way, at this juncture no NBA team appears up for grabs—though history dictates that that's likely to change in the next several years

Amid Financial Woes, Mayor Greg Fischer Appoints City CFO to Arena Authority Board

Phillip M. Bailey — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 22:59:00 +0000

Mayor Greg Fischer has appointed the city's chief financial officer to the Louisville Arena Authority Board amid growing concerns about the financial stability of the KFC Yum Center in downtown.

The mayor named Steve Rowland to the board on Wednesday, giving the CFO a voting position. Fischer believes the CFO will help the arena authority have a broader view of city operations and related financial projections.

"There’s no doubt the KFC Yum Center is a shining star and the envy of other cities," Fischer said in a statement. "At the same time, the city’s financial responsibility to the bondholders is a significant expense in the city budget. Additionally, revenues from the tax-increment financing district supporting the arena have not performed to the original projections."

Tickets to Hear Dalai Lama at KFC Yum Center on Sale Wednesday

Joseph Lord — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:22:15 +0000

Tickets to hear the Dalai Lama speak in May in Louisville go on sale Wednesday morning.

The Buddhist leader and Nobel laureate will speak on May 19-20 at the KFC Yum Center in an event called Engaging Compassion, focusing on "how an individual can engage with compassion from within his or her own religious tradition in order to build world peace from the local level to the world community," according to a news release from the KFC Yum Center. The Monday talk will be a two-part public Buddhist teaching called "Attisha's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment."

WFPL Discusses: Should Louisville Try to Land an NBA Team?

Rick Howlett — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:42:50 +0000

Louisville Metro Councilman David Tandy says he’s open to the idea of luring a National Basketball Association team to town.

Tandy was among the guests who spoke on a WFPL news special today on the subject.

The 4th District councilman says he believes an NBA team could co-exist with the University of Louisville basketball teams in the KFC Yum Center, where U of L is now the primary tenant. He says city officials should do everything they can to maximize the financially-plagued arena’s economic potential and raise Louisville’s profile.

Report | Economic Impact of NBA Franchise in Louisville

Joseph Lord — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:31:31 +0000

An advocate of the NBA in Louisville is taking aim at a recent controversial report on the impact of a franchise in Louisville. Here's the report:

Fischer, U of L Athletic Director Trade Jabs Over NBA Talks

Phillip M. Bailey — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:01:25 +0000

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and University of Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich are squabbling over talks of bringing an NBA franchise to the city.

Recently, Fischer met with business leaders and local boosters about the prospect of bringing professional basketball to the KFC Yum Center. The downtown arena has been facing financial troubles, and the parent company of the current arena manager—Anschults Entertainment Group (AEG)—has announced plans to sell the subsidiary.

But as The Courier-Journal's Tom Sullivan reports, Jurich took exception to Fischer holding a meeting about bringing the NBA to Louisville without including the arena's main tenant.

"(Mayor Fischer) is a guy full of signals,” Jurich told the newspaper. "He needs to work a little bit more with transparency. He likes to throw that word (transparency) around, but you need to practice what you preach."

Arena Authority Chooses Manager for KFC YUM! Center

Devin Katayama — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 14:51:15 +0000

The new manager of the KFC YUM! Center will likely be a familiar partner.

The Arena Authority’s executive committee has chosen Los Angeles’s AEG Worldwide to enter into contract negotiations and replace the Kentucky State Fair Board. The company already books events in the center, which Arena Authority Chairman Larry Hayes said was a major reason for its selection.

The Arena Authority chose to disconnect from the state fair board earlier this year after a consulting firm said the state’s operating costs were high.

Myriad Challenges for Yum! Center, Fair Board, and East End Tunnel Financing

Brad Yost — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 19:44:10 +0000

Friday on Byline we took a broad look at a number of stories pertaining to the KFC Yum!