Dunking Cardinal, Freedom Hall inspired designs coming to Yum Center floor

The University of Louisville released the design for a new center court image of the traditional "Dunking Cardinal" to replace the current image on the floor used for both men's and women's basketball at the KFC Yum! Center today. In addition to the redesigned center court, the pair of baselines also feature new designs that according to a release from the school, "pay homage to both Freedom Hall and the city of Louisville".

“No other Louisville logo elicits more affinity across all generations of our fan base than our Dunking Cardinal,” said Tyra. “After a lot of thought and consideration, we determined that showcasing that was something that would really resonate with our fan base. We are excited about both the men’s and women’s upcoming seasons and can’t wait for our fans to see their new court.”

Louisville Athletic Director Vince Tyra

Implementing the new design will take several weeks. Work will begin on the floor in August and will be completed prior to the opening of the 2019-20 Louisville men's and women's college basketball seasons. Louisville opted to implement a complete court redesign since a new three-point line is required for all college basketball teams for the upcoming season. Earlier this year, the NCAA opted to move the three-point line back to the international basketball distance of 22 feet, 1.75 inches.

While the "Dunking Cardinal" logo is similar to the traditional image, according to the release, "Fans may notice that the facial feathers, eyes, and beak were refined to more closely align with Louisville’s primary brand mark, the Bird Head. Additionally, this version of the Dunking Cardinal features adidas basketball shoes."

It's also no secret that Louisville men's basketball coach Chris Mack is a big fan of the traditional dunking Cardinal logo. Earlier this year, a much larger version of the design was added to the floor at the Planet Fitness - Kueber Family Center basketball facility.

The end line font and design are designed to replicate the scorer's table designs that were on the floor at iconic Freedom Hall, the former home of Louisville basketball until 2010. The fleur de lis added to each corner aims to show off the city symbol and celebrate the close connection between the university, the university's basketball programs, and the city.