Oct. 16, 2002

The University of Louisville Athletics Department has announced plans to increase enrollment in the department's Cardinal Athletic Fund. The campaign, called 'Fan Drive 2002,' highlights a month full of athletic events and runs from October 1 through November 13.

The Drive is a proactive approach of building the 'Cardinal Nation' in which the CAF encourages current donors to recruit and invite new Louisville fans to support U of L Athletics.

"In our attempts to enhance fan involvement and educate our fans of the ways they can support Cardinal Athletics, we decided what better way to cultivate new fans than to ask our current fans to help us." athletic development coordinator, Marc Gibson said.

"Current Louisville fans know more fans than we as a staff could ever know. There are fans out there that want to be involved but may not know how to become involved. And, it's natural for current fans to want to add more fans. This is a great way for us to increase our growing fan base and help support current student athletes at the same time. It's fans finding fans."

In appreciation for the extra effort on the part of current donors, U of L will provide special thank you incentives to fans who sign up new contributors. Gifts include a license plate set, house flag set, tailgate set and genuine Fossil collector's watch. Two first place winners will be chosen to win one of the following: an invitation to sit in athletic director Tom Jurich's suite for the November 23 football game vs. UAB, an invitation to sit in his box at a selected men's basketball game, or an autographed Rick Pitino basketball and John L. Smith football.

All CAF donors who participate in the Fan Drive campaign will be entered into a drawing to win an all-expense paid trip to see the men's basketball team play Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday, January 25. The package includes two game tickets, lodging on Saturday night in downtown Knoxville and transportation.

For more information on the Fan Drive and ways to get involved, call Marc Gibson at 502.852.0706.