The University of Louisville has filed a lawsuit against Duke
University claiming the schools had agreed to play each other four
times in football between 2002 and 2009 but that Duke canceled the
last three games, costing U of L money and a quality opponent.
According to the suit, which was filed in Franklin Circuit Court, in
2003 Duke backed out of three games — two to be played in Louisville
— scheduled for this year, 2008 and 2009.
The lawsuit did not say why Duke decided to cancel the agreement. A
call to Duke's athletic department was not immediately returned. A
call to U of L's athletic department did not issue an immediate
response.
Louisville requested $150,000 for each of the three games or a
suitable replacement team from the Atlantic Coast Conference, of
which Duke is a member.
But Duke, according to the suit, asked U of L to find its own
replacement, and agreed to pay Louisville only if the program could
not, after a "good faith" effort, find a replacement game.
The suit claims U of L was unable to find a team of "similar stature"
to Duke and is now short an out of conference game for next season
and "was forced" to replace Duke with Indiana State, which is not a
member of the Football Bowl Division, for 2009.
Louisville claims its athletic department has spent countless hours
looking for a replacement for Duke but that no team of similar
stature will agree to play the U of L at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
two of the three games, as Duke was supposed to do.
The lawsuit is seeking $450,000 for the three football games and any
other relief the courts deem appropriate.
Claims made in filing a lawsuit present only one side of the case.
The Sept. 7, 2002, game between the two schools was played with U of
L winning 40-3.
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