University Of Louisville To Remove Papa John's From Stadium Name

The university president called John Schnatter’s use of a racial slur “hurtful and unacceptable."
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The University of Louisville announced that it will remove Papa John’s from the name of its football stadium after Papa John’s founder John Schnatter admitted he used a racial slur during a business meeting.

The stadium’s name will be changed from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium to simply Cardinal Stadium.

“In moments of crisis, the best communities find a way to come together,” University of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi said. “Over the last 24 hours our community has been fractured by the comments made by former UofL trustee John Schnatter.”

Bendapudi called Schnatter’s remarks “hurtful and unacceptable,” adding that they “do not reflect the values of our university.”

The university also plans to remove Schnatter’s name from the Center for Free Enterprise at its business school.

It is Schnatter himself and not Papa John’s who has the deal with the university for the naming rights until 2040, according to ESPN. The deal states that if Schnatter leaves the company, then he can rename the building.

Bendapudi said at a Friday news conference that the school hasn’t yet worked out financial details for changing the stadium’s name, ESPN reported.

Schnatter apologized on Wednesday for using the racial slur in a May conference call. He then resigned as Papa John’s chairman and from the University of Louisville’s governing board.

Schnatter founded the pizza company in 1984. Today, it has more than 3,400 locations in North America.

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