LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The University of Louisville announced Thursday afternoon that it is rebuilding its relationship with Papa John's founder and former CEO John Schnatter after cutting ties with him in 2018.
According to a news release from UofL spokesperson John Karman, President Gerry Bradley met with Schnatter to discuss the potential for him to "re-engage" with the university.
Schnatter, a UofL alumnus, was a major donor and former Board of Trustees member, with the university naming its football stadium Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in 1998.
UofL distanced itself from Schnatter and the Papa John's name in 2018 after he used a racial slur during a conference call, which became public. The school removed his name from the football stadium and other campus programs, later finalizing a financial settlement to end the naming-rights agreement.
"Recently, we had the opportunity to meet with John, who has contributed greatly to the university and the Louisville community over many years," Bradley said in the news release. "In that meeting, we learned a lot of facts and details regarding the circumstances that regrettably led to UofL parting ways with John in 2018.
"While we recognize that the decisions made years ago were based on the information available at the time, we have gained a greater perspective of the facts that have emerged since then. Considering these developments, UofL now acknowledges the university would have approached the situation differently based on our current understanding and believe the best path forward is to unite in our shared commitment to supporting UofL."
Bradley cited his adopted theme for his presidency — "Forward Together" — as his philosophy around the reconciliation.
UofL didn't reveal what this re-engagement will look like.
Schnatter issued the following statement about the announcement:
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