LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- One year can make quite a difference.

University of Louisville men's basketball has gone from one of the worst teams in the ACC in the previous two years to a Top 15 ranking as the regular season comes to a close.

Louisville defeated Stanford 68-48 at the KFC Yum! Center Saturday in the final game of the regular season. Louisville seniors were honored after the Cardinals improved to 25-6 overall and 18-2 in the ACC in front of the arena's largest crowd of the season.

"It was a magical day," Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey said. "It was special. The atmosphere was unbelievable. We honored a phenomenal group of young men that have done a lot to lift up this city and to reestablish the Louisville basketball brand, which as we all know, its rightful place, is amongst the best teams in the country."

Fans have relished in the turnaround in Kelsey's first season as the team's head coach.

From empty seats, to blowout losses and unhappy fans, Louisville has struggled for the past few years amid several coaching changes. The Cardinals went 12-52 in the past two seasons and hadn't had a winning season since 2020-21.

"It was ugly dude, plain and simple ugly," said William Lewis, a UofL fan and Louisville native. "There wasn't anybody in the stands."

"It put a damper on the city of Louisville," said Alexandria Connor, who traveled from Baltimore back to her native city for Senior Day.

But that's changed in Kelsey's first season.

"The revival is real," UofL fan Chad Frazier said. "You can tell they're all about the city and the team, the name on their shirt, not the name on the back."

The Cardinals finished the regular season with 25 wins, an improvement of 17 wins from last year.

"To see them in comparison to where they were two years to now, is just, you can't help but get excited for them," Connor said.

Thousands of more fans have filled the KFC Yum! Center each game and businesses around downtown have been boosted by the winning ways. This season, Louisville's announced attendance was 14,864 per game, an increase of 3,807 compared to last year at 11,057.

"It's important because it unites us as a city, not just a city, but also a fan base," Connor said.

In the final six home games of the season, Louisville average announced attendance was 16,634 per game.

Louisville led Stanford for nearly the entire game Saturday. The Cardinals have won 19 of their last 20 games and risen to No. 14 in the AP Top 25 poll.

"Now that we're back on the spotlight, it feels good," Lewis said.

The wins have re-energizing a fan base ready for more.

"It's been a great turnaround from what we've seen in the past. I'm excited to see what Pat Kelsey does moving forward," said Ashley Allen.

The Cardinals now turn their attention to postseason play with the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. Louisville has a double bye in the tournament and scheduled to play Thursday.

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The University of Louisville has secured a major grant to help Kentucky manufacturers upgrade their facilities.

An $8 million grant secured by the University of Louisville could help Kentucky manufacturers grow by allowing them to upgrade their equipment and facilities.

The university’s Kentucky Manufacturing Extension Partnership (KY-MEP) secured the $8 million through a state appropriation, and will provide a 50% match for small and medium sized manufacturers looking to invest in capital equipment and next generation tech.

“These investments are critical to powering Kentucky’s manufacturing economy and making it future-proof,” said UofL President Kim Schatzel in a news release. “As someone with a background in manufacturing, I’m proud that we can offer these supports and drive these firms and Kentucky’s economy forward.”

According to a news release from UofL, funding from the Catalyst Equipment Match program can be used for investments in automation, robotics and additive manufacturing, up to $200,000 per recipient.

Through CEM, firms can apply for funding to update or replace equipment, including those with smart and connected technology such as automation, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. It’s part of an overall drive in business and manufacturing known as Industry 4.0 or Enterprise 4.0., which has the potential to radically transform a number of industries, and the benefits will go to companies that plan ahead, the release notes.

“These technologies have the ability to greatly improve operations and expand Kentucky’s economy,” said Scott Broughton, executive director of the KY-MEP. “Through this new CEM program, we can support firms looking to adopt these technologies, building on KY-MEP’s mission of solving manufacturing problems for all Kentuckians and helping firms based here become even more globally competitive.”

KY-MEP, which is housed at UofL, works to help manufacturers solve a variety problems ranging from change management, waste reduction, and recruiting. The release notes that over the past year the program has supported more than 600 companies across the state and helped drive more than $130 million in economic impact.

According to the university, Kentucky is home to more than 4,000 manufacturing firms across a range of industries with a total workforce of more than 250,000.

Manufacturing firms can apply for funding through the CEM program’s website.

Louisville's Largest Manufacturing Firms

Local FTEs: 2024

View this list

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

Applications are open for Kentucky's first Bezos Academies, which will make free preschool a reality for hundreds of kids in Jefferson County next school year.

In the fall, three tuition-free, year-round schools in the Okolona, Russell, and Fairdale neighborhoods will welcome their first students.

LDG Development was tasked with bringing the vision of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to life in Louisville.

Leaders break ground on Bezos Academy in Russell neighborhood

"Bezos called us and asked us about partnering in another state," explained spokesperson Christi Lanier-Robinson. "More kiddos are going to be able to enter school kindergarten-ready. That's going to benefit the entire community."

According to Lanier-Robinson, the empty buildings will be filled with supplies this spring as construction wraps up on the Montessori-inspired schools.

Bezos Academy chose to build in areas with a high need for affordable early childhood education. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg considers it a long-term investment for local children.

Bezos Academy, a tuition-free preschool, under construction in Okolona

"Kids who have an early start on their education are going to live healthier lives. They're going earn more money to provide for their families," Greenberg said.

He said the academies are designed to get 3 and 4-year-olds ready for kindergarten while also supporting their families. The schools will provide breakfast, lunch, and snacks for students and send take-home dinners for the children to share with their loved ones if they are experiencing food insecurity.

About 200 students will be accepted into the preschools: 80 in both Okolona and Russell and 40 in Fairdale.

Students are more likely to be selected if they are experiencing homelessness, in the foster care system, or if their family's gross annual income is up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level.

You can read more about the eligibility requirements here.

Those behind the free preschools said the focus is making learning fun for students who need it most.

Louisville Metro partners with Bezos Academy to bring preschool to Fairdale

"We can't wait to go out back and see the playground and see lots of children playing and enjoying life and letting their imagination run wild about what the future holds," Lanier-Robinson said.

Families have from now until May 2 to apply for next school year. They will find out if their children are selected to attend Bezos Academy on May 13 following a lottery drawing.

Click here to submit an application for the 2025-26 school year.

A fourth Bezos Academy in Louisville will open in the future.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has just won a massive recruiting battle for a prospect in their own backyard.

Class of 2026 linebacker Karsten Busch, who plays roughly two miles away from UofL's campus at St. Xavier, announced Friday night that he has given his verbal pledge to the Cardinals. He chose Louisville primarily over Kentucky, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Louisville was the very first Division I program to offer Busch a scholarship, extending back in early June of 2024. He's since made several unofficial visits to campus, and is scheduled to take an official visit on May 30.

Securing a commitment from Busch is a massive deal for the Cardinals, and not just from a local perspective. The linebacker ranks as high as the No. 282 prospect in the cycle, according to On3's in-house rankings. He's regarded as the No. 512 recruit in the nation, per the 247Sports Composite.

With a composite rating of 0.8807, Busch is the highest-rated prospect based out of the city of Louisville to commit to the Cardinals since Selah Brown in the Class of 2022 (0.8922), and the 11th-highest in the modern recruiting era.

As a junior this past season for St. X, Busch tallied 59 tackles, 12 of which came for a loss, and seven sacks. He helped guide the Tigers to a 7-5 record, including a berth in the second round of the KHSAA Class 6A state playoffs.

Louisville is now up to a seven-man 2026 recruiting class with Busch's commitment, which ranks as the No. 25 class in the nation, per247Sports.

(Photo of Karsten Busch via Twitter/X)

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You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X and @mattmcgavic.bsky.social on Bluesky

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As the Lenten season begins, Catholic parishes across Louisville are hosting fish fries, bringing people together for food, fellowship and fundraising.

Each parish puts its own spin on the traditional meal, offering a variety of fish and sides. But no matter the menu, the common thread across all these events is the sense of community.

"It does bring all of us together, and we know what we're doing is good for the community," said Carol Mattingly, who serves at Holy Family Parish on Poplar Level Road in Louisville.

For many, the fish fries are a reunion.

"We're all family, and the guys who already left are from grade school at Guardian Angels, and we all just meet here," said Jeannie Thompson, who attended a recent event.

And for some, the appeal is as simple as the food itself.

"Keeps me coming back," Thompson added.

At Holy Family Parish, volunteers prepare large quantities of food to meet demand.

"We've got 1,000 pounds of fish thawed out, ready to fry up and serve," said Mary Beth Porter, who helps organize the event. "Hand-breaded, center-cut, Atlantic cod, homemade mac n' cheese, green beans (and) coleslaw."

For Louisville’s large Catholic community, abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent is a tradition, and fish fries provide a tasty alternative with a greater purpose.

"It brings our community together," Porter said.

The proceeds from these events help churches sustain their missions, supporting both operations and improvements.

"We're a small parish by number, so we really rely heavily on our fundraising to help keep improvements in our building," Porter said. "We do financially OK with our tithing to pay the bills, but maybe there's not a whole lot to do improvements, and you don't want your buildings to deteriorate."

For many, the lesson of Lent in Louisville is as much about fellowship as it is fish.

"We try to do everything with a smile on our face and welcome people, and I think if you've got that going in your parish, you're going to have a good fish fry," Porter said.

A full list and schedule of fish fries in the area is available below:

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