Sports Business Awards bring some attention to Louisville

Among University of Louisville Tom Jurich's accomplishments in 2012 was getting an invitation for U of L to join the Atlantic Coast Conference.?

SportsBusiness Journal and SportsBusiness Daily, sister publications to Business First, handed out their annual honors Wednesday night in New York City, and Louisvillians had reason to cheer.

First, University of Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich was a finalist for AD of the Year recognition. (Jurich won the award in 2007.)

While this year's AD of the Year award went to the late Mal Moore, former athletic director at the University of Alabama, U of L fans can?t help but be elated about all that the Cardinals have accomplished in the past year. (Click here to read a report about accomplishments during Jurich's tenure at U of L.)

The local community also might be interested to know that the 2012 U.S. Grand Prix was recognized as Sports Event of the Year.

Given that the race was held at a new Formula One racetrack in Austin, Texas, why would Louisville residents care?

Because the president and CEO of the venue, Circuit of the Americas, is Steve Sexton, former president of Churchill Downs racetrack.

Sexton, who accepted the award on behalf of his company, led Churchill Downs Inc.?s (NASDAQ: CHDN) entertainment unit until it was dissolved, and he left the company in 2010. He has several former Churchill employees working with him at Circuit of the Americas.

The 2013 Sports Business Awards were held Wednesday at The New York Marriott Marquis at Times Square. They were attended by a crowd of sports celebrities and executives.

John R. Karman III covers these beats: Economic development and government, commercial real estate, transportation, utilities, sports business, lottery, tourism/conventions, higher education, nonprofits, Jeffersontown, Downtown, Central Area.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vertical_59/~3/B1M9_Sbq_WI/sports-business-awards-bring-some.html

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