University of Louisville's reputation has taken a hit, but will enrollment slide, too?

For a week, Jenny Sawyer fretted about her coming trip to a college fair in Lexington, where she was expected to answer questions about the University of Louisville.

Another scandal had just thrust the university back into the national spotlight, and Sawyer — the university's executive director of undergraduate admissions — was worried it could overshadow an important recruiting opportunity for the school.

College enrollment numbers are on the decline nationwide, while tuition costs are at an all-time high. Universities everywhere are suffering from state budget cuts, and even accomplished students are realizing a degree is no longer a job-guarantee.

Sawyer needed her Lexington trip to go well; this was not the time for the university to keep getting negative press.

Within the past three years, the University of Louisville's leadership and men's basketball program have come under fire for allegations of mismanagement and improper behavior.

Now, the basketball program is receiving critical attention again as the FBI investigates a "pay to play" scheme in which the University of Louisville is involved.

University statistics so far show the school's enrollment and growth have escaped relatively unscathed, with a 4-percent increase in enrollment between 2005 and 2016.

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But Sawyer and other community members wonder how long the university's luck can last.

Will this latest blemish finally do the school in?

BUILDING — AND LOSING — CREDIBILITY

The University of Louisville has a history of struggling.

According to its website, the university was founded in 1798 as Jefferson Seminary, but the campus didn't open until 1813, and it closed just 16 years later in 1829.

The school got its second life as the Louisville College Institute in the 1830s, but even that rendition didn't survive.

In 1907, the liberal arts college was revived again, and this time it prospered, with the school becoming a public state university in 1970 and receiving acclaim for both its academic and athletic programs.

Every story of struggle can also be a story of survival, and that's exactly what the University of Louisville turned its history into, said John Thelin, a university research professor at the University of Kentucky.

"If you look at the whole university, it's been an incredible success story over the last 16 years," said Thelin, who specializes in studying higher education and public policy. "They have kind of blossomed as a flagship university that's able to hold their own against UK."

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Former President James Ramsey was a key hire for the school, Thelin said, responsible for improving the university's athletic image and catapulting the University of Louisville into the Atlantic Coast Conference — known for both academic and athletic prowess.

"For Louisville to go from the Big East to the ACC was a big step," Thelin said. "If you go back about six years, they were on top of the world. U of L was increasingly mature and confident, and they did very well in state legislature lobbying for support from the state. They had an incredible following within the greater Louisville area, and that's why I think a lot of these recent events and developments are very tragic."

The University of Louisville's men's basketball program self-imposed a postseason ban for the 2015-16 season following the publishing of "Breaking Cardinal Rules," which described parties for recruits and players that involved "dancers" and "prostitutes." Those allegations led to NCAA sanctions handed down in June that included the vacation of 123 wins, including the Cards' 2013 national championship, and the repayment of potentially millions in NCAA Tournament revenue. The university has appealed the NCAA Committee on Infractions' decision.

Ramsey resigned amid a restructuring of the university board of trustees, and the school was placed on probation by its accrediting association.

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An audit unearthed chronic issues of bad investments and overspending; and last month, in response to the FBI investigation, athletic director Tom Jurich and men's basketball coach Rick Pitino were placed on leave.

Thelin said he doesn't believe high school students or their families will be totally swayed away from the University of Louisville because of the controversies.

But if the school were to continue its negative course, that could change.

"University reputations are intangible, but they're undeniable," Thelin said. "At least in academic circles and among colleges and universities, people now have reasonable doubt about U of L.

"If money could solve this problem, that would be a pretty straight-forward solution," Thelin continued. "But regaining credibility is a much more elusive path."

'I'M MORE THAN THE PROBLEMS'

At the Lexington college fair, Sawyer was surprised she didn't get any questions about the FBI investigation.

"The only thing I had was two parents who came up and complimented our leadership on how quickly they addressed the issue," Sawyer said. "We've gotten multiple emails of support from (Jefferson County Public Schools) principals and counselors, reminding us of all the great things the university does."

The University of Louisville isn't just important to the students who attend its classes — but to the entire community where it resides.

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The university works with high school students to receive college credit before graduating. It encourages entrepreneurship and innovation at its FirstBuildmicrofactory and Nucleus research park, where projects can have a national influence.

In 2014, the university's state economic impact exceeded $1.8 billion. And since 2002, the University of Louisville has injected $2.3 billion into the local economy through capital construction projects, according to a 2015 report written by Ramsey.

For the past decade, the university's enrollment has remained steady, with 21,760 total students enrolled in fall 2005 and 22,640 enrolled in fall 2016, according to the university's annual Just the Facts reports.

But the number of freshmen is down 7 percent for that time period, falling in line with national trends.

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To fight the decline, Sawyer and her admissions team have expanded recruiting in three regional cities — Chicago, Cincinnati and Nashville — and they're targeting the 100,000 Louisvillians who've taken some college courses but not finished a degree.

The efforts have led to a 100-percent increase in applications and a 50-percent increase in campus visits so far this year.

But Sawyer said her office won't know if they've jumped the latest hurdle until students start committing to the University of Louisville this spring.

"I'm not ready to say I don't think there will be any real impact," Sawyer said. "We're being very proactive in what we need to do."

Returning student Katy Stahl said she's proud of the program she's joined at the University of Louisville and is sad to see her school in an adverse situation again.

"I know there's been a lot of work improving our program," said Stahl, who is studying American sign language interpreting. "A lot of people have put a lot of effort into making sure the deaf community in the state of Kentucky has been taken care of through this particular program, which we have a lot to be proud of with that."

Junior Jessica Riley said she's glad she chose the University of Louisville from the 10 schools she visited.

The history major said attending college in her hometown was the most affordable option, and she's happy with the University of Louisville's academic and extracurricular offerings.

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But she agrees with Stahl that the recent issues are sad and frustrating.

"I feel like it's a shame that U of L's reputation is getting harmed by something in sports or with the money issues and the higher up people," Riley said.

Riley and other students interviewed said they don't know much about the FBI basketball investigation, but they worry that the controversy will affect their images in the eyes of future employers.

"I'm more than the problems my school had," Riley said she plans to tell them. "I had a really good experience academically."

Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at 502-582-4646 or bloosemore@courier-journal.com.

BY THE NUMBERS

Statistics pulled from annual University of Louisville reports show how the school has changed — and remained steady — in the past decade. None of the changes can so far be directly related to recent scandals.

• Total student enrollment: 21,760 in fall 2005; 22,640 in fall 2016 — increase of 4 percent
• In-state students: 17,431 in fall 2005; 16,723 in fall 2016 — decrease of 4 percent
• Out-of-state students: 4,329 in fall 2005; 5,917 in fall 2016 — increase of 36 percent
• Jefferson County students: 10,940 in fall 2005; 9,396 in fall 2016 — decrease of 14 percent
• Graduate students: 4,793 in fall 2005; 5,808 in fall 2016 — increase of 21 percent
• Freshmen: 4,008 in fall 2005; 3,712 in fall 2016 — decrease of 7 percent
• Faculty and staff: 5,764 in fall 2005; 7,074 in fall 2016 — increase of 23 percent
• In-state tuition: $2,766 in fall 2005; $5,534 in fall 2016 — increase of 100 percent
• Out-of-state tuition: $7,546 in fall 2005; $13,045 in fall 2016 — increase of 73 percent
• State appropriation: $189,244,800 in 2006; $132,818,400 in 2016 — decrease of 30 percent