It is pretty remarkable how far the Louisville football program has come over the last 10 years.

Buoyed by multiple conference moves, the Cardinals have transformed themselves into a national program. And now for the second time in a decade, they have announced plans to expand Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. Athletic director Tom Jurich announced a $55 million plan to add 10,000 seats, enclose the north end zone and modernize the club sections.

In addition, the football facility will undergo an expansion and renovation that will include a weight room and conditioning center double in size, along with a players lounge, improvements to the coaches' offices, meeting rooms and a new locker room.

Money for the project will raised through sponsorships, ticket sales, donations and fundraising. Jurich wants the project completed in two years, but no timetable has been set.

"We worked extremely hard on this one to assure the timing was right before we moved forward," Jurich said in a statement. "We feel that we have a plan in place that will excite our fans and continue to advance our program, which has truly gained a national stage with our university's move to the ACC."

Investing in football programs is nothing new. Renovations and expansion have become the norm in an ever-increasing arms race to stay ahead of competitors. Louisville last renovated its stadium in 2010. The Cards averaged 52,972 fans last season to rank seventh in the ACC. The expansion would give Louisville the fourth-largest on-campus stadium in the league.