Louisville football is set for a Halloween afternoon kickoff against Stanford, with the ACC announcing Monday, Oct. 19, that the Week 9 game will start at 3:15 p.m. at L&N Stadium. The matchup will air on the ACC Network.
The Cardinals are coming off a Week 8 bye and will be back home after stacking together a pair of wins over Florida State and Syracuse. Louisville’s victory at Syracuse was its first in that stadium in 10 years, and the Stanford game lands as one of the team’s final two home dates of the season.
UofL closes its ACC schedule at home against Pitt on Nov. 21.
Stanford beat Louisville 38-35 in the programs’ first meeting two years ago in California. This will be Stanford’s first trip to the Derby City for football.
Since that win, the Cardinal have picked up only four ACC victories, with the latest coming in a 34-27 win over Georgia Tech on Sept. 26.
Stanford has dropped two of its three October games.
Louisville’s 2026 schedule now has the Stanford game slotted in as Game 8:
Game 1 - Sept. 6: Ole Miss 41, Louisville 38
Game 2 - Sept. 11: Louisville 59, Villanova 13
Game 3 - Sept. 19: Louisville 41, SMU 21
Game 4 - Sept. 26: Wake Forest 30, Louisville 27
Game 5 - Oct. 3: NC State 31, Louisville 28
Game 6 - Oct. 9: Louisville 44, Florida State 20
Game 7 - Oct. 17: Louisville 34, Syracuse 26
Game 8 - Oct. 31: Stanford at Louisville, 3:15 p.m.
Game 9 - Nov. 7: Louisville at Georgia Tech, TBD
Game 10 - Nov. 14: Louisville at North Carolina, TBD
Game 11 - Nov. 21: Pitt at Louisville, TBD
Game 12 - Nov. 28: Louisville at Kentucky, TBD
In Other News...
Louisville Is Chasing An Early Recruiting Statement Under Pat Kelsey
Pat Kelsey and Louisville are making an early push to land one of the most coveted guards in the 2027 class, with five-star point guard Reese Alston now deep into a recruitment that has moved into the home stretch. Alston has trimmed his list to seven schools, and Louisville is right there with LSU among the programs widely viewed as the frontrunners.
For Kelsey, pulling this one over the finish line would be more than just another recruiting win. It would send an early message about where Louisville wants to plant its flag in the national talent race, especially with a prospect whose decision is expected soon and whose choice could shape the tone of the Cardinals' future backcourt plans. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Film Breakdown Leaves One Big Concern About Lincoln Kienholz
Louisvilles film work from its latest game left plenty to like on the surface, but the quarterback tape also pointed to a familiar concern for anyone tracking Lincoln Kienholz: the decision-making still has room to grow. The breakdown focused on a handful of snaps where he seemed intent on forcing the explosive play instead of taking the easier completion, a tendency that can tilt an offense out of rhythm even when the talent is obvious.
There were other encouraging signs in the review, including the development of TreyShun Hurry and Johnnie Browns impact on a key play, which helped round out a broader look at how Louisville handled both sides of the ball. Still, the quarterback questions linger because the margin for error gets smaller when the offense is leaning on high-variance throws, and thats the part the Cardinals will keep watching as the tape keeps telling the same story. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Gets An Early Reality Check In Pat Kelseys Biggest Test Yet
Louisvilles preseason tune-up has a lot more weight than your typical exhibition. No. 11 Louisville heads into Wednesday nights matchup at No. 17 Kansas at Phog Allen Field House, with ESPNU carrying a game that gives Pat Kelsey an early chance to measure his team against one of college basketballs standard-bearers. Kelsey said Kansas talent and coaching are obvious, and the setup alone makes this one feel less like a warmup and more like a first real benchmark.
Kansas has been busy shaping its roster, including the addition of former Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, and the player notes on both sides only add to the intrigue. For Louisville, the value goes beyond the final score in an exhibition setting. It is the kind of road test that can expose where the Cardinals are already ahead of schedule and where Kelsey still has work to do before the games start counting for good. [Read more 🡒]