Louisville basketball’s non-conference schedule is now out in full, and the part that jumps off the page is the brutal December run waiting for Pat Kelsey’s team.
The Cardinals already knew most of what was coming, but the official release makes the picture crystal clear: Louisville is not easing into the season. Kelsey made it clear after his first year that the program wasn’t going to shy away from tough scheduling, and this slate backs that up.
The season begins with a familiar matchup against Kansas in an exhibition game for the second straight year. Then Louisville opens its official campaign on Nov. 2 against Chattanooga inside the KFC Yum! Center.
From there, the non-conference calendar quickly turns into a test of endurance. Louisville will head to the Players Era Tournament and open against Texas Tech on Nov.
- If the Cardinals keep advancing, the path only gets steeper: St.
John’s or Oregon in the second round, then Tennessee, Iowa State, Maryland, or San Diego State in the third round.
And after that tournament, the schedule doesn’t soften at all.
Louisville opens a three-game stretch against teams all trending toward the top 15 nationally. First comes Texas on Dec. 1 in the ACC/SEC Challenge at the KFC Yum!
Center. The Longhorns are viewed as a preseason top-15 team and CBS Sports has them as high as No.
Just four days later, the Cardinals go on the road to face Michigan on Dec. 5.
The Wolverines, the reigning NCAA Tournament champions, are still being treated like a Final Four-level team, even with Dusty May gone to the NBA. CBS Sports has Michigan No.
Then comes the game that always carries extra weight: Kentucky on Dec. 12 in Lexington. Louisville will try to win there for the second straight season, something it hasn’t done since back-to-back victories in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
It’s a three-game run that could end up defining the Cardinals’ season. There’s a real chance Louisville will see three straight top-10 opponents in that span, and for a team chasing its first Final Four since 2013, that kind of stretch will say plenty about where Kelsey’s group stands.
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Louisville Faces A Huge Early Test As New Targets Take Center Stage
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The Cardinals also have plenty to sort through on offense after losing much of their receiving production to the NFL draft and the transfer portal. Louisville brought in new pieces to fill those gaps, and the opener should offer an early look at how quickly the passing game can come together against a ranked opponent. Ole Miss has gone through similar turnover in its own receiver room, so the opening night meeting feels less like a rematch than a reset, with both programs trying to answer big questions right away. [Read more 🡒]