Louisville is heading back to the Bahamas for another summer tune-up, and this one comes with a clear purpose.
The Cardinals will play two exhibition games July 28 and July 29 as part of the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, the program announced Tuesday. The four-day trip runs July 27-30, with both games set for the Baha Mar Convention, Arts and Entertainment Center at the resort in Nassau. Louisville will face teams from The Bahamas in both contests.
For Pat Kelsey, it’s the kind of summer work he wants his team to get.
“This is a business trip for our team,” said Kelsey. “The chances to get 10 additional practices and a pair of games under our belt before the school year begins is absolutely invaluable. When we played in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League two years ago, we saw what a great benefit that extra court time could have on our team, and we are looking for a similar effect with this quick trip to Nassau.”
The trip is Louisville’s second in three summers to the Baha Mar event. Under NCAA rules, teams can now take foreign tours every summer, though they are still limited to playing international competition.
Louisville won’t be the only familiar name in the 2026 field. Arkansas, Cincinnati, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Valparaiso were also announced as participants in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, which runs July 28-Aug. 10.
The timing matters for a Louisville roster that looks very different. The Cardinals’ portal haul includes former Kansas center Flory Bidunga, who averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks; Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, who posted 15.6 points and 4.9 assists; Arkansas wing Karter Knox, who averaged 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds; and Iowa forward Álvaro Folgueiras, who averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Louisville also brings back guards Adrian Wooley and London Johnson and has added freshmen Obinna Ekezie Jr., Boyuan Zhang and Isaac Ellis. In all, the roster includes nine newcomers.
Brooks Downing, founder and president of bdG Sports, said the surge in foreign tours has been driven by the modern college game.
“Interest in foreign tours has exploded this summer,” said Brooks Downing, founder and president of bdG Sports. ”With rosters largely turning over in today’s collegiate environment, combined with the significant Name, Image and Likeness investment in each roster, this is an affordable way to protect that investment and get a big head start on the new season.”
bdG Sports manages the event and says the fifth-annual summer league is part of a broader basketball operation at Baha Mar. The resort also hosts Baha Mar Hoops each November, one of the sport’s largest regular-season events, with 20 NCAA Division I men’s and women’s teams playing 20 games over 11 days around the Thanksgiving holiday.
For Louisville fans, the Bahamas trip is the first chance to see the new group together before the season begins. Those interested in attending can visit www.bahamarhoops.com/summer for tickets, rooms and VIP packages.
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