Louisville’s 2026-27 basketball calendar is coming into focus, and it starts with a heavyweight feel before the season even gets going.
The Cardinals will open the year Nov. 2 at home against Chattanooga at the KFC Yum! Center, the first official game on a schedule that now includes the ACC’s full 18-game league slate. The final pieces left are tipoff times and TV assignments as Pat Kelsey heads into Year 3 with a roster that looks very different from the one that just delivered Louisville its first NCAA Tournament win since 2017.
That turnaround has raised the bar in a hurry. Even after losing 11 players from last season’s team, Louisville enters 2026-27 with its highest expectations under Kelsey thanks to a recruiting class that 247Sports ranks No. 5 in the nation.
The group features seven transfers, led by former Kansas forward Flory Bidunga, along with three freshmen. Adrian Wooley is the only scholarship returner who saw the floor for the Cardinals last season.
Kelsey also isn’t easing up on the nonconference schedule. Louisville has 13 games outside the ACC, and at least six of them are against teams ranked in the top 50 of BartTorvik.com’s early 2026-27 projections as of Sept.
- That stretch begins with an exhibition at Kansas on Oct. 21 and another exhibition at home against Mercyhurst on Oct. 28 before the real thing starts.
The early part of the schedule already brings plenty of attention. Louisville will face Memphis on the road on Nov. 15, meet Texas Tech in the Players Era 16 in Las Vegas on Nov. 24, then play either Oregon or St.
John’s two days later. The third game in that event comes Nov. 27 against either Iowa State, Maryland, San Diego State or Tennessee.
The Cardinals also get Texas in the SEC/ACC Challenge on Dec. 1, Michigan at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Dec. 5, and Kentucky in Lexington on Dec.
The rest of the nonconference slate includes home games against Morehead State, Stetson, Long Island and Eastern Michigan, plus a Dec. 16 trip to Virginia Tech before ACC play ramps up in earnest.
Inside the league, Louisville’s path is packed with marquee dates. The Cardinals will play home-and-home series against North Carolina and SMU, host Duke and Miami at the KFC Yum!
Center, and travel to Virginia to take on the team that finished second in the league last season. The ACC slate also sends Louisville to Syracuse, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Florida State and NC State, while bringing Stanford, California, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and Clemson to Louisville.
Here is the full schedule:
Wednesday, Oct. 21: at Kansas (exhibition)
Wednesday, Oct. 28: vs. Mercyhurst (exhibition)
Monday, Nov. 2: vs. Chattanooga
Saturday, Nov. 7: vs. Morehead State
Sunday, Nov. 15: at Memphis
Thursday, Nov. 19: vs. Stetson
Tuesday, Nov. 24: vs. Texas Tech, 8 p.m. (Players Era 16 in Las Vegas)
Thursday, Nov. 26: vs. either Oregon or St. John’s (Players Era 16 in Las Vegas)
Friday, Nov. 27: vs. either Iowa State, Maryland, San Diego State or Tennessee (Players Era 16 in Las Vegas)
Tuesday, Dec. 1: vs. Texas (SEC/ACC Challenge)
Saturday, Dec. 5: vs. Michigan (at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit)
Saturday, Dec. 12: at Kentucky
Wednesday, Dec. 16: vs. Long Island
Saturday, Dec. 19: vs. Eastern Michigan
Wednesday, Dec. 30: at Virginia Tech
Saturday, Jan. 2: vs. Stanford
Tuesday, Jan. 5: vs. North Carolina
Saturday, Jan. 9: at SMU
Wednesday, Jan. 13: vs. California
Saturday, Jan. 16: at Syracuse
Tuesday, Jan. 19: vs. Miami
Saturday, Jan. 23: vs. Baylor (at TBA in Indianapolis)
Wednesday, Jan. 27: at Boston College
Saturday, Jan. 30: at Georgia Tech
Tuesday, Feb. 2: vs. Pittsburgh
Saturday, Feb. 6: vs. Wake Forest
Monday, Feb. 8: at North Carolina
Saturday, Feb. 13: vs. SMU
Monday, Feb. 15: at Virginia
Sunday, Feb. 21: at Florida State
Wednesday, Feb. 24: vs. Duke
Tuesday, March 2: at NC State
Saturday, March 6: vs. Clemson
Tuesday, March 9, through Saturday, March 13: ACC Tournament (First Horizon Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina)
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