Louisville basketball just released its full non-conference schedule, and the Cardinals have a season-defining stretch in December. The Cardinals' head coach, Pat Kelsey, made it clear after his first season that Louisville wasn’t going to duck smoke with their schedule, and this non-conference schedule backs that statement up.
Louisville basketball releases full non-conference schedule
While Louisville fans knew most of the schedule already, UofL just officially released its full non-conference schedule, and there is a lot to be excited about. The Cardinals will start the season with Kansas for the second straight year in an exhibition game, then on Nov. 2, against Chattanooga, the Cards will make their official season debut inside the KFC Yum! Center.
Cue up Joker and The Thief
— Louisville Men's Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) August 31, 2026
The non-con is here ⬇️
Details: https://t.co/gJ0rlkrljq
Ticket info: https://t.co/AE1TIiw1sB #GoCards pic.twitter.com/bBQSwXKt1S
Then, when Louisville fans skim through the schedule, one stretch stands out. The Cardinals will play in the Players Era Tournament this season. They will face off against Texas Tech on Nov. 24. After that game, the Cardinals will play St. John’s or Oregon in the second round, and in the third round, they will face Tennessee, Iowa State, Maryland, or San Diego State (if they advance).
Following the Players Era Tournament, the Cardinals schedule doesn’t get any easier. It actually gets tougher. They play three teams consecutively, all trending as top-15 teams in the nation.
Louisville will have a blockbuster showdown inside the KFC Yum! Center, as the Cardinals will host the Texas Longhorns. Texas is trending as not only a top-15 team in the nation this preseason, but CBS Sports also ranks them as high as No. 5. Louisville and Texas will play on Dec. 1, as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Next, Louisville will travel to the reigning NCAA Tournament champions, the Michigan Wolverines, on December 5. Despite the Wolverines' head coach, Dusty May, leaving Michigan for the NBA, the Wolverines are trending as a Final Four-caliber team again, as CBS Sports ranks them No. 9 in the nation.
And lastly, the Cardinals will face their biggest rival, the Kentucky Wildcats, on December 12 to conclude this gauntlet of a stretch. Louisville will travel to Lexington this upcoming season, where the Cardinals will try to earn their second straight win over Kentucky for the first time since they won back-to-back in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
This three-game stretch has a chance to be three straight top-10 opponents for the Cardinals, and could be a season-defining stretch for Kelsey’s squad. The Cardinals are looking to make their first Final Four appearance since 2013, and a stretch like this will tell a lot about a team.
Add us as a preferred source on Google