Louisville basketball’s ACC Tournament journey came to an end last night after the Cardinals' 778-73 loss to the Miami Hurricanes in the quarterfinals. The Cards will head into the NCAA Tournament 23-10, as there is no question that Louisville is a shoo-in for March Madness, but the question now is what seed they will get.
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Last season, Louisville was one of the biggest surprises of the NCAA Tournament after reaching the ACC Tournament finals and entering Selection Sunday ranked No. 10 in the nation, but the committee gave the Cardinals a No. 8 seed. Now, with Louisville trying to earn its first NCAA Tournament win since Donovan Mitchell’s 2017 Cardinals, Louisville fans anxiously await their seed and their path to the Final Four.
So, with all eyes on Selection Sunday, which will take place this weekend on March 15, here is a full breakdown of who some experts project Louisville to play in the NCAA Tournament and what seed they think the Cardinals will be.
Who is Louisville basketball projected to play in the 2026 NCAA Tournament?
One of the more reliable Bracketology websites is Bracket Matrix. The college basketball analytical website pulls results from 116 different brackets and lays out Louisville's projected seed in each and its average seed. Friday morning, after Louisville’s loss to Miami, the Cardinals dropped a little bit, but not a lot, according to the website, which reports the Cardinals have an average seed of 5.89, with their highest projected seed as a 5-seed and their lowest projected seed as a 7-seed.
The Cardinals are a 6-seed in nearly every updated Bracketology as of 11 am, March 13, but here is what Fox, CBS, and ESPN predict.
Fox: Michael DeCourcy predicts Louisville basketball to be the No. 6 seed in the East region and to play the winner of the VCU vs Texas play-in game.
CBS: CBS Sports predicts Louisville to be the 5-seed in the Midwest region and to play the No. 12 seed Northern Iowa.
ESPN: Joe Lunardi predicts the Cardinals to be the 6-seed in the East region and to play the winner of the Missouri vs VCU play-in game.
The Selection Sunday show will start at 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 15, on CBS. The first four play-in games will take place Tuesday, March 17, and Wednesday, March 18, with the first round tipping off on Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20.
Louisville fans will now anxiously await to see what seed they get for the Big Dance, as they will try to win their first NCAA Tournament game since 2017 and make it past the Round of 32 for the first time since 2015, and make it to the Final Four for the first time since 2013.
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For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.