Report: Louisville to Host Chattanooga, Morehead State to Tip-Off 2026-27 Season

The Cardinals' non-conference schedule is nearly complete.

Mar 19, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey speaks at a postgame press conference after the game against the South Florida Bulls during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program's non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season is inching closer to completion, as we now reportedly know two more teams that the Cardinals will face.

The first week of year three under head coach Pat Kelsey will feature home matchups against Chattanooga and Morehead State, according to the Courier-Journal's Brooks Holton. UofL will host the Mocs on Monday, Nov. 2 at the KFC Yum! Center, then do the same with the Eagles on Saturday, Nov. 7, according to Holton. Tip-off times and television designations have yet to be determined.

On the heels of a 2024-25 campaign that saw Chattanooga go 29-9 to tie the school record for most wins in a single season, their 2025-26 campaign far from repeated that success. Year four under head coach Dan Earl saw the Mocs go just 13-19 overall, which was their fewest wins since posting a 12-20 record during the 2018-29 season.

As for Morehead State, their 2025-26 season was a little more successful. Despite starting the year at just 3-7, the Eagles wound up finishing year two under head coach Jonathan Mattox at 20-13 overall to win the OVC regular season championship. This resulted in Mattox being named the OVC Co-Coach of the Year, along with Tennessee State's Nolan Smith.

With Chattanooga and Morehead State now in the fold, 10 of Louisville's non-conference matchups for the 2026-27 season have now been filled, with three still to go. The Cardinals will host Texas on Dec. 1 for the ACC/SEC Challenge, travel to Kentucky on Dec. 11, hit the road to face Memphis, will take on Baylor in another neutral site game and face Cincinnati at Freedom Hall (dates TBD for latter three games). They will also play a minimum of three games in the Player's Era Men's Championship, starting with a matchup against Texas Tech.

Louisville is generating high amounts of offseason buzz for year three under Kelsey despite losing 11 players from last season's roster, and for good reason. They welcoming six incoming transfers as part of the top-ranked portal int he sport, headlined by Kansas forward/center Flory Bidunga and Oregon point guard Jackson Shelstad. Five-star center Obinna Ekezie Jr. headlines their top-20 high school recruiting class, and the Cardinals also return starting guard Adrian Wooley.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram for the latest news.

(Photo of Pat Kelsey: Mark Konezny - Imagn Images)