How to Watch Louisville's NCAA Tournament Opener vs. South Florida

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - With the regular season and conference tournaments now in the rear view mirror, the NCAA Tournament is finally back. For the Louisville men's basketball program, they'll head to upstate New York to get their run in the Big Dance started, and will kick it off with a first round matchup against South Florida.

The Cardinals entered the 2025-26 season as a squad who could potentially contend for a Final Four, and were ranked as high as the No. 6 team in the nation. However, year two under head coach Pat Kelsey has certainly had some ups and down, and has been a bit of a disappointment when compared to preseason expectations.

That being said, Kelsey has guided Louisville to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, with last season snapping a five-year postseason drought. Shooting guard Ryan Conwell was tabbed as a Second Team All-ACC selection, while point guard Mikel Brown Jr. earned a Third Team All-ACC nod and was named to the ACC All-Rookie Team.

As for the Bulls, year one of the Bryan Hodgson era has been a rousing success, and they are currently one of the hottest teams in the sport. After starting 14-8, they have since fired off an 11-game winning streak, which is tied for the third-longest in the nation. Not only did that result in winning the American Athletic Conference outright regular season title, but the AAC Championship, 70-55 over Wichita State, on Selection Sunday.

It's just the fourth ever appearance in the Big Dance for USF, and their first since 2012. They're led primarily by forward Izaiyah Nelson, who was named the AAC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Point guard Wes Enis Jr. also brought home a First-Team All-AAC nod, while guard/forward Joseph Pinion took home Third-Team All-AAC honors, and Hodgson was named the AAC Coach of the Year.

Both formerly members of the Metro Conference, Conference USA and Big East, this will be the 34th all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Cardinals holding a decisive 29-4 advantage. Louisville has won the last four meetings, including an 80-54 decision back on Feb. 18, 2014 in their last matchup.

NCAA Tournament First Round | No. 6 Louisville Cardinals (23-10, 11-7 ACC) vs. No. 11 South Florida Bulls (25-8, 15-3 American)

Date/Time: Thursday, Mar. 19 at 1:30 p.m. EST.
Place: KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y.
TV: TNT - Brian Anderson (Play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst) and Allie LaForce (sideline).
Channel (Louisville)/Live Stream: Spectrum: 43; Dish: 138; DirecTV: 245.
Radio (Louisville): 93.9 FM - Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst).

NCAA Tournament First Round | No. 6 Louisville Cardinals (23-10, 11-7 ACC) vs. No. 11 South Florida Bulls (25-8, 15-3 American)

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