Report: Louisville to Host Texas in 2026 ACC/SEC Challenge

The Longhorns are the latest non-conference opponent added to the Cardinals’ schedule next season.

The Louisville Cardinal mascot flexes before the game against South Carolina State at the KFC Yum! Center Monday night, Nov. 3, 2025. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program will be facing a potential top-10 team for this upcoming season's ACC/SEC Challenge.

The Cardinals will host Texas at the KFC Yum! Center for the 2026 ACC/SEC Challenge, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein. It will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 1st, with the tip-off time and television designation yet to be determined.

In their first year under head coach Sean Miller following his departure from Xavier, Texas was up-and-down for most of their 2025-26 campaign. They went 18-13 in the regular season and lost their SEC Tournament opener, but were able to sneak into the NCAA Tournament. Once in the Big Dance, they went from the First Four to the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to Purdue.

For year two, the Longhorns are expected to take a big step forward. They return Matas Vokietaitis, bring in a pair of top-15 transfers in TCU's David Punch and Colorado's Isaiah Johnson, bolstered their depth via the portal as well, and signed five-star high school recruit Austin Goosby. UT ranked No. 9 in ESPN's updated Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings.

Louisville and Texas have faced six times in their all-time series, with the Cardinals holding a 4-2 advantage. The Longhorns won the last matchup: an 81-80 decision on Nov. 19, 2023 in Madison Square Garden.

Texas is the eighth known non-conference opponent that Louisville will face in the 2026-27 season. The Cardinals will travel to Kentucky on Dec. 11, as well as 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.

With their slate of conference games, while the game-by-game schedule will be released later this year, Louisville recently learned their home and away opponent designations in ACC play. They will take on Cal, Clemson, Duke, Miami, Pitt, Stanford and Wake Forest at home; while going on the road to face Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, NC State, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Cardinals will play SMU and North Carolina twice for home and away games, and will not play Notre Dame.

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(Photo of Louie: Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)