What to Watch For When the ACC Releases Louisville Football's Schedule

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 2025 college football season might have only just recently wrapped up, but the groundwork is already starting to be laid for next season.

On Monday, the Atlantic Coast Conference will officially announced the full 2026 schedule for their 17 member schools. For Louisville, it will mark their fourth season under head coach Jeff Brohm, and they are coming off of a 9-4 campaign in his third year under their guidance.

Here are five things to watch for when the Cardinals' schedule is unveiled tomorrow night:

What day will the Ole Miss game be played?

Louisville might not be playing Georgia next season like originally planned, but they're still in line to face a marquee SEC opponent. They'll face Ole Miss in their season-opener for a neutral site showdown, with the Cardinals and Rebels facing off in at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

Louisville knows that their season will start with Ole Miss, but don't know the precise date. When the matchup was announced last December, the date was listed as either Saturday, Sept. 5 or Sunday, Sept. 6. We'll likely know which day they game will be placed on when the full schedule is announced.

When will conference play start?

This past season, Louisville got a bit of a late start to ACC play. Their first game in conference didn't come until week five, when they went up to the Steel City to face Pitt. However, the Cardinals' first ACC game in 2026 will certainly be earlier than that.

For starters, the league is moving to a nine-game schedule starting next season. Plus, their three non-conference games are locked into dates: Ole Miss in week one, Villanova at home in week two, and at Kentucky to end the regular season. ACC play for UofL will start on week three or four, depending on the bye week situation.

How will the bye weeks align?

Speaking of which, seeing when Louisville will precisely be taking their bye weeks will be something intrguing to monitor. This past season, they took both of their byes in the first seven weeks, meaning they ended the regular season with seven straight weeks of football.

The first two weeks of the season are booked, as is the final week of the regular season, meaning that Louisville's two byes will fall within an 11-week span. Hopefully these byes are a little more evenly spread out.

When will their top ACC games be?

All things considered, Louisville's ACC slate for next season is shaping up to be fairly manageable. The Cardinals don't have to face national runner-up Miami or ACC runner-up Virginia, aren't playing Clemson, and don't have to square off with a re-tooled Virginia Tech team.

But there are a few notable games in conference play for the Cards. They'll host SMU and Florida State, as well as hit the road to take on Georgia Tech. All three teams spent various time ranked this past season, and have managed the portal fairly well.

What week will the Cards head to Chapel Hill?

On paper, North Carolina isn't shaping up to be a supreme world beater. But it will be a road trip that many Louisville fans will look forward to.

Regardless of how good the Tar Heels will or will not be, they're still lead by Super Bowl Champion and surefire Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Belichick. Oh, and his newly-hired offensive coordinator is former UofL head coach Bobby Petrino. There are storylines galore, here.

What day will the Ole Miss game be played?

When will conference play start?

How will the bye weeks align?

When will their top ACC games be?

What week will the Cards head to Chapel Hill?

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