Louisville Men's Basketball Releases Tip Times and TV

On Wednesday, Louisville Basketball announced tip times and TV designations for the upcoming 2026-2027 season. While we found out yesterday there will be a “secret scrimmage” upcoming, the first true exhibition game of the season is two weeks from tonight @ Kansas.

The Cards and Jayhawks will tip at 7 pm (10/21), with the broadcast on ESPNU. This is a return trip from last year’s exhibition where the Jayhawks overwhelmed the Cardinals at the KFC Yum! Center 90-82. It will be Louisville’s first trip to Phog Allen Fieldhouse since Denny Crum’s Cards beat KU 85-78 in 1992.

Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) and Louisville Cardinals guard Adrian Wooley (14) battle for a loose ball during an exhibition game before UofL basketball's 2025-26 season at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky Friday, October 24, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cards will play Mercyhurst in the other exhibition streaming on the ACCNX @ 7 pm on Oct. 28. Mercyhurst joined the D1 ranks for the 2024-2025 season.

The regular season opens on Monday, Nov. 2, with Louisville hosting Chattanooga at 9 pm on the ACC Network. The Mocs beat the Cards during their last trip to the Yum! Center in 2023, 81-71. Next up will be a Saturday noon game vs Morehead State on the ACCNX, Nov. 7. Louisville football is in action that same day at Georgia Tech with a kickoff time announced later.

Dec 16, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Ray Spalding (13) scores against Memphis Tigers guard Jamal Johnson (1) in the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After a week off, The Ville invades Beale Street to face Memphis in the FedEx Forum on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1 pm on ESPN. The last time the Cards played in the FedEx Forum, they won the 2014 AAC Championship game over eventual national champion, Connecticut.

The Cards return home to face the Stetson Hatters from Deland, FL on Nov. 19 at 8 pm on the ACCN. Louisville last faced the Hatters in Freedom Hall in 2009, marching to a 80-48 victory.

The Cards head to Vegas for the Players Era 16 during Thanksgiving week and open against Texas Tech on Tuesday, Nov. 24 against Texas Tech at 8 pm on ESPN. All games of the tournament will be shown on the ESPN family of networks, with Louisville guaranteed to play Nov. 26 against St John’s or Oregon and Nov. 27 against an unknown opponent. If Louisville wins the first three games, they will play in a championship game on Nov. 28.

Dec. 1 the Cards play host to the Texas Longhorns in the ACC/SEC challenge in a game that will tip at 9 pm on ESPN2. Texas is widely regarded as a preseason Top 10 team under Sean Miller. The Cards are 4-2 all time against the Longhorns.

Mar 21, 2026; Buffalo, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey reacts in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cards will head to Detroit to face defending national champion Michigan on Dec. 5 with tip time and TV designation coming later.

After another week break, Louisville heads to Rupp Arena where they are looking for their first win over the Wildcats since the 2008 season. The game will be at 4 pm and broadcast on ABC. Mikel Brown paced the Cards with 29 points last November as Louisville beat Kentucky 96-88.

The Cards round out the early season home non-conference slate with a two-game home stand in mid-December. The LIU Sharks, a tournament team a season ago face The Ville on Dec. 16 at 9 pm on the ACCN. Eastern Michigan rounds it out at 1:30 on Dec. 19 on The CW.

Following an 11-day break, Louisville heads to Blacksburg on Dec. 30 at 8 pm on The CW. Louisville had a 17-game winning streak against the Hokies from 1992-2021.

The Cards come back home to host Stanford on Jan. 2 at 6 pm on the ACCN. Louisville lost in Palo Alto last season, with Mikel Brown sidelined by injury. Jan.6 at 9 pm, North Carolina comes to town for a game that will be televised by either ESPN or ESPNU. Carolina holds the series advantage 21-8.

The Cards hit the road to Dallas for their final game on The CW of the regular season against SMU at 2:15 pm on Jan. 9. Louisville and SMU split the regular season games a season ago, with the home teams holding serve but the Cards knocked the Mustangs out of the ACC tournament in March.

Mar 11, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard J'vonne Hadley (1) shoots as Southern Methodist University Mustangs center Samet Yigitoglu (24) defends at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cal comes to the Yum! Center on Jan. 13 at 7 pm on the ACCN, before a road trip to Syracuse on Sat, Jan. 16 at 2 pm on either ESPN2 or ESPNU. Cuse legend Gerry Mcnamara is entering his first season as the coach of the Orange.

Miami rolls into The Ville with up-and-coming coach Jai Lucas on Jan. 19 at 7 pm on ESPN2 or ESPNU. The Cards knocked off a ranked Canes team in Coral Gables late last season behind a go-ahead three pointer from Adrian Wooley in the final minute.

A three-game stand away from the Derby City starts with the a neutral site game against Baylor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Jan. 23. Tip time is yet to be determined, with ESPN2 or ESPNU broadcasting the contest. The Cards knocked off the Bears in Fort Worth a season ago.

A trip to Chestnut Hills, MA against first year head coach and former Louisville assistant is next up. The game is on Jan. 27 at 7 pm and is set for the ACCN. The road trip ends in Atlanta vs Georgia Tech on Jan. 30 at noon on either ESPN or ESPN2.

A two-game homestand will open Feb. 2 against Pitt at 9 pm on either ESPN or ESPN2. Wake Forest invades on Feb. 6 at 3 pm on the ACCN. Pat Kelsey was formerly an assistant coach for Skip Prosser at Wake Forest.

Louisville hits the road to Chapel Hill for the first of back-to-back Big Monday showdowns. Feb. 8 the Cards tussle with the Heels in the Dean Dome at 6 pm on ESPN. Carolina will be under the direction of former NBA head coach Mike Malone. The following Monday, Feb. 15 the Cards head to Charlottesville for a 7 pm game against the Cavs on ESPN.

Mar 7, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals mascot Louie on the court against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In between those two Big Monday games, Louisville hosts SMU at noon on Feb. 13 on ESPN or ESPN2.

A Saturday afternoon trip to face a pesky Florida State team on Feb. 21 will tip at 4 pm on ESPN or ESPN2. Luke Loucks is another strong young coach in the conference.

The Cards host Duke Feb 24 at 7 pm on ESPN. The Cards lost in a “blackout game” to the Devils in the Yum! Center last January before the Devils crushed Louisville at home a few weeks later. A win here would be a massive statement for Coach Kelsey and Co.

Feb 5, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; The Louisville Cardinals Ladybirds perform during the second half against the Duke Blue Devils at KFC Yum! Center. Duke defeated Louisville 59-58. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The final road trip of the regular season will be in Raleigh against NC State at 7 pm on March 2 on either ESPN, ESPN2 or the ACCN. The final home game will be March 6 at noon on ESPNU against Clemson. The Cards fell to Clemson in Littlejohn Coliseum last season.

The ACC Tournament returns to Greensboro this season for the 30th time from March 9-13.

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