Louisville basketball took another step forward in Year 2 under coach Pat Kelsey — winning its first NCAA Tournament game since 2017.
But, for all that talk last summer of "not ducking the smoke," the Cardinals left a lot to be desired for a team that began the season ranked 10th in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
With a tougher nonconference schedule and an improved ACC, UofL played nine more Quad 1 games in 2025-26 (20) than it did in 2024-25 (11). It finished two games under .500 in those matchups, 9-11, and mustered only one win in 10 tries against Quad 1A opponents — the elite tier among which it's hoping to reestablish itself.
To get there, Louisville needs another schedule that will test the members of Kelsey's overhauled roster early and often. Here's a way-too-early look at how the 2026-27 slate is coming together:
Let's start here: In locking down last season's blockbuster preseason exhibition vs. Kansas at the KFC Yum! Center, Louisville agreed to visit Allen Fieldhouse for a rematch before the 2026-27 campaign officially tips off. As is the case with every upcoming game you'll read about here, a date for this one had not been announced at the time of publication.
The Cards are on the books to run it back against four nonconference foes they swept in 2025-26: Baylor, Cincinnati, Kentucky and Memphis. Of this group, only the Wildcats reached March Madness. The Bears, Bearcats and Tigers combined to finish 48-51.
The games against BU and UC will be played at neutral sites — although that's a bit of a stretch for the latter, considering it'll be held at Freedom Hall, UofL's home gym from 1956-2010. A venue for the Baylor game had not been revealed at the time of publication.
The games against UK and Memphis will be true road tests. After last season's Nov. 11 showdown with the Cats made headlines as the earliest ever in the rivalry series, it'll be interesting to see where Round 59 at Rupp Arena falls on the schedule.
The most noteworthy new addition to Louisville's nonconference slate is the Players Era Tournament, which will be held the week of Thanksgiving in Las Vegas. Last November, athletics director Josh Heird signed a contract locking the Cards into the event for the next four seasons — through 2029-30.
Per a copy of the contract, obtained by The Courier Journal via an open records request, Players Era participants "will be provided with the opportunity to engage in (name, image and likeness) activities valued at a total of $1 million."
Last season, according to a report from ESPN, tournament champion Michigan received an additional $1 million in NIL compensation, while runner-up Gonzaga received an additional $500,000.
The event was planning an expansion from 18 teams in 2025 to a 32-team field in 2026, but Sportico reported in late March that organizers were "considering scaling back" to 24 participants. No official announcement on that front had been made at the time of publication.
Per the aforementioned contract, UofL is guaranteed to play at least three games in the Players Era each year.
Louisville should also make its third appearance in the ACC/SEC Challenge. And, after traveling to Arkansas last December, the Cards should be in line to host this year's matchup at the Yum! Center.
The ACC reverted back to an 18-game conference schedule in 2025-26 after using a 20-game slate for six seasons.
As part of the change, Louisville was indefinitely locked into an annual home-and-home series against primary partner SMU and played only one other ACC member twice, variable partner Duke.
What can we expect in Year 3 of the Kelsey era? Two games against the Mustangs, for sure, and likely only one against the Blue Devils. The conference had not announced variable partners for 2026-27 at the time of publication.
Florida State was the one ACC member the Cards didn't play last season. So look for the Seminoles, who had a strong finish to Year 1 under coach Luke Loucks, to be back on the schedule this go-around.
The conference tournament will be held at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the first time since 2023. It'll be the 30th time the venue has hosted the event.
Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.