Mar 5, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey reacts during the second half against the California Golden Bears at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated California 85-68. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Louisville Adds Baylor to 2025-26 Schedule

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 11:55 AM ET

An already loaded non-conference slate for the Louisville men's basketball program this upcoming season just got even tougher.

The Cardinals will take on Baylor in a neutral site game at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, the program announced Thursday. The matchup will take place on Saturday, Feb. 14, with tip-off time and television designation getting announced at a later date.

A returning neutral site game is also slated for the 2026-27 season, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.

This past season, Baylor had an up-and-down 2024-25 campaign. Despite being the AP preseason No. 8 team, the Bears started the year at just 9-6. They countered by winning 10 of their next 13, but took a four-game losing streak into the NCAA Tournament. The beat Syracuse 78-69 in the opening round, but lost 83-71 to Gonzaga in the Round of 32.

In 22 years at the helm, head coach Scott Drew holds a 466-259 record at Baylor, including winning the 2021 national championship. He previously entertained the notion of taking the Louisville job following the firing of Kenny Payne in March of 2024, but opted to stay in Waco. The Cardinals would later hire Charleston's Pat Kelsey.

10 of Louisville's 13 non-conference opponents for the 2025-26 season are now publicly known. The Cardinals will host Kentucky on Nov. 11, head to Arkansas on Dec. 3 for the ACC/SEC Challenge, take on Indiana on Dec. 6 from Gainbridge Arena in Indianapolis, host Memphis on Dec. 13, then travel to Tennessee on Dec. 16.

They will also face Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan and NJIT as part of an MTE at Heritage Bank Arena in the Queen City, and host Ohio. Dates are to-be-determined for these matchups.

Louisville is coming off of a successful year one under Kelsey. The Cardinals went 27-8 overall, winning more games than over the previous three seasons combined, resulting in Kelsey winning ACC Coach of the Year. UofL made their return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 - although it resulted in a first round exit to Creighton.

Not long after the end of the season, Kelsey and his staff immediately got to work constructing next year's roster. They added three top-25 transfers in Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely and Adrian Wooley, while top-25 Class of 2025 prospects Mikel Brown Jr. and Sananda Fru are joining the fold. Additionally, J'Vonne Hadley and Kasean Pryor are both taking advantage of extra years of eligibility.