Report: Louisville Adds Ohio to 2025-26 Schedule, Will Face Bucknell in Preseason

The Louisville men’s basketball program has added Ohio to their schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season, according to the Courier-Journal's Brooks Holton.

Additionally, the Cardinals have also added Bucknell to their slate of preseason exhibitions, per Holton. Dates, tip-off times and TV designations have yet to be determined for both matchups.

Despite being tabbed as the preseason pick to win the MAC, Ohio posted a pedestrian 2024-25 campaign in Jeff Boals' sixth year as the head coach. The Bobcats went just 16-16 overall, including a first round exit to Toledo in the MAC Tournament.

As for Bucknell, year two under head coach John Griffin showed promise down the stretch. While the Bison started the 2024-25 season at just 4-10, they won 13 of their final 17 games of the regular season to win the Patriot League's regular season title. However, after taking down Loyola Maryland in the conference tournament quarterfinals, they fell to Navy in the semifinals to miss out on the NCAA Tournament and finish 18-15.

Ohio is now the seventh known non-conference opponent that Louisville will face in the 2025-26 season. The Cardinals will host Kentucky on Nov. 11, take on Indiana on Dec. 6 from Gainbridge Arena in Indianapolis, host Memphis on Dec. 13 for the start of a six-year series, then travel to Tennessee for the second half of a home-and-home on Dec. 16.

They will also face Cincinnati at Freedom Hall for the start of a two-year neutral site home-and-home, as well as travel to Arkansas for the ACC/SEC Challenge. Dates are to-be-determined for both matchups.

On top of that, Bucknell is the second, and likely final, known preseason exhibition that Louisville will play ahead of year two under Pat Kelsey. The Cardinals will also host Kansas on Friday, October 24.

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.

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