Louisville Cardinals News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Feb 16, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Pat Kelsey reacts in the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Three Games Louisville Should Add to Their 2025-26 Non-Conference Schedule

Originally posted on Louisville Cardinals on SI
By Matthew McGavic | Last updated May 18, 2025 12:14 PM ET

Pat Kelsey has never been one to shy away from taking on high level competition. After all, in just his second game as the head coach of the Louisville men's basketball program last season, his Cardinals welcomed top-15 Tennessee to the KFC Yum! Center. Not to mention they also played in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

As Kelsey prepares for year two, he certainly hasn't changed his mindset. Not only will he have a return trip to UT, Louisville has also added a neutral-site matchup with Indiana, as well as signed multi-year contracts with Cincinnati and Memphis.

That being said, there's still work to do. Even when you add in the annual rivalry showdown vs. Kentucky and the to-be-announced ACC/SECC Challenge matchup, Louisville still has seven available non-conference dates to fill for the 2025-26 season. This is primarily due to the ACC's decision to go from 20 league games down to 18.

Sure, there will likely be a handful of bye games in that mix, considering Louisville played Morehead State, Bellarmine, Winthrop, UTEP and Eastern Kentucky last season. But given Kelsey and athletic director Josh Heird's mindset of loading up in the non-con, who else should they schedule?

Below are three teams that Louisville should consider adding to their 2025-26 non-conference schedule:

1. BYU

In the modern age of collegiate athletics, few things matter more than television ratings and subsequent revenue generated. Fair or not, a program's perceived success is heavily tied to how many people are watching them. Not to mention that when the House vs. NCAA settlement finally goes through, athletic departments are going to need to find a plethora of ways to generate money, and TV revenue can go a long way.

A matchup against BYU, especially around early/mid-November, would provide Louisville a massive opportunity to capture a national audience. For many people, it would be their first time getting to see No. 1 overall freshman A.J. Dybantsa. While he hasn't generated the hype that Cooper Flagg did this time last year, his hype train is still rolling very strong. Not to mention that with the return of Richie Saunders and addition of Baylor's Rob Wright III, the Cougars are a projected top-10 team by many.

2. Michigan

A matchup against Michigan, like one vs. BYU, would be one where the actual basketball played would be at a high level. The Wolverines had a very good year one under head coach Dusty May last season, going 27-10 and getting to the Sweet 16. Not to mention they're bringing in transfers Yaxel Lendeborg ( maybe? ) and Elliot Cadeau, and bring back Roddy Gayle Jr. and Nimari Burnett.

However, the actual basketball itself is not the main reason why a matchup vs. UM would be intriguing. As many fans might remember, early last offseason, May was incredibly close to becoming the Cardinals' next head coach. That is, until he opted to go to Michigan instead in what a bit of a stunning move. Even Pat Kelsey jokingly acknowledged this in his introductory press conference. There would be no shortage of storylines heading into a Louisville-Michigan showdown.

3. West Virginia

While games against BYU or Michigan would likely be top-10 showdowns, a matchup against West Virginia would be far from it. For the third offseason in a row, the Mountaineers had to hire a new coach after Darian DeVries bolted for Indiana, later hiring North Texas' Ross Hodge. WVU has made a couple splashy portal additions, such as Treysen Eaglestaff, but they will likely start the 2025-26 season as a bottom half Big 12 team.

So... why West Virginia? Well, for starter's, Louisville's non-conference slate already has a very strong rivalry flavor to it. They'll be playing arch nemesis Kentucky, regional rivals in Indiana and Tennessee, and have re-ignited the old rivalries against Cincinnati and Memphis. While the two did face this past season in the Battle 4 Atlantis, if Pat Kelsey and athletic director Josh Heird want to go full-blown rivalry fan service, signing a home-and-home with the Mountaineers would only further invoke the Big East nostalgia.