Louisville men’s basketball coach Pat Kelsey has made it clear from day one that he’s not worried about the past.
No, one of the sport’s 15 winningest programs isn’t broken, he said, after going 12-52 in Kenny Payne’s two seasons at the helm. It’s “ready to rock”.
“We all know where we want to go,” Kelsey said during her introductory press conference. “It’s about getting to work and getting after it – the next step.”
Now that Kelsey and her staff have completely overhauled the Cardinals’ roster, signing 12 players through the NCAA transfer portal and one from high school, their focus shifts to preparing for the 2024-25 season.
Considering fans have suffered more losses by more than 20 points than wins during Payne’s tenure, the bar is low for what qualifies as a successful Year 1 under this new regime.
Kelsey, however, is approaching the rebuilding process with the mindset of: “The default is the default.” Reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 would be a good place to start U of L’s journey back to national prominence.
The Courier Journal is tracking Louisville’s 2024-25 schedule as it continues to take shape.
Bookmark this page and come back for future updates.
Here’s what we know so far:
Louisville Basketball Non-Conference Schedule for 2024-25
Louisville will kick off its 2024-25 campaign against Morehead State on Monday, Nov. 4 at the KFC Yum! Center, according to the contract signed between the two schools obtained through an open registration request. The Eagles, who made the NCAA Tournament last season, will also have a new coach making his debut – Jonathan Mattox.
Five days later, the Cards will host Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 9, in the first leg of a home series spanning the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. The Volunteers are making it to the Elite Eight.
On Tuesday, November 19th, the enemy from across town, Bellarmine, visits the Yum! Center for third consecutive season, according to contract obtained through open records request. The Knights beat U of L in the first game of Payne’s tenure.
Three days later, Kelsey will take a trip down memory lane when the Cards face Winthrop, his first stop as head coach, on Friday, Nov. 22, according to a contract obtained through an open records request. This will be the first meeting between the two programs, although Kelsey and the Eagles have visited Yum! Center in 2020-21 to compete against other opponents in the Wade Houston Tipoff Classic.
When Thanksgiving rolls around, Louisville will travel to the Bahamas to compete in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis, which takes place November 27-29 at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort. The matchups have not yet been announced, but the tournament field includes Arizona, Davidson, Gonzaga, Indiana, Oklahoma, Providence and West Virginia.
Upon returning home, a December 3 game against Ole Miss at Yum! The center awaits. It’s part of the SEC/ACC Challenge and will be the first time U of L has faced the Rebels since 2008.
Another highlight of the schedule is the annual rivalry game against Kentucky. This year’s matchup will be the first meeting between Kelsey and new Wildcats coach Mark Pope. According to an agreement between the schools’ athletics directors obtained by The Courier Journal, the game is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 14, at Rupp Arena. The Cards have lost five of their last six against UK and will be looking for their first win in Lexington since 2008.
Per a June 6 report From Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, Louisville will host Eastern Kentucky on December 28th.
Louisville Basketball 2024-25 ACC Schedule
The ACC announced in February 2024-25 Games for every team in the conference, which now includes California, SMU and Stanford.
Louisville drew the following ACC opponents for the home-and-home series: Florida State, Pittsburgh and Virginia.
Their ACC home games will be against California, Clemson, Duke, Miami, North Carolina, Stanford and Wake Forest.
His ACC road trips will be to Boston College, Georgia Tech, NC State, Notre Dame, SMU, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.
The 2025 ACC Tournament will be played March 11-15 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The top 15 teams in the conference’s final regular season standings will earn spots in the field.
This story will be updated as more opponents are revealed.
Contact Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on the X at @brooksHolton.
This article originally appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal: 2024-25 Louisville basketball schedule: Path for Pat Kelsey in Year 1
