Louisville to Open 2024-25 Season in Paris vs. UCLA

The Cardinals are heading overseas to kick off their upcoming season.

Louisville Cardinals head coach Jeff Walz talks to Olivia Cochran (44) during a foul shot during their game against the Pittsburgh Panthers on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024 at KFC YUM Center. / Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY

PARIS — The Louisville women's basketball team will embark on a new venture to begin the 2024-25 season as they will take part in the 2024 Aflac Oui-Play Event in Paris. The Cardinals will square off with UCLA on Monday, November 4 at the Adidas Arena in Paris, France. The Cardinals and Bruins will be part of a doubleheader with Southern Cal and Ole Miss to begin the 2024-25 season. Game times for the doubleheader will be 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. ET with the game designations to happen at a later date.

"We are thrilled to announce our participation in the 2nd annual Aflac Oui-Play in Paris, France," said head coach Jeff Walz. "This enriching experience allows our players and fans to immerse themselves in a unique environment, all the while playing in a fiercely competitive game against UCLA to kick off the 2024-25 season."

This will be just the second time since Walz has taken over that the Cardinals will open the season at a neutral venue after beginning the 2021-22 season in South Dakota. This is the second-straight season the Cards will play on an international stage during the course of the year. Prior to the 2023-24 season, Louisville represented the United States in the 2023 GLOBL JAM tournament in Toronto and came home with the gold medal.

UCLA is the fourth confirmed opponent for the Cardinals in the 2024-25 non-conference slate. The Cardinals are squaring off with Oklahoma in the SEC/ACC Challenge on December 4 before heading to Brooklyn to face UConn on December 7 in the Women's Champions Classic at the Barclays Center. The Cardinals will also face Kentucky in Lexington for the annual Battle for the Bluegrass during their non-conference schedule.

The season opener will be the first time in program history that the Cardinals will square off with UCLA. The Bruins are now in the Big Ten Conference this year and it will be the first time since 1986 that the Cardinals will face a Big Ten opponent to begin the season. In 1986, Louisville squared off with Illinois at the Carrier Classic in Syracuse, N.Y.

(Photo of Jeff Walz, Olivia Cochran: Clare Grant - Courier Journal / USA TODAY)

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