Piecing Together Louisville's 2023-24 Non-Conference Schedule

Out of the eleven non-conference opponents Louisville will face for the 2022-23 college basketball season, nine have been booked.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 2022-23 men's college basketball season, as many know by now, was a very forgettable one for Louisville fans. The Cardinals went just 4-28 in their first year under new head coach Kenny Payne, suffering the most losses in a single season in program history.

But, there is hope for a rebound. Payne and his staff did a fantastic job of flipping the roster for year two under his guidance, bringing in a top-10 high school recruiting class, as well as a trio of impact D1 transfers. They still have to play the games, but year two under Payne could be one where Louisville returns to being competitive both at a conference and national level.

Speaking of year one, who exactly will Louisville be playing on their non-conference schedule for the 2023-24 season? While UofL has yet to officially announce it, we can piece it together based on what has been previously reported.

Teams are currently permitted to play up to 31 regular season games, and 29 if they do not participate in a multi-team event, or MTE. With the ACC sporting a 20-game conference slate, the Cardinals have 11 slots for non-conference opponents during the regular season. Out of those 11, nine have been filled.

Louisville will be tipping off year two of the Kenny Payne era with a home matchup against UMBC on Tuesday, Nov. 6, according to The D1 Docket. The next reported home game with a known date comes after the Cardinals return from the Empire Classic in mid-November, hosting New Mexico State on Saturday, Nov. 25, according to Bracketeer.org's Rocco Miller. The final home non-conference game with a confirmed date will be a rematch with Bellarmine on Tuesday, Nov. 28.

Let's double back to the Empire Classic. Louisville will travel to Madison Square Garden in New York City on Nov. 19-20, playing two games over those two days. While the Cardinals' exact opponents have yet to be unveiled, the rest of the four-team field includes UConn, Indiana and Texas.

So far, Louisville just has one reported true road game. They'll be heading up to Chicago for a rematch with DePaul on Saturday, Dec. 9, according to CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein.

There are two more confirmed home matchups on Louisville's non-conference schedule, but the dates have yet to be confirmed. Of course, the Battle of The Bluegrass against Kentucky will be returning to the KFC Yum! Center this season, and Rothstein also reports that the Cardinals will be hosting Pepperdine.

There is one matchup to potentially keep an eye on. Floyd Street's Finest's Jeff Greer reported last offseason that Louisville is contractually obligated to “make reasonable efforts” to play Murray State by the 2023-24 season, so that could be scheduled this year.

Midway through July, here is how Louisville's non-conference schedule currently stands:

• UMBC (Monday, Nov. 6)
• vs. Opponent TBD (Empire Classic - Sunday, Nov. 19)
• vs. Opponent TBD (Empire Classic - Monday, Nov. 20)
• New Mexico State (Saturday, Nov. 25)
• Bellarmine (Tuesday, Nov. 28)
• at DePaul (Saturday, Dec. 9)
• Kentucky (TBA)
• Pepperdine (TBA)
• Murray State (TBD)

(Photo of Louie: Jared Anderson - Louisville Report)

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleReport
Twitter - @UofLReport
Instagram - @louisville_report

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter