How Successful Has Louisville Been in Bowl Games?

A peek at the Cardinals' bowl game wins and overall postseason record.

Dec 27, 2023; San Diego, CA, USA; A detailed view of a Louisville Cardinals player wearing a Holiday Bowl patch during the second half against the USC Trojans at Petco Park. / Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Bowl season is in full swing, and soon, the Louisville football program will be getting in on the postseason action.

In just a few days, the Cardinals will make the trip to El Paso, Texas, where a matchup against Washington in the Sun Bowl is waiting for them. Kickoff between the Cardinals and Huskies is set for Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 2:00 p.m. EST.

This will be Louisville's 27th bowl game in their 106-year history, sporting a 12-13-1 record in the postseason. It's also the Cardinals' second ever appearance in the Sun Bowl, and first since making their bowl game debut in the 1957 Sun Bowl.

The majority of Louisville's 27 bowl game appearances have come in the last three decades, as 22 of them - including this year's - have come in the last 27 seasons. UofL is currently riding a four-year bowl streak.

Since 2010, the Cardinals have missed out on going bowling just twice: in 2018 during Bobby Petrino's final year, and during the 2020 COVID season under Scott Satterfield. Before Steve Kragthorpe's three-year tenure from 2007 to 2009, Louisville made it to nine straight bowls from 1998 to 2006 under John L. Smith and Petrino's first tenure.

While Louisville has made to bowl games with somewhat regularity since the turn of the millennium, sustained postseason success has been hard to come by. In fact, the Cards have won bowl games in back-to-back seasons just once in their program's history: the 2012 Sugar Bowl and 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl.

Louisville's last bowl win came in 2022, when they took down rival Cincinnati in the Fenway Bowl to retain the Keg of Nails.

Louisville's Complete Bowl History

Year	Bowl	Opponent	Result
2023	Holiday	USC	L, 42-28
2022	Fenway	Cincinnati	W, 24-7
2021	First Responder	Air Force	L, 31-28
2019	Music City	Mississippi State	W, 38-28
2017	TaxSlayer	Mississippi State	L, 31-27
2016	Citrus	LSU	L, 29-9
2015	Music City	Texas A&M	W, 27-21
2014	Belk	Georgia	L, 37-14
2013	Russell Athletic	Miami	W, 36-9
2012	Sugar	Florida	33-23
2011	Belk	NC State	L, 31-24
2010	Beef O'Brady's	Southern Miss	W, 31-28
2006	Orange	Wake Forest	W, 24-13
2005	Gator	Virginia Tech	L, 35-24
2004	Liberty	Boise State	W, 44-40
2003	GMAC	Miami (OH)	L, 49-28
2002	GMAC	Marshall	L, 38-15
2001	Liberty	BYU	W, 28-10
2000	Liberty	Colorado State	L, 22-13
1999	Humanitarian	Boise State	L, 34-31
1998	Motor City	Marshall	L, 48-29
1993	Liberty	Michigan State	W, 18-7
1990	Fiesta	Alabama	W, 34-7
1977	Independence	Louisiana Tech	L, 24-14
1970	Pasadena	Long Beach State	T, 24-24
1957	Sun	Drake	W, 34-20

(Photo via Orlando Ramirez - Imagn Images)

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