Louisville coach Pat Kelsey on playing Kansas in Cards’ first exhibition game
Louisville takes on Kansas Oct. 24 at the KFC Yum! Center. “That’s sick,” Pat Kelsey said. “That is cool. That is what college basketball is all about.”
Louisville basketball begins Year 2 of the Pat Kelsey era with a bang.
The No. 10 Cardinals host No. 19 Kansas in an exhibition today at the KFC Yum! Center. This dress rehersal is the first meeting of the storied programs since Jan. 16, 1993, when the Jayhawks beat U of L at Freedom Hall, 98-77.
“I’m just interested for those lights to come on for the first time and (to) see how our guys react,” Kelsey told reporters Oct. 15. “To see a packed Yum! Center for an exhibition in October — I mean, that’s sick, man. That is cool. That is what college basketball is all about. That gets me fired up.”
Louisville pulled off one of the largest single-season turnarounds in Division I history in 2024-25. The Cards went 27-8, reached the championship game of the ACC Tournament for the first time since joining the conference in 2014 and snapped a March Madness drought dating back to 2019. Kelsey’s Year 2 roster comprises five returners and seven newcomers — including five-star freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr., a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft who is making his collegiate debut today.
Kansas enters Year 23 under Hall of Famer Bill Self looking to improve upon last season’s first-round NCAA Tournament exit. The Jayhawks boast eight newcomers — including five-star freshman guard Darryn Peterson, the No. 2 overall recruit in the Class of 2025, and transfer guard Tre White, who scored 357 points in 29 games for U of L as a sophomore under Kenny Payne in 2023-24.
Here’s what you need to know to follow today’s exhibition game from home:
U of L and Kansas are scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. today inside the Yum! Center.
The exhibition game between the Cards and the Jayhawks will air on the ACC Network, which is channel 610 on AT&T U-Verse; channel 612 on DirecTV; channel 402 on Dish; and channels 524 and 937 on Spectrum.
If you subscribe to a cable package, you’ll be able to livestream the game via ESPN.com and the ESPN app. If you don’t have cable, you can livestream the game via ESPN+ (subscriber only) or Fubo, which offers a free trial here.
Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) will have the call on the Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9-FM and WGTK 970-AM in Louisville).
You can also listen online via GoCards.com.
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
