Cincinnati Basketball Schedule Update- Louisville, Clemson added to the schedule
Cincinnati basketball has added another marquee matchup to their 2025-26 non-conference schedule with Jon Rothstein's announcement that the Bearcats will travel to Greenville, SC to take on Clemson on November 21st.
The Tigers have been a rising force in the ACC, and this pre-holiday matchup could serve as a key résumé builder for UC.
Clemson has released its non-conference schedule for the 2025-26 season. pic.twitter.com/yhRWrg1JRE
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 21, 2025
Cincinnati will also meet Louisville in The Hoops Classic presented in partnership with CareSource, a nonprofit managed care organization.
This two-year, neutral-site series tips off with a matchup Friday, Nov. 21 at Heritage Bank Center in downtown Cincinnati. Both schools, along with veteran event promoter, BDG Sports, announced the series last Thursday. The second game will take place at Freedom Hall in Louisville during the 2026-27 campaign, marking the Cardinals’ first return to the venue since they moved to the KFC Yum! Center.
Start time and television information for the 2025-26 meeting will be announced later.
Louisville and Cincinnati have met on the hardwood 100 times in series history with the Cardinals owning a 56-44 advantage. The teams have split the last 10 meetings, with UC earning an 81-62 victory in the last matchup at the 2022 Maui Invitational.
“Adding a neutral-site game against Cincinnati was just another great piece in our scheduling puzzle,” said Louisville head coach and Cincinnati native Pat Kelsey. “There is great history between our two programs as we were rivals for many years. I sense the fan bases on both sides are excited. I grew up going to the Riverfront Coliseum which is now Heritage Bank Center. In fact, it was the first place that I saw Coach Crum’s Louisville Cardinals play live – I’m excited to coach the 2025-26 edition of the Cards in the same venue.”
“We’re excited to renew our historic rivalry with Louisville at Heritage Bank Center,” UC head coach Wes Miller said. “It’s a great early season test against a tough opponent, and I know our fans will create an incredible environment. We’ve put together a challenging non-conference schedule to help us grow as a team, and this is another opportunity to compete at a high level and prepare us for Big 12 play.”
The Cardinals are expected to be a Preseason Top-20 team when the rankings are released.
The rivalry road doesn’t stop there. The Crosstown Shootout returns to the Cintas Center, where the Bearcats will face off against Xavier in one of college basketball’s most intense environments.
Back home, Cincinnati will host Dayton, another regional rival with NCAA Tournament pedigree.
The Bearcats will also take the big stage in Atlanta with a neutral-site battle against Georgia at State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks. It’s a high-profile SEC clash in a prime-time NBA venue, giving Cincinnati another shot at national exposure.
With a flurry of marquee matchups added to their non-conference slate, the Bearcats now face one of the toughest schedules in recent memory.