Louisville basketball fans’ favourite matchup gets shut down for next season

The Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball program offers an interesting schedule for spectators. The Cardinal Nation learnt last week that Louisville will resume rivalries with the Memphis Tigers and Cincinnati Bearcats, since both teams will appear on Louisville’s 2025-26 schedule.

Their 2025-26 schedule also includes games against the Tennessee Volunteers, Indiana Hoosiers, and in-state rivals the Kentucky Wildcats. According to Matthew McGavic of Sports Illustrated, the Cardinals and their previous coach, Rick Pitino, will not face off against the St. John’s Red Storm.

McGavic claimed that the Cardinals’ Athletic Director, Josh Heird, appeared on 93.9 The Ville and stated that it could work for their future schedule, but St. John’s will not be on it for the coming season.

Louisville basketball fans’ favourite matchup gets shut down for next season.

It was claimed that the two shows planned to hold the showdown, but it did not work out for the following season. Pitino was spotted at the Final Four and stated that the two prestigious programs were striving to have the first game played at Madison Square Garden and the second game at the KFC Yum! Centre.

However, it looks that the plans have fallen through. Heird noted on the radio broadcast that Louisville did not fit into their schedule last year, and St. John’s does not fit into the Cardinals’ schedule this season. Pitino was one of the best coaches in Cardinals basketball history, and he led them to their first national championship since 1986. Both fan groups would love to see this game again, but they will have to wait.

Heird noted that Kelsey and he are working to make it happen and want it to happen, but it must fit into both programs’ schedules and make sense.

Louisville AD According to Josh Heird on @939TheVille, a showdown with St. John’s for the 2025-26 season is no longer possible. However, the two teams are still discussing a potential home-and-home series.

“Pat wants to play the game. I want to play that game. It didn’t make sense because…

— Matt McGavic (@Matt_McGavic), May 9, 2025.

It’s a bad it can’t happen this season, but it’s something to keep an eye out for in the future. Louisville fans have a lot to look forward to in their out-of-conference schedule, which will be packed with fierce rivalry games and national championship-caliber matchups.