LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s back to the Bahamas for the University of Louisville men’s basketball team. UofL announced the team will play two exhibitions as part of the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League.
The Cardinals will play games on July 28 and July 29 against teams from The Bahamas at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts and Entertainment Center. The first game is at 2 p.m. on the 28th and the second game is on the 29th at noon, all times are Eastern and could change.
This is the second time in three years the Cardinals and head coach Pat Kelsey have played at Baha Mar.
Kelsey said in a release from UofL, “The chances to get 10 additional practices and a pair of games under our belt before the school year begins is absolutely invaluable. When we played in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League two years ago, we saw what a great benefit that extra court time could have on our team, and we are looking for a similar effect with this quick trip to Nassau.”
Because of the immense turnover in college basketball, NCAA rules now let teams take four foreign tours every summer. However, teams can only play against international competition. Other schools playing in the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League are Arkansas, Cincinnati, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Valparaiso. The full league runs from July 28 through Aug. 10.
Kelsey made full use of the transfer portal in the offseason. This year’s class features former Kansas Center Flory Bidunga, Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad, Arkansas wing Karter Knox and Iowa forward Álvaro Folgueiras. Kelsey’s team also boasts returning Cardinal guards Adrian Wooley and London Johnson. Freshmen Obinna Ekezie Jr., Boyuan Zhand and Isaac Ellis are also on the team. In all, there are nine new players for UofL.
This is the first opportunity fans will have to see the new Cardinals and a website is set up to help with tickets, rooms and VIP packages.