With Football Camp Opening Up and a Rick Pitino Press Conference earlier today, we’ve got a lot of video content on the way.  Until that gets loaded there are some notes that we can share.

Laser Tag Outing Results in Secondary Violations for Basketball Program

In what is likely one of the most strange violations you’ll ever read, the Men’s Basketball program had to self-report secondary violations for its trip to Laser Blaze on the weekend that it landed the services of Damion Lee.

The Sporting News has the full story here. 

Updated UofL Puerto Rico Basketball Schedule

A few changes have been made for the University of Louisville men’s basketball team’s exhibition games on its trip to Puerto Rico on Aug. 10-17.

The changes include:

– The Aug.13 event will now be played as a doubleheader, with the Cardinals facing the Puerto Rico Junior National Team at 5:30 p.m. and the Puerto Rico National Team at 8 p.m.  There had been a single game previously scheduled on that evening.

– The Cardinals will now play a single game against the Puerto Rico Junior National Team on Aug. 15 game at 6 p.m.  It had been originally set as a doubleheader.

– The Cardinals’ Aug. 16 game against the Puerto Rico National Team at 7 p.m. will be played at Humacao Arena in Humacao, Puerto Rico.  The game was originally announced at a different venue.

The Cardinals will play a series of nine games over six days against the Puerto Rico National Team and Junior Team, playing three double headers.  On the nights of the doubleheaders, the Cardinals’ roster will be split with a predetermined group as the primary participants in each game.

Fans attending the games in Puerto Rico may purchase tickets in advance online or in person at the respective arenas.  Tickets for the Aug. 11 and 12 games are available atcoliseodepuertorico.com and tickets for the remaining four dates may be purchased at prticket.com.

All nine games of the Cardinals’ venture will be broadcast live through Learfield Sports on WHAS Radio (840 AM) in Louisville.  Additionally, barring any local complications, all nine games will be televised through a live stream with a simple production on the UofL Athletics web site at www.GoCards.com/puertorico.  A one-time, $9.95 fee will provide access to all nine games and may be purchased in advance beginning Aug. 5.

University of Louisville Exhibition Games Schedule

  1. Puerto Rico National & Junior Teams 

Tuesday, Aug. 11 at Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico (17,024 seats)

Arena address:  500 Ave Arterial B, San Juan, Puerto Rico  00918

5:30 p.m.  Louisville vs. PR Junior team

8:00 p.m.  Louisville vs. PR National team

Tickets available for $30 at www.coliseodepuertorico.com

Wednesday, Aug. 12 at Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico (17,024 seats)

Arena address:  500 Ave Arterial B, San Juan, Puerto Rico  00918

5:30 p.m.  Louisville vs. PR Junior team

8:00 p.m.  Louisville vs. PR National team

Tickets available for $30 at www.coliseodepuertorico.com

Thursday, Aug. 13 at Mario Morales Coliseum (5,500 seats)

Arena address:  Ave Santa Rosa, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico  00969

5:30 p.m.  Louisville vs. PR Junior team

8:00 p.m.  Louisville vs. PR National team

Tickets available for $8 for adults, $4 children at prticket.com

Friday, Aug. 14 at Municipal Coliseum of Manati (8,000 seats)

Arena address:  Coto Sur, Manati, Puerto Rico  00674

8:00 p.m.  Louisville vs. PR National team

Tickets available for $12 for adults, $6 children at prticket.com

Saturday, Aug. 15 at Ruben Zayas Montanez Coliseum (2,250 seats)

Arena address:  Calle Munoz Rivera, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico  00976

6:00 p.m.  Louisville vs. PR Junior team

Tickets available for $8 for adults, $4 children at prticket.com

Sunday, Aug. 16 at Humacao Arena (8,000 seats)

Arena address:  Calle Dr. Vidal, Humacao, Puerto Rico  00674

7:00 p.m.  Louisville vs. PR National team

Tickets available for $12 for adults, $6 children at prticket.com

Radio coverage:  All nine games will be broadcast live through Learfield Sports on WHAS Radio (840 AM) in Louisville.

Television coverage: Barring any local complications, all nine games will be streamed live with a simple production (not HD) through the UofL Athletics web site atwww.GoCards.com/puertorico.  A one-time, $9.95 fee will provide access to all nine games and may be purchased in advance.

Cardinals & Crimson Tide Make 2018 Orlando Kickoff Game Officially Official

We heard about this game last week, but ESPN, Alabama, and Louisville all sent out their “OFFICIAL” press releases today.  Here is UofL’s:

The University of Louisville and the University of Alabama will open the 2018 season in the Orlando Citrus Bowl as part of an annual series of Orlando Kickoff games.

The 2018 matchup, announced Thursday, is the second publicized game in a multi-year agreement between Florida Citrus Sports (FCSports) and ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, to host major neutral-site, regular-season college football games in the Orlando Citrus Bowl. The Orlando Citrus Bowl is already home to the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, Russell Athletic Bowl, and Florida Blue Florida Classic games. Neither school has played in the stadium since its near-complete reconstruction a year ago.

“This game continues a trend of big-time events landing in the brand-new Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium,” FCSports President Harold Mills said. “Alabama and Louisville is a great matchup to start the 2018 season and yet another reason to become a season ticket member of our organization — to get access to premium seats for games like this.”

“We are thrilled to have the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Louisville Cardinals play in the Orlando Citrus Bowl to open the 2018 college football season,” Pete Derzis, Senior Vice President, ESPN Events, said. “This game has all the makings to be not only a quality matchup of two great college football programs, but also serve as a wonderful experience for the student-athletes and fans.”

The Cardinals and Crimson Tide have met just three previous times on the gridiron, with Alabama holding a 2-1 series advantage. In the last meeting in 1991, the Cardinals defeated the No. 25 Crimson Tide 34-7 in the 1991 Fiesta Bowl.

This will be the first neutral-site regular-season game for the Cardinals in Orlando as well. Their lone prior contest at the Orlando Citrus Bowl came in the 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl, a 36-9 win over Miami.

“Kicking off the 2018 season with a great opponent like Alabama is a tremendous way to start the season,” Louisville Athletics Director Tom Jurich said. “We continually want to play highly respected opponents each year, and adding a traditional power like Alabama in the opener will certainly be an outstanding challenge. We have a vision to be the best we can be, and to do that, we have to play the best.  We are also thrilled to be headed back to a destination city like Orlando. I know our fan base will respond for this tremendous match-up.”

Tickets will go on sale in late 2017, with Florida Citrus Sports members getting priority access as they do for the annual bowl games and for the 2016 Orlando Kickoff game between Florida State and Ole Miss. For membership information, call (407) 423-2476 or go to http://www.floridacitrussports.com/membership.

College Football Playoff Expands Travel Assistance for Student-Athletes Family

The College Football Playoff (CFP) announced today that it will expand its program to offset expenses for student-athletes’ parents or guardians to travel to the Playoff Semifinals this season, in addition to the National Championship.  The CFP provided the expenses for the championship game in January, 2015.

The $2,500 stipend per student-athlete is intended to help with expenses for hotel accommodations, travel and meals for up to 100 families from each participating institution.

“We were pleased to implement this expense-reimbursement program for the first College Football Playoff National Championship and we received warm and sincere positive feedback from the family members,” said Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP. “Extending support to the Playoff Semifinals will be another terrific benefit for folks who will be thrilled to be present to celebrate the accomplishments and experiences of their student-athletes.”

Under a pilot program, CFP distributed $500,000 that was used to assist families of athletes from The Ohio State University and the University of Oregon who attended the game in North Texas, January 12, 2015.

Women’s Basketball Announces Nonconference Schedule

Louisville’s inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference saw a nation-best eight schools reach the NCAA Tournament. The league schedule promises to provide tough tests, and the Cardinals’ slate beyond ACC play is not going to be much easier. 

The University of Louisville women’s basketball program announced on Wednesday its non-league schedule that features 10 teams that reached postseason play, with six that registered at least 20 wins, and a matchup with 2014 NCAA Tournament second-round opponent USF. 

“Our nonconference schedule is going to challenge us,” head coach Jeff Walz said. “We have a young team, and we’re going to be tested early. However, I have seen this group’s competitiveness and work ethic in practice, and I believe we’ll be ready.” 

“Opening with Cal at home and playing USF later in the season – both teams that were great tests last year – are just a couple of matchups at the KFC Yum! Center that our fans are going to really enjoy. Facing Western Kentucky and playing in that early-season tournament, which is set up similar to postseason play, should also help us prepare for another exciting year in the ACC.” 

Those interested in season tickets at the KFC Yum! Center can complete a season-ticket application now. Season tickets include reserved, lower-level seats for all home games at the World’s Most Spectacular Arena, plus exclusive season-ticket holder benefits. 

The Cardinals, who boast four letterwinners from last year’s team that reached the NCAA Sweet 16 and the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, begin the 2015-16 campaign with California at home onNov. 15. The programs have faced each other in consecutive seasons, including the 2013 Final Four, with Louisville winning both contests. Last year, the Cardinals traveled to Cal and won 70-57. 

Louisville then makes the trip Bowling Green, Ky., face to in-state foe Western Kentucky for a Nov. 21 matchup, facing former Louisville assistant and current Hilltoppers’ head coach Michelle Clark-Heard. 

After a five-day layoff, the Cardinals begin play in the Gulf Coast Showcase from Nov. 27-29 in Estero, Fla. All eight teams in the field reached postseason play, including four – Dayton, Louisville, LSU, and Stanford – that made it to the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals face Marist in the first-round game, with a contest against LSU or Purdue awaiting on Nov. 28

On Dec. 3, Louisville will participate in its second Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Cardinals beat Iowa last season and take on Michigan State in East Lansing, marking the third meeting between the schools. 

Following a home game against Valparaiso on Dec. 5, the Cardinals make the trek east for the 51st contest against Kentucky on Dec. 10

Louisville hits the road for a two-game swing, playing at Tennessee Tech on Dec. 18 and then facing the College of Charleston on Dec. 20 in Charleston, S.C. The Cardinals are 3-1 against Tennessee Tech and face Charleston for the first time in series history. 

The Cardinals wrap up their nonconference schedule at home against UT-Martin, a team that won 22 games and reached the WNIT, on Dec. 28 and USF on Feb. 15. The Bulls posted a 27-8 mark last season and captured AAC Tournament runner-up honors after falling to top-ranked Connecticut.

LOUISVILLE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Nov. 15           vs. California
Nov. 21           at Western Kentucky
Nov. 27           vs. Marist ^
Nov. 28           vs. TBD ^
Nov. 29           vs. TBD ^
Dec. 3             at Michigan State %
Dec. 5             vs. Valparaiso
Dec. 10           at Kentucky
Dec. 13           vs. IUPUI
Dec. 15           vs. Dartmouth
Dec. 18           at Tennessee Tech
Dec. 20           at College of Charleston
Dec. 28           vs. UT-Martin
Feb. 15           vs. South Florida 
^ Gulf Coast Showcase (Estero, Fla.)
% Big Ten/ACC Challenge

Men’s Soccer #18 in Coaches Poll 

For the sixth consecutive year, the Louisville men’s soccer program will open its season as a nationally ranked team as the Cardinals landed at No. 18 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America preseason poll released on Monday afternoon.

Louisville, which closed 2014 ranked 18th in the NSCAA poll after finishing 11-8-3 overall, is among the six Atlantic Coast Conference schools ranked in this year’s preseason poll, the most for any league. The Cardinals are joined by No. 2 ranked and reigning NCAA champion Virginia, No. 4 Notre Dame, No. 5 North Carolina, No. 11 Clemson, No. 15 Syracuse.

Overall, Louisville is slated to play seven teams in the preseason poll – home matches against No. 8 Stanford and No. 22 Saint Louis and road matches at No. 15 Syracuse, No. 2 Virginia, No. 11 Clemson, No. 14 Indiana and No 5 North Carolina.

Louisville will officially report for preseason training on Aug. 11 and the Cardinals’ three-match preseason schedule begins on Aug. 15 at 7:30 p.m., ET against Lipscomb at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium. The regular season opener is slated for Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m., at Lynn Stadium against William & Mary.

The 2015 season is expected to be another exciting one for head coach Ken Lolla and the Louisville men’s soccer program, which embarks on its second journey through the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cardinals will also play their second season at Lynn Stadium, the nation’s premier collegiate soccer facility. Louisville’s 11-match home slate includes a rematch of last year’s NCAA second round match against Saint Louis as well as visits from NCAA qualifiers Stanford, Kentucky and Wake Forest and former conference rival Connecticut.

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@UofLSheriff50. Louisville native, University of Louisville Business School Grad c/o 2004. Co-Founder of TheCrunchZone.com

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