The Louisville Cardinals are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. The Cardinals teams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning in the 2014 season. While playing in the Big East Conference from 2005 through 2013, the Cardinals captured 17 regular season Big East titles and 33 Big East Tournament titles totaling 50 Big East Championships across all sports. On November 28, 2012, Louisville received and accepted an invitation to join the Atlantic Coast Conference and became a participating member in all sports in 2014. In 2016, Lamar Jackson won the school its first Heisman Trophy.
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in the sport of American football. The Cardinals compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Kentucky Wildcats football program represents the University of Kentucky in the sport of American football. The Wildcats compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Wildcats play their home games at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky and are led by head coach Mark Stoops.
Jeffrey Scott Brohm is an American college football coach and former professional quarterback. He is the head football coach at his alma mater, the University of Louisville, a position he has held since the 2023 season. Brohm played college football for the Louisville Cardinals under coach Howard Schnellenberger from 1989 to 1993. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons from 1994 to 2000 and the XFL in 2001. Brohm served as the head football coach at Western Kentucky University from 2014 to 2016 and Purdue University from 2017 to 2022.
Hunter Cantwell is an American former player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the Louisville Cardinals, he was signed by the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He spent most of the 2009 season on the team's practice squad, and was promoted to the active roster late in the season. Cantwell was signed to the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad in 2010 and 2011 before becoming the quarterbacks coach for Campbellsville University. Later on, Cantwell served as head coach at Carroll County High in Kentucky in 2017 and 2018, and is currently the head coach at Christian Academy of Louisville.
Mark Thomas Stoops is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach for the University of Kentucky, a position he has held since 2013. Stoops is the all-time winningest head coach in the history of the Kentucky Wildcats football program. He is also the longest-tenured current SEC football coach.
The 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 28, 2013, at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Florida. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. The 24th edition of the Russell Athletic Bowl, it featured the Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference against the Louisville Cardinals of the American Athletic Conference. It began at 6:45 p.m. EST and aired on ESPN. The game was sponsored by the Russell Athletic uniform company. Louisville defeated Miami by a score of 36–9.
The 2016 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season was the program's 123rd overall and 83rd as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fourth-year head coach Mark Stoops and the played home games at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. They finished the season 7–6, 4–4 in SEC play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the Eastern Division. They were invited to the TaxSlayer Bowl where they lost to Georgia Tech.
The 2017 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by ninth-year head coach Dan Mullen. They finished the season 9–4, 4–4 in SEC play to finish in a tie for fourth place in the Western Division. They were invited to the TaxSlayer Bowl where they beat Louisville.
The 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the 149th season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The regular season began on August 25, 2018, and ended on December 8, 2018. The postseason began on December 15, and aside from any all-star games that were scheduled, concluded on January 7, 2019, with the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The Clemson Tigers won the title game over the Alabama Crimson Tide, the school's third national title and second in three years, and also becoming the first team since the 1897 Penn Quakers to have a perfect 15-0 season.
The 2017 TaxSlayer Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game played on December 31, 2017, at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. The 73rd edition of the Gator Bowl featured the Louisville Cardinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference against the Mississippi State Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference. It was one of the 2017–18 bowl games that concluded the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The game's naming rights sponsor was tax preparation software company TaxSlayer, and for sponsorship reasons was officially known as the TaxSlayer Bowl.
The 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference football season was the 66th season of College Football play for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). It was played from August 30, 2018 until January 2019. The Atlantic Coast Conference consists of 14 members in two divisions. It was part of the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The entire 2018 schedule was released on January 17, 2018.
Jaire Zakar Alexander is an American professional football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals, and was selected by the Packers in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Mekhi Becton is an American professional football guard for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Louisville and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.
The 2019 Music City Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 30, 2019, with kickoff at 4:00 p.m. EST on ESPN. The 22nd edition of the Music City Bowl featured Southeastern Conference member Mississippi State and Atlantic Coast Conference member Louisville, and was one of the 2019–20 bowl games concluding the 2019 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Franklin American Mortgage Company, the game was officially known as the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.
Chatarius "Tutu" Atwell is an American professional football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Louisville, and was drafted by the Rams in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft.
The 1970 Louisville Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented the University of Louisville in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. Under second-year head coach Lee Corso, the Cardinals compiled an 8–3–1 record, played Long Beach State to a tie in the Pasadena Bowl, and outscored their opponents 252 to 208.
The 1981 Louisville Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented the University of Louisville as an independent during the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their second season under head coach Bob Weber, the Cardinals compiled a 5–6 record and were outscored by a total of 212 to 180.
Bryan Brown is an American football coach. He is currently a defensive coordinator at Ole Miss. He previously served as defensive coordinator at Cincinnati, as well as Appalachian State and Louisville under current Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield. He has also played at Ole Miss.
Jordan Travis is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint with the Louisville Cardinals, he played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. In 2023, he led the Seminoles to the start of an undefeated regular season and was the ACC Player of the Year. He was selected by the Jets in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.
