The 2018 University of Louisville football schedule will be among the most challenging ever, featuring both Alabama and Clemson, winners of college football’s national championship over the last two seasons. They will be among the favorites again at Betting Top 10.
Alabama, which is considered a 5-2 favorite by some to retain the title, will be UofL’s opening weekend opponent in a nationally televised game on Sept. 1. Louisville won the last game between the two by 34-7 in the Fiesta Bowl in 1990.
Clemson, at 6-1 odds to win the national title, will host Louisville in South Carolina on Oct. 1. UofL has yet to beat Clemson in four tries.
Florida State, with 40-1 odds, will play Louisville at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium on Sept. 29. The Cardinals have defeated the Seminoles in their last two meetings.
The Cardinals are in the process of a $63-million project that will enclose the north end zone of the stadium, which is set for the opening game of the 2018 campaign against Indiana State. It consists of 10,000 new seats, with 1,000 club seats, 70 premium boxes, and 12 exclusive field level suites that will increase the capacity to approximately 65,000.
Louisville opens its fifth season in the ACC on the road on Sept. 22 at Virginia and continues league play with consecutive home games: Sept. 29 versus Florida State and a Friday game versus Georgia Tech on Oct. 5 – the first meeting between the schools.
Following the two-game home stand, the Cardinals hit the road for three of the next four contests, beginning with a trip to Boston College on Oct. 13, looking for a third straight win at Alumni Stadium.
Louisville opens its fifth season in the ACC on the road on Sept. 22 at Virginia and continues league play with consecutive home games: Sept. 29 versus Florida State and a Friday game versus Georgia Tech on Oct. 5 – the first meeting between the schools.
After the first open week of the season, the Cardinals will host Wake Forest on Oct. 27 before traveling to Clemson Nov. 3 to face the 2016 national champions in Death Valley. The road stand continues with a trip to Syracuse on Nov. 9 for a nationally televised Friday night contest. The Cardinals have beaten the Orange on three-consecutive occasions after a 56-10 win last season.
The Cardinals close ACC play against NC State on Nov. 17 and end the year at home against Kentucky, with the series evened up at 15-15 after a 44-17 win in Lexington.
In all, Louisville faces nine teams that played in postseason bowls last season, including three schools that have accounted for six of the last seven national titles (Alabama, Clemson and Florida State).