Returning from a trip to Connecticut the week prior, North Carolina will return home to host Louisville at Kenan Stadium on Nov. 14.
The Tar Heels are 3-5 all-time against the Cardinals and have only played them once in the last 14 years. That matchup was in 2017, when Louisville — then led by current UNC offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson — traveled to Chapel Hill and beat UNC 47-35.
In Cardinals head coach Jeff Brohm's third season at the helm last year, Louisville finished 9-4 for a second consecutive season and went a 4-4 ACC record. The Cardinals' signature win of 2025 came Oct. 17, when they downed Miami, 24-21, in Coral Gables, Florida**.**
Heading into 2026, Brohm and his program have largely retooled through the transfer portal. Louisville's portal class — which is ranked No. 13 in the country — features 34 additions, including seven four-star commitments.
In all, the Cardinals are expected to start eight transfers on offense and another five on defense.
With the nature of the position, transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz will likely be the most important piece of Brohm's puzzle in 2026. Kienholz spent his first three seasons at Ohio State, where he saw limited action for the Buckeyes.
Beyond his arm, Kienholz is a distinct athlete who can beat you with his legs, which will give North Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Belichick lots to think about heading into the matchup.
Louisville also retained leading rusher Isaac Brown, who averaged 8.8 yards per carry on 101 carries last season.
Despite losing leading receiver Chris Bell — who was a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft — to the Miami Dolphins, Louisville added Lawayne McCoy (transfer from Florida State) and Tre Richardson (transfer from Vanderbilt) to its wide receiver room. The portal duo will pair with TreyShun Hurry, who's returning to the Cardinals for his second season.
Along the offensive line, Louisville is likely to start four transfer linemen, excluding its returning right guard, Lance Robinson.
Defensively, the Cardinals added UNC transfer edge rusher Tyler Thompson this offseason to bolster their pass rush. Louisville also retained defensive ends AJ Green and Clev Lubin, making their pass rush a deep, talented unit.
First-year Cardinals defensive linemen Joshua Donald (transfer from Houston) and Demeco Kennedy (transfer from Purdue) headline Louisville's interior.
In the secondary, the Cardinals added cornerback DJ Waller Jr. from Kentucky, and safeties Keon Entringer from Iowa and T.J. Banks from Ole Miss. Tayon Holloway, who started his career at UNC in 2023 and returns to Louisville for a third season, is expected to start at cornerback as well.
With nearly three dozen transfers on Louisville's roster, it's hard to predict what it'll look like in 2026.
If history is any indication, Brohm's Louisville teams have established a consistent baseline of success, and the Cardinals could once again find themselves around the nine-win mark in 2026. For North Carolina, that means a challenging ACC test awaits when Louisville visits Kenan Stadium in November.