2003-04 Hoop Slate Features 12 National Television Dates
August 21, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Aug. 21, 2003
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Twelve national television appearances, an appearance in the John Wooden Tradition, a game against Florida in the Billy Minardi Classic and a full Conference USA slate highlight the 2003-04 University of Louisville men's basketball schedule.
At least 16 of the Cardinals' games will be played against teams that reached postseason competition last season, including 10 NCAA Tournament and six NIT participants (NCAA: Cincinnati twice, Florida, Holy Cross, Kentucky, Marquette twice, Memphis twice, Western Kentucky; NIT: DePaul, Iowa, Saint Louis, Seton Hall, Tennessee and UAB).
With 11 lettermen returning from U of L's 25-7 campaign which featured a 17-game winning streak, the Cards' first Conference USA Tournament title and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, the Cardinals will face their first outside competition in an exhibition game against EA Sports on Nov. 3, the first of at least 17 home games in Freedom Hall.
U of L will take on a team from the National Basketball Developmental League in an exhibition contest on Nov. 23, the first time the Cards have been able to play two exhibitions prior to the start of the season. U of L had been forced to play its second exhibition within the season in the past due to the limited availability of Freedom Hall.
U of L will open its 2003-04 season against Iowa in the John Wooden Tradition on Nov. 29 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. Indiana and Xavier will square off in the second game of the doubleheader. Next, U of L will play its first of three games against in-state foes as the Cardinals face Western Kentucky on Dec. 4 in Nashville's Gaylord Entertainment Center. For each of the two events, Cardinal fans will have the opportunity to purchase tickets through the U of L ticket office this fall.
After opening with a pair of games at neutral sites, eight of the next nine games for the Cardinals will be played at home in Freedom Hall.
Following home games against postseason participants Holy Cross (Dec. 7) and Seton Hall (Dec. 10), the Cardinals will play Florida in the second annual Billy Minardi Classic on Dec. 13 in Freedom Hall, an ESPN telecast. The event, presented by Anthem and Papa John's Pizza, is named in memory of Pitino's brother-in-law who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. U of L won the event in a four-game tournament format last year, defeating NCAA Tournament participant Manhattan in the championship game.
After a home game against first-time opponent VMI on Dec. 23, the Cardinals will play at intrastate rival Kentucky on Dec. 27 for a CBS telecast. U of L still has one non-conference opponent to add to its schedule for a game to be played on Dec. 20 in Freedom Hall.
U of L will open the new year against Murray State on Jan. 3 before embarking upon its 16-game Conference USA slate on Jan. 7 against Southern Mississippi in Freedom Hall. The dual divisions format C-USA has employed for the past six seasons has been eliminated. Each of the 14 C-USA schools will face each other in addition to three mirror games based on geography, rivalries and television. Entering the season, the Cardinals have been dealt the toughest path to the league championship with the league's three other 2003 NCAA Tournament participants -- Cincinnati, Marquette and Memphis -- included as U of L's mirror games and the teams the Cards will face twice.
Aside from the Florida game, four additional home games will be televised to national audiences: Jan. 21 vs. Cincinnati (ESPN), Jan. 31 vs. Marquette (ESPN), Feb. 7 vs. UAB (ESPN) and Feb. 28 vs. Memphis (ABC).
The Cardinals will be featured in six other network telecasts, including Jan. 15 at East Carolina (ESPN2), Jan. 25 at Tennessee (ESPN), Feb. 4 at Memphis (ESPN), Feb. 12 at Charlotte, Feb. 21 at Cincinnati (ABC) and March 6 at Marquette (CBS).
Ten of the Cardinals' last 15 regular season games will appear on national television. The C-USA Tournament will be staged at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio on March 10-13.
Over the last 20 years, all but seven U of L basketball games have been televised on either a live or delayed basis. WDRB-TV (Channel 41), a FOX affiliate in Louisville, or its sister station WFTE-TV (Channel 58), will televise at least 15 U of L games through local origination and an ESPN Plus regionally televised contest. All U of L games will be broadcast on 50,000-watt clear-channel WHAS Radio (840 AM) in Louisville and other affiliates throughout the region.
2003-2004 Louisville Men's Basketball Schedule
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2003-04 University of Louisville Men's Basketball Schedule
Date Opponent (Television) Site Time (EST)
NovemberMon. 3 EA SPORTS (exhibition) (WDRB/WFTE) FREEDOM HALL 7:30 p.m.Sun. 23 NBDL Exhibition Opponent (WDRB/WFTE) FREEDOM HALL 2:00 p.m.Sat. 29 Iowa in John Wooden Tradition (WDRB/WGN) Indianapolis, Ind. 1:30 p.m.(Indiana vs. Xavier in second game of doubleheader)Conseco Fieldhouse
DecemberThur. 4 Western Kentucky (TBA) Nashville, Tenn. TBASun. 7 HOLY CROSS (WDRB/WFTE) FREEDOM HALL 2:00 p.m.Wed. 10 SETON HALL (WDRB/WFTE) FREEDOM HALL 7:30 p.m.Sat. 13 BILLY MINARDI CLASSIC FREEDOM HALL Noon Louisville vs. Florida (ESPN)Sat. 20 Opponent TBA FREEDOM HALL TBATues. 23 VMI (WDRB/WFTE) FREEDOM HALL 7:30 p.m.Sat. 27 at Kentucky (CBS) Lexington, Ky. 5:00 p.m.Tues. 30 TOLEDO (WDRB/WFTE) FREEDOM HALL 7:30 p.m.
JanuarySat. 3 MURRAY STATE (WDRB/WFTE) FREEDOM HALL 2:00 p.m.Wed. 7 SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (WDRB/WFTE) FREEDOM HALL 7:30 p.m.Sat. 10 at USF (ESPN+/WDRB/WFTE) Tampa, Fla. 1:00 p.m.Thur. 15 at East Carolina (ESPN2) Greenville, N.C. 9:00 p.m.Sat. 17 TULANE (WDRB/WFTE) FREEDOM HALL 7:30 p.m.Wed. 21 CINCINNATI (ESPN) FREEDOM HALL 7:00 p.m.Sun. 25 at Tennessee (ESPN) Knoxville, Tenn. 7:00 p.m.Wed. 28 HOUSTON (WDRB/WFTE) FREEDOM HALL 7:30 p.m.Sat. 31 MARQUETTE (ESPN) FREEDOM HALL 3:00 p.m.
FebruaryWed. 4 at Memphis (ESPN) Memphis, Tenn. 10:00 p.m.Sat. 7 UAB (ESPN) FREEDOM HALL 6:00 p.m.Thur. 12 at Charlotte (ESPN2) Charlotte, N.C. 9:00 p.m.Wed. 18 at TCU (TBA) Ft. Worth, Texas TBASat. 21 at Cincinnati (ABC) Cincinnati, Ohio 1:00 p.m.Wed. 25 DEPAUL (WDRB/WFTE) FREEDOM HALL 7:30 p.m.Sat. 28 MEMPHIS (ABC) FREEDOM HALL 1:00 p.m.
MarchWed. 3 at Saint Louis (WDRB/WFTE) St. Louis, Mo. TBASat. 6 at Marquette (CBS) Milwaukee, Wisc. 1:00 p.m.Wed.- 10- at Conference USA Tournament Cincinnati, Ohio TBASat. 13
Note: WDRB-TV (Channel 41) is a FOX network affiliate in Louisville, and WFTE-TV(Channel 58, UPN affiliate) in Louisville are both part of the CARDS ON FOX programming.All U of L games are broadcast on the U of L Sports Radio Network, which originates on WHASRadio (840 AM), the 50,000-watt clear-channel station in Louisville.
