LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville's 2026 football season opener now has a date, time and national television window.
The Cardinals will face Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 6, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, with the game broadcast nationally on ABC as part of the inaugural Music City Kickoff.
Louisville finished the 2025 season 9-4, closing the year with wins over Kentucky and Toledo. The nine-win campaign marked the Cardinals' third straight season with at least nine victories under coach Jeff Brohm, something that has happened only twice in program history.
The Cardinals return star running back Isaac Brown, expected to be among the top running backs in college football.
Louisville | Kentucky | Indiana | Eric Crawford
"We're excited to partner with Ole Miss, ESPN and the Nashville Sports Council to bring this season-opening matchup to Nashville," Louisville athletics director Josh Heird said. "This game presents a tremendous opportunity for our program."
The Rebels won 13 games in 2025 and reached the College Football Playoff, one of the best seasons in program history. They also expect to feature quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a leading Heisman contender who won a sixth season of eligibility from a Mississippi judge in February.
The game will be the second meeting between Louisville and Ole Miss. The Rebels won the first matchup 43–24 in the 2021 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.
Tickets for the Music City Kickoff are scheduled to go on sale April 8. The Nashville Sports Council is organizing the game in collaboration with ESPN Events, and additional details will be announced later.
Louisville volleyball will also have a Nashville presence that day, scheduled to face Texas at noon ET at Bridgestone Arena in the Sprouts Farmers Market Broadway Block Party, also on ABC.
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