Michigan basketball set to add Louisville to 2026-27 schedule

Michigan basketball is set to add another blueblood to its schedule.

>The Wolverines are in the process of finalizing a two-year deal with Louisville, a program source with knowledge of the plans confirmed to the Free Press. The plan is to play in Detroit at Little Caesars Arena this season, with a "return" trip to be played next season in Indianapolis.

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>This season's game could potentially be played Dec. 5, though the teams are still finalizing the dates.

>This appears to be an ACC replacement for a matchup with Duke in December. That game against the Blue Devils was nixed after being originally scheduled for New York then Miami.

>It's yet another big-time name Michigan will play in a schedule that already includes an exhibition against Houston, and nonconference games against UConn (in a rematch of April's national championship game), Villanova and Marquette. That's in addition to the Wolverines' participation in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving week; U-M's slate in that tourney features an opener vs. Creighton followed by a Day 2 matchup with either Miami (Florida) or TCU and a third game against Gonzaga, Kansas State, Baylor or Alabama.

>The Wolverines had the toughest schedule in the nation last season, but that didn't stop them from going 37-3, winning the Big Ten regular-season championship and the second national championship in program history.

>Michigan and Louisville have met three times this century, most notably in the 2013 national championship game, which U-M lost, 82-76.

>Michigan is 1-2 in those games, with the win coming 73-69 in Indianapolis in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament, when Mo Wagner scored 26 as U-M overcame a nine-point second-half deficit to go to the Sweet 16.

>Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

>This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball set to add Louisville to 2026-27 schedule