A year after Louisville's only Big Monday appearance was a tilt at ACC cellar dweller Georgia Tech, two of the Cards' most important conference games of 2016 will be a part of the program's package.
On Feb. 1, U of L will host potential preseason No. 1 North Carolina at 7 p.m. on ESPN inside the KFC YUm Center. Exactly one week later, the Cards will travel to Durham and square off against defending national champion Duke inside Cameron Indoor Stadium at the same time and on the same channel.
I have no doubt that Rick Pitino is thrilled to (likely) have just one day between a Saturday conference game and showdowns with Duke and Carolina.
Here's the full Big Monday schedule for 2016:
Jan. 4
- No. 2 North Carolina at Florida State, 7 ET, ESPN
- No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 5 Kansas, 9 ET, ESPN
Jan. 18
- Syracuse at No. 6 Duke, 7 ET, ESPN
- No. 8 Oklahoma at No. 7 Iowa State, 9 ET, ESPN
Jan. 25
- No. 6 Duke at Miami, 7 ET, ESPN
- No. 5 Kansas at No. 7 Iowa State, 9 ET, ESPN
Feb. 1
- No. 2 North Carolina at Louisville, 7 ET, ESPN
- Texas at No. 17 Baylor, 9 ET, ESPN
Feb. 8
- Louisville at No. 6 Duke, 7 ET, ESPN
- Texas at No. 8 Oklahoma, 9 ET, ESPN
Feb. 15
- NC State at No. 4 Virginia, 7 ET, ESPN
- Oklahoma State at No. 5 Kansas, 9 ET, ESPN
Feb. 22
- No. 4 Virginia at Miami, 7 ET, ESPN
- No. 7 Iowa State at No. 20 West Virginia, 9 ET, ESPN
Feb. 29
- Syracuse at No. 2 North Carolina, 7 ET, ESPN
- No. 5 Kansas at Texas, 9 ET, ESPN
