NASSAU, Bahamas – Louisville men’s basketball fans can gain an early look at a highly anticipated 2026-27 Cardinals squad when it plays two exhibition games against international competition as part of the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League this July at the amazing Baha Mar resort. Veteran event promoter bdG Sports made the announcement Tuesday.
The four-day trip runs July 27-30 with the Cardinals playing games on Tuesday, July 28 and Wednesday, July 29 against teams from The Bahamas. Both contests will take place at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts and Entertainment Center on-site at the resort.
Louisville’s schedule follows. (Times are eastern and subject to change.)
Tuesday, July 28
- Louisville vs. Bahamas – 2 p.m. ET
Wednesday, July 29
- Louisville vs. Bahamas – noon
The trip marks the second time in three summers that Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey has brought his Cardinals team to the Baha Mar to participate in the event. With significant roster turnover in college basketball, NCAA rules now permit teams to take foreign tours every summer. Arkansas, Cincinnati, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Valparaiso were recently announced as other participants in the in the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, which runs July 28-Aug. 10. However, NCAA rules still only permit teams to play against international competition.
“This is a business trip for our team,” said Kelsey. “The chances to get 10 additional practices and a pair of games under our belt before the school year begins is absolutely invaluable. When we played in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League two years ago, we saw what a great benefit that extra court time could have on our team, and we are looking for a similar effect with this quick trip to Nassau.”
The new-look Cardinals boast one the nation’s best portal classes, featuring former Kansas center Flory Bidunga (13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks), Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad (15.6 points, 4.9 assists),
Arkansas wing Karter Knox (8.2 points, 4.5 rebounds) and Iowa forward Álvaro Folgueiras (8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds). Lousiville returned guards Adrian Wooley and London Johnson and added freshmen Obinna Ekezie Jr., Boyuan Zhang and Isaac Ellis as the roster features nine newcomers total.
The fifth-annual event is managed by bdG Sports, a Kentucky-based sports and entertainment management firm which annually operates 20 collegiate men’s and women’s basketball games at Baha Mar each November.
“Interest in foreign tours has exploded this summer,” said Brooks Downing, founder and president of bdG Sports. ”With rosters largely turning over in today’s collegiate environment, combined with the significant Name, Image and Likeness investment in each roster, this is an affordable way to protect that investment and get a big head start on the new season.”
TICKETS, ROOMS & FAN PACKAGES
The trip serves as the first opportunity to catch the Cardinals in action while also enjoying the amazing Baha Mar resort. Louisville fans interested in attending can visit www.bahamarhoops.com/summer for information on tickets, rooms and VIP packages.
WONDER AWAITS AT THE BEAUTIFUL BAHA MAR RESORT
The remarkable Baha Mar resort serves as the backdrop to this basketball showcase. Anchored by Grand Hyatt and featuring SLS Baha Mar and Rosewood Baha Mar, the resort is situated on 1,000 acres overlooking Nassau’s famous turquoise ocean waters. The destination resort boasts more than 2,300 rooms, the largest casino in the Caribbean, a $200 million luxury water park, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, the Caribbean’s first and only flagship ESPA Spa and a collection of more than 45 restaurants and lounges.
ABOUT BAHA MAR HOOPS
Each November around the Thanksgiving holiday, Baha Mar plays host to Baha Mar Hoops, one of the largest regular-season events in the sport of college basketball. Twenty NCAA Division I men’s and women’s teams visit the stunning resort each year to compete in one of three basketball tournaments. In total, 20 games will be played over an 11-day span.
Each August, the resort also holds the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, offering NCAA teams exhibition games against international competition as part of a foreign tour. The resort has welcomed men’s basketball teams from Kentucky, Louisville, Nevada, Penn State, Rhode Island and Xavier for summer exhibition tours in recent years.
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