According to most "bracketologists," the Cardinals were projected to get anywhere from a five seed to a seven seed.

Louisville won 19 of its last 20 regular season games and an appeared in the championship game of the ACC Tourney, many are wondering why they received an 8 seed.

It will be the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019 as coach Pat Kelsey and his players try to deliver the Cardinals’ first NCAA victory since 2017.

It's Louisville's first appearance in the NCAAs since 2019, snapping a five-year skid of missing the postseason. It's also a big day for their first-year head coach, Pat Kelsey. For guiding the Cardinals to the NCAA Tournament within the first three years of his tenure at UofL,

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Selection Sunday is here, and the Louisville Cardinals now know where they are headed in the NCAA Tournament. The Cards are headed to the South region and earned a No. 8 seed. They will play No. 9 seed Creighton (24-10) in Lexington on Thursday.

Louisville guard Terrence Edwards Jr. and guard J'Vonne Hadley vies for the ball with Clemson center Viktor Lakhin during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Friday, March 14, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

UofL was placed in the South Region, and their first and second round games will be played at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. They're matched up against No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 16 Alabama State/St. Francis, with the top four teams in the region being Auburn, Iowa State, Michigan State and Texas A&M.

First-year head coach Pat Kelsey inherited a roster with just one player when he arrived on campus, forcing him to act quickly and bring in 12 new players through the transfer portal. Impact players like Chucky Hepburn,

Louisville basketball will play its first NCAA Tournament game since 2019 in Lexington, but Pat Kelsey and fans aren't happy with the Cards' seed.