Louisville basketball | Cards near completing their 2017-18 nonconference schedule

The University of Louisville will likely pay more than $600,000 to complete its 2017-18 nonconference men's basketball schedule.

The Cards will also play three of their higher-profile non-league games in a 13-day stretch in December, according to a collection of game contracts obtained through a public records request by the Courier-Journal.

Louisville, which finished 25-9 last season and tied for second in the Atlantic Coast Conference, will host Seton Hall on Dec. 3 and Indiana on Dec. 9, followed by a trip to New York City to play Memphis on Dec. 16. The Cards will also play St. Francis (Pennsylvania) and Southern Illinois on Nov. 17 and Nov. 21, respectively, at the KFC Yum Center.

Dates for Louisville's games against Albany, Bryant, Grand Canyon, Kentucky and Siena, plus the annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge, are not yet known.

There could be two more nonconference opponents on Louisville's schedule, including what would likely be the annual Billy Minardi Classic.

More: U of L sets series with Seton Hall
More: Why did U of L play at Grand Canyon?

In the ACC, U of L has home-and-home series against Florida State, Pittsburgh, Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Cards have home conference games against Boston College, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Syracuse and Wake Forest. Their league road games include Clemson, Duke, Miami, NC State and Notre Dame.

The average RPI of Louisville's 11 known nonconference opponents is 142. Indiana was 81st after missing the NCAA Tournament last season, but the Hoosiers have a new coach in Archie Miller. Memphis finished 119th and has undergone significant roster turnover this offseason, taking some punch out of its matchup against the Cards.

Grand Canyon (RPI: 124), Siena (129), Albany (146), Southern Illinois (147) and St. Francis (246) all finished .500 or better last season. Bryant (280) struggled to a 12-20 record.

GCU was 22-9 and will be eligible for its conference tournament and the NCAA Tournament for the first time this coming season. 

Albany, which was 21-14, lost in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, better known as the CIT, and returns much of the core of its team.

Louisville spent $590,000 on eight of its nonconference home games, which is typical for a top-flight college basketball program. So-called "guarantee games" usually run the home-standing power-conference team around $90,000.

If U of L fills out its schedule with two more home games – the college basketball season officially begins on Nov. 10 – the tab will probably exceed $600,000.

U of L is contractually obligated to play Albany, Bryant and Siena sometime between Dec. 6-20. Those games are part of the Gotham Classic, which culminates with the Louisville-Memphis matchup and requires U of L to pay $225,000 for its three home contests.

Indiana will receive $30,000 for playing U of L at the Yum Center and pay the Cards that same figure when they play in Bloomington in 2018.

Louisville's agreement with Seton Hall is similar: The Pirates will get $50,000 for their game at U of L and pay $50,000 in 2018 for the Cards' return game at Seton Hall.

Louisville will make its only payment in the three-year series agreement with Grand Canyon, sending the Antelopes $100,000 for the final of three games over three seasons.

U OF L'S 2017-18 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Nov. 17: St. Francis (Pa.)
Nov. 21: Southern Illinois
Dec. 3: Seton Hall
Dec. 9: Indiana
Dec. 16: Memphis (in New York City)
No date set but confirmed opponents: Albany, Bryant, Grand Canyon, Kentucky and Siena, plus an ACC-Big Ten Challenge opponent.