LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bowl season is in full swing, and soon, the Louisville football program will be getting in on the postseason action.
In just a few days, the Cardinals will make the trip to El Paso, Texas, where a matchup against Washington in the Sun Bowl is waiting for them. Kickoff between the Cardinals and Huskies is set for Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 2:00 p.m. EST.
This will be Louisville's 27th bowl game in their 106-year history, sporting a 12-13-1 record in the postseason. It's also the Cardinals' second ever appearance in the Sun Bowl, and first since making their bowl game debut in the 1957 Sun Bowl.
The majority of Louisville's 27 bowl game appearances have come in the last three decades, as 22 of them – including this year's – have come in the last 27 seasons. UofL is currently riding a four-year bowl streak.
Since 2010, the Cardinals have missed out on going bowling just twice: in 2018 during Bobby Petrino's final year, and during the 2020 COVID season under Scott Satterfield. Before Steve Kragthorpe's three-year tenure from 2007 to 2009, Louisville made it to nine straight bowls from 1998 to 2006 under John L. Smith and Petrino's first tenure.
While Louisville has made to bowl games with somewhat regularity since the turn of the millennium, sustained postseason success has been hard to come by. In fact, the Cards have won bowl games in back-to-back seasons just once in their program's history: the 2012 Sugar Bowl and 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl.
Louisville's last bowl win came in 2022, when they took down rival Cincinnati in the Fenway Bowl to retain the Keg of Nails.
Year
Bowl
Opponent
Result
2023
Holiday
USC
L, 42-28
2022
Fenway
Cincinnati
W, 24-7
2021
First Responder
Air Force
L, 31-28
2019
Music City
Mississippi State
W, 38-28
2017
TaxSlayer
Mississippi State
L, 31-27
2016
Citrus
LSU
L, 29-9
2015
Music City
Texas A&M
W, 27-21
2014
Belk
Georgia
L, 37-14
2013
Russell Athletic
Miami
W, 36-9
2012
Sugar
Florida
33-23
2011
Belk
NC State
L, 31-24
2010
Beef O’Brady’s
Southern Miss
W, 31-28
2006
Orange
Wake Forest
W, 24-13
2005
Gator
Virginia Tech
L, 35-24
2004
Liberty
Boise State
W, 44-40
2003
GMAC
Miami (OH)
L, 49-28
2002
GMAC
Marshall
L, 38-15
2001
Liberty
BYU
W, 28-10
2000
Liberty
Colorado State
L, 22-13
1999
Humanitarian
Boise State
L, 34-31
1998
Motor City
Marshall
L, 48-29
1993
Liberty
Michigan State
W, 18-7
1990
Fiesta
Alabama
W, 34-7
1977
Independence
Louisiana Tech
L, 24-14
1970
Pasadena
Long Beach State
T, 24-24
1957
Sun
Drake
W, 34-20
(Photo via Orlando Ramirez – Imagn Images)
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McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. He is also a co-host of the 'From The Pink Seats' podcast on the State of Louisville network. Video gamer, bourbon drinker and dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic
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