It’s official, Louisville will face Cincinnati in Fenway Bowl

It’s official: The Louisville football team will be wrapping up its 2022 season on Dec. 17 when it takes on old rival Cincinnati in the Fenway Bowl. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. and ESPN will have the television coverage.

This will be the first meeting between the two rivals since Teddy Bridgewater led U of L to a dramatic 31-24 win at Nippert Stadium in 2013. That win has kept the Keg of Nails in the Derby City ever since.

Cincinnati leads the all-time series with Louisville, 30-22-1, but the Bearcats got off to a massive head start by winning the first 12 meetings between the two programs, which took place between 1929 and 1969.

UC has spent some time in the national rankings this season, but lost its shot at an American Athletic Conference title when it fell to No. 19 Tulane, 27-24, in the final game of the regular season. That dropped the Bearcats to 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the AAC for the season.

To answer the question everyone seems to be asking: There’s no word on whether or not the Keg of Nails will be up for grabs in this game. My assumption is no, but I assume it’ll be addressed specifically at some point during the two weeks ahead.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Louisville has opened as a 1.5-point underdog for the game. The Cards are 2-3 straight up as an underdog this season and 7-5 against the spread.