Miami and Louisville have met only 17 times since 1933, but the series has been high-impact and high-drama. Miami leads 12-4-1, with the two most recent matchups being played for the Howard Schnellenberger Trophy — introduced in 2023 to honor the coach who rebuilt both programs — with Louisville winning the inaugural matchup at Hard Rock Stadium in 2023 and Miami taking the boots back after a 52-45 shootout in 2024.
The rivalry's modern identity was forged on Oct. 14, 2004, when No. 3 Miami erased a 17-point second-half deficit to beat No. 17 Louisville, 41-38, on Frank Gore's TD in the final minute after a momentum-tilting Devin Hester punt return. Two years later, Louisville's first series win — 31-7 over No. 17 Miami — came amid the infamous pregame midfield-logo incident and catalyzed a three-game Cardinals streak.
Post-Big East, the teams met twice in 2013-14, both Cardinal wins: a 36-9 Russell Athletic Bowl in Orlando behind Teddy Bridgewater (447 yards, 4 total TDs) and a 31-13 victory in Louisville the next season. Miami reasserted control in 2019 when Jarren Williams set a school record with six TD passes in a 52-27 win, then unleashed a big-play barrage in 2020—D'Eriq King tossed three TDs in a 47-34 road victory.
The ACC's scheduling reset put this matchup back on the calendar annually in 2023, with stakes attached. Louisville's 38-31 win that year delivered the first Schnellenberger Trophy and clinched the Cardinals' ACC Championship Game berth. A year later, No. 6 Miami outlasted Louisville 52-45 in a game that featured a 100-yard Caullin Lacy kickoff return and four Cam Ward TD passes. The trophy series is 1–1 entering 2025, when the teams are slated to meet again on Friday, Oct. 17, in Miami Gardens.
Miami's largest margin in the series remains a 45-7 win in 1985, part of a seven-game Hurricanes streak from 1979-2004.
All games between Miami vs. Louisville
- Nov. 11, 1933 — Miami 33, Louisville 7
- Oct. 8, 1949 — Miami 26, Louisville 0
- Nov. 10, 1950 — Miami 13, Louisville 13
- Sept. 15, 1979 — Miami 24, Louisville 12
- Sept. 6, 1980 — Miami 24, Louisville 10
- Oct. 2, 1982 — Miami 28, Louisville 6
- Oct. 8, 1983 — Miami 42, Louisville 14
- Nov. 3, 1984 — Miami 38, Louisville 23
- Oct. 26, 1985 — Miami 45, Louisville 7
- Oct. 14, 2004 — Miami 41, Louisville 38
- Sept. 16, 2006 — Louisville 31, Miami 7
- Dec. 28, 2013 — Louisville 36, Miami 9 (Russell Athletic Bowl, Orlando)
- Sept. 1, 2014 — Louisville 31, Miami 13
- Nov. 9, 2019 — Miami 52, Louisville 27
- Sept. 19, 2020 — Miami 47, Louisville 34
- Nov. 18, 2023 — Louisville 38, Miami 31 — first Schnellenberger Trophy; Cards clinch ACC title game berth.
- Oct. 19, 2024 — Miami 52, Louisville 45