UC and Louisville were rivals , first playing in 1921 , until the 2010 – 13 NCAA conference realignment put the contest on hiatus , as Louisville moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference on July 1 , 2014 . . The rivalry has stretched over the span of four conferences from the Missouri Valley Conference , to the Metro Conference to Conference USA , and more recently in the Big East Conference , which in 2013 was renamed to the American Athletic Conference . The teams have faced off 99 times in series history , with Louisville leading the all-time series 56-43 . Most notably , Louisville and Cincinnati faced each other twice over the course of the 2011-12 season . UC would upset then No. 17 ranked Louisville at home before facing off again in the 2012 Big East Men 's Basketball Tournament championship game , where Louisville would prevail 50-44
2012 Big East Men 's Basketball Tournament
2012 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball