If you were looking for the St. Louis Cardinals to be out on the diamond or the Arizona Cardinals to be hitting the gridiron this Saturday, January 17, 2026, you're a bit out of sync with the sports calendar. The MLB Redbirds are still weeks away from Spring Training in Jupiter, and the NFL's birds in Arizona wrapped up their tough 3-14 campaign two weeks ago after a loss to the Rams.
But if you’re talking about college hoops, things got intense. Basically, the "Cardinals" world belonged to Louisville and Ball State today.
The Cardinals Game Today Score Breakdown
The headline of the day comes from the Petersen Events Center. The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team took care of business against the Pittsburgh Panthers in a high-stakes ACC matchup. Honestly, it wasn't even as close as the final buzzer might suggest for those who just checked the ticker.
Louisville managed to pull away with a 28-7 lead early on, showcasing a defensive grit that coach Pat Kelsey has been preaching since the preseason. While Pitt tried to claw back in the second half, the Cardinals' transition game was just too much for the Panthers to handle.
Meanwhile, over in Muncie, the Ball State Cardinals are still riding the high of their Friday night thriller. They took down Ohio 76-71 in a game that felt like a microcosm of their entire season: a hot start, a middle-of-the-game lull, and a gritty finish at the free-throw line.
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Ball State’s Friday Night Magic
You've gotta look at the numbers for Armoni Zeigler. The kid is on an absolute tear. After dropping 30 in his previous outing, he came back with 28 points against Ohio.
The game flow was kinda wild:
- Ball State jumped out to a 28-13 lead.
- They went into the locker room up 44-31.
- Ohio cut it to a one-point game three different times in the final two minutes.
Devon Barnes ended up being the hero at the stripe, sinking four straight free throws in the final 20 seconds to ice it. If you're following the MAC standings, this win was massive for a team that has struggled to find consistency.
Louisville Women Heading to Raleigh
While the men played today, the No. 9 Louisville women’s team is prepping for a massive showdown. They are currently 17-3 and sitting pretty at 7-0 in the ACC. They face NC State tomorrow, January 18. If you were searching for their score today, you're technically 24 hours early, but the stakes couldn't be higher.
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NC State is 4-0 at home in conference play. Louisville is 4-0 on the road. Something has to give in Raleigh.
What’s Going on with the St. Louis Cardinals?
Since it's January, the "Cardinals game today score" for baseball fans is actually $0-0$ because, well, the season hasn't started. However, the news cycle in St. Louis is anything but quiet.
The big talk around Busch Stadium right now isn't about a game—it's about the roster shakeup. The team recently confirmed the trade of Nolan Arenado to the Diamondbacks for a minor-league pitcher. It’s a move that has the fanbase split. Some see it as a necessary salary dump to rebuild the farm system; others see it as the end of an era.
If you’re planning your summer, the Cardinals actually just released their 2026 giveaway schedule today.
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- March 26: Opening Day Magnet Schedule (vs. Rays)
- March 28: Lightweight Pullover
- April 11: Dugout Hoodie
It’s weird to think about hoodies and magnets when it’s freezing outside, but that’s the life of a baseball fan in the winter.
Arizona Cardinals: Looking Toward the Draft
In the NFL world, the Arizona Cardinals are officially in "wait and see" mode. They finished the season at the bottom of the NFC West with a 3-14 record. Their last game was a 37-20 loss to the Rams on January 4th.
There’s no game today because they didn't make the playoffs. Instead, the front office is likely glued to the screen watching the Wild Card and Divisional rounds, scouting for whoever they’re going to pick with that high draft selection. Jacoby Brissett and Michael Wilson showed some flashes of chemistry late in the season, but let’s be real—this team needs a lot more than just a few highlight reels to compete with the Seahawks or 49ers next year.
Actionable Insights for Cardinals Fans
If you're trying to keep up with all these different "Cardinals," here is how you should handle the rest of the weekend:
- For Louisville Fans: Keep an eye on the women’s game tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN2. It’s a battle for the top of the ACC.
- For Ball State Fans: Check the recovery status of the roster before their Wednesday home game against UMass. They played a physical game against Ohio and will need that bench depth (which outscored Ohio's bench 23-0) to stay fresh.
- For St. Louis Fans: If you're looking for tickets, the first spring training game is February 21 against the Nationals. Tickets are already hovering around $29 for the opener in Jupiter.
- For Arizona Fans: Start looking at mock drafts. With a 3-14 record, the focus is entirely on April now.
The "score" isn't always just a set of numbers on a scoreboard; sometimes it's the trade value of a Hall of Fame third baseman or a recruiting class that’s about to change the trajectory of a program.
Keep an eye on the ACC standings tonight as the Louisville men’s win over Pitt shakes up the middle of the pack. It’s going to be a long winter, but for at least two sets of Cardinals, today was a step in the right direction.