Orange Watch: Syracuse basketball's 2025-26 scheduling changing with the times

Item: With the ACC cutting back from 20 to 18 league contests, Syracuse has reportedly eight of its now-13 out of conference games lined up as contracts are still being finalized. The key to SU’s scheduling philosophy moving forward has evolved along with the ACC’s recent ups and downs. The goal is to put the team in its best spot to make the NCAA Tournament, by blending the right mix of quality competition to help the overall strength of schedule, while suppling enough realistic opportunities for quality victories to go “Dancing” in March.

Long time opponents are missing in (non) action

You will not find familiar names Georgetown, Colgate, and Cornell on the early season Syracuse basketball schedule this year when it is released later in the summer. Instead, you will find St. Joseph’s and reportedly the likes of Binghamton (home) and Drexel (neutral court), along with some Top 25 (or close) programs scattered about.

The Georgetown rivalry has run its course from the Big East days, as the two programs struggle to get back to national relevancy in their respective conferences. The two long time central New York rivals have simply proven to be too pesky in recent years.

The Raiders’ and Big Red’s recent success in vying for the NCAA Tournament from their smaller conferences each season, now puts those opponents in the category of home games in which Syracuse is expected to win with not much upside, but an upset loss or close game becomes a heavy weight to lift without the balance of quality victories at some point in the season.

The schedule will make it a November to remember

As of this writing, Syracuse has another early season “murder’s row” of a schedule lined up around Thanksgiving week and centered in Las Vegas.

First, a neutral court game with Saint Joseph’s, and two days later the Orange begin play in the Player’s Era Festival with reported matchups against Houston and Kansas, plus a third game against a schedule-strengthening, quality opponent from the 18-team PEF field.

In Vegas, SU is guaranteed three-games over three straight days, and if the ‘Cuse were to win its first two Player’s Era contests, it would qualify to play in the championship game on Thanksgiving Day.

Either way, Syracuse heads home to meet Tennessee in the ACC/SEC Challenge game the following Tuesday (Dec. 2), capping off a tough five game stretch over 11 days.

The ACC likely to adjust the conference calendar

Still remaining to be determined with the ACC dropping two games from the regular season, if teams will not start facing off in league play until January (or late December).

The last several years of the 20-game schedule, the conference used the first weekend in December (Dec 6-7 this year) for the opening league games, a date that always placed the Orange on the road due to high school football championship games being played in the Dome.

If there is not an ACC game played that weekend, and coming off the Tennessee game days before, it will be interesting to see the opponent for that spot on the early season schedule.

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