Syracuse basketball learns its SEC Challenge opponent for game in December

The Orange will head on the road to face Oklahoma on December 1, 2026, in this year's incarnation of the ACC-SEC Challenge series.

Mar 13, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Porter Moser reacts to a called foul against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Imagesduring the first half | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Syracuse knew it had a road game in rotation in the fourth annual ACC-SEC Challenge series after hosting Tennessee last December, and the Orange now know their opponent will be Oklahoma on December 1, 2026, at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Ok.

The Orange are 2-1 in their three 'Challenge' games, beating LSU in 2023, then splitting two games with the Volunteers in 2024 and '25.

A first-ever trip for the Orange to the Sooners homecourt

Syracuse and Oklahoma have met four times previously, with two games in Syracuse and two in the NCAA Tournament.

The most famous meeting was the 2003 NCAA East Regional final in Albany, in which SU blitzed Kelvin Sampson-coached OU 63-47 in front of an overwhelmingly partisan Orange crowd, on route to winning the national championship.

Oklahoma won the only Dome meeting between the schools in 1984 by a 98-91 score, in a matchup of head coaches Jim Boeheim and Billy Tubbs.

The last game between the programs was in the 2009 NCAA Tournament in Memphis, a Sweet 16 contest won by the Sooners 84-71 under coach Jeff Capel.

A capsule look at the teams heading into the upcoming season

Oklahoma (21-16) finished last season strong under coach Porter Moser, with a couple of wins in the SEC Tournament, and advanced to the finals of the College Basketball Crown tourney, falling to Werst Virginia in overtime.

Moser is in his sixth season with the Sooners, with just one NCAA appearance in 2025, so he will likely be feeling the pressure to get OU back in the Big Dance, with just two overall appearances this decade.

For Syracuse, the OU game marks the fifth non-conference game that has either been confirmed or reported versus a power conference team in Gerry McNamara's first season as head coach.

The Orange have neutral court games against Indiana, Providence, and Rutgers, another true road game against St. John's, and now a road test at Oklahoma, among their 14 non-ACC regular season games.

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