An early off week but a balanced home game schedule for 2026 Syracuse football

There were a couple of known factors heading into Monday night's made-for-broadcast 2026 schedule release on the ACC Network, and simultaneously released by the university. We knew Syracuse's three non-conference games were spread out in each month of the season, and that the new nine conference slate would kick in, with N.C. State added as a 9th conference game (a road game) back on December 16.

Now we know the dates, if not the kickoff/broadcast network designations of the contests, and with 2026 having just one open week over a 14 week period (Aug. 29-Nov. 28), it is one of the earliest since joining the ACC, occurring in the fourth week of the 'Cuse season (Sept. 26).

We always like seasons that are book-ended with home games

The ACC finally took care of the Orange after the last couple of seasons saw big gaps between home games in the month of October, SU sometimes going a month without a Dome matchup.

In fact, this is about a balanced a schedule as a team can expect being in a league with 16 other schools. There's the bonus of two consecutive (winnable) home games to start in FCS foe New Hampshire to open the season, which is exactly the way to get ready (thinking QB Steve Angeli here) for Cal in Week 2.

So, the balance has those two home games in September, three at home in October, and two in the Dome in November, including finishing with the heralded Notre Dame 'rematch' of last season's 70-7 debacle which will end the '26 regular season.

This year's 'Halloween Game' is in the Dome Oct. 31 vs. SMU, well maybe. The ACC announced that there is a possibility that one of SU's games vs. SMU or Clemson the following week. would be flexed, and potentially selected for a Friday night game, so two dates are listed for each game.

That determination will be made and announced by the ACC and ESPN once the season is underway, but no matter, each game is likely to have interesting storylines as rematches from 2025, an Orange loss in Dallas, and upset win in Death Valley.

The 2026 road games come down a notch in distance and strength of schedule

In between the balance of the six home/six road games over 13 weeks, there's no South Bend, Miami, Clemson, or Dallas road trips this season, instead replaced by the likes of the familiar Boston and Pittsburgh (a Thursday night game) places the Orange were swept in 2024, North Carolina's Triangle for a pair of games against UNC and NCSU, and good old East Hartford's Pratt & Whitney Stadium for the first time since 2022 to face UConn.

There are two stretches with consecutive road games, first UConn-Virginia to start October, then facing NC State and BC, late in Weeks 11-12 preceding the game against the Irish. That three game stretch could prove pivotal to how the season ends up, the minimum goal eyeing a return to a bowl game.

Side Note: The ACC announced Monday that its Championship Game has been moved by ESPN from its 8:00 p.m. ET ABC television window on the Saturday following the regular season, to a 12:00 p.m. kickoff on ABC.

The game remains at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, this year on Dec. 5. But the move off of 8:00 p.m. can only be seen as a demotion of sorts for the ACC, with ESPN presumably preferring the air the SEC game on ABC in that window to go up against the Big Ten.

2026 Syracuse football schedule (kickoff times/broadcast coverage to be announced) :

September 5 NEW HAMPSHIRE

September 12 CALIFORNIA

September 17 at Pittsburgh (Thursday)

September 26 --OPEN WEEK--

October 3 at Connecticut

October 10 at Virginia

October 17 LOUISVILLE

October 24 at North Carolina

October 30/31 SMU

November 6/7 CLEMSON

November 14 at NC State

November 21 at Boston College

November 28 NOTRE DAME

December 5 ACC Championship Game

(Home games in all CAPS)

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