Syracuse football may have to alter 2026 schedule due to an opponent's change in plans

A recent podcast from Irish Illustrated reveals that Notre Dame is considering dropping the Syracuse game from its '26 slate, as the Irish revise their 12 game schedule.

Nov 25, 2023; Syracuse, New York, USA; General view of a Syracuse Orange helmet prior to the game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

In late September, the ACC announced that it was joining the other three power conferences adopting to a nine game conference schedule beginning in 2027, although due to the math of a 17 team league, one team will still play eight league games in a particular season.

In addition, each team has to fill its three non-ACC game slate with one Power 4 opponent (or Notre Dame), which for SU will be a game at Penn State in '27.

But for next season, Notre Dame was the Orange's Power 4 non-conference opponent, with both schools originally listing the contest as a home game, but where the game is to be played might be a moot point according to the Irish Illustrated Insider podcast that originally aired November 6.

Notre Dame dropping one of its road ACC "partner games" in 2026

The ACC signed a bowl game agreement with Notre Dame in 2014 that included the Irish playing five games each season against an ACC team, and making ND part of the conference's bowl lineup for specific games.

Syracuse and Notre Dame were set to play next year at the Dome, part of an extended series that includes four games through 2037. After already dropping Florida State as an ACC road opponent next season, the Irish, as per the podcast discussion, are planning to drop another ACC road game either at Syracuse or North Carolina.

Let's see now, Bill Belichick's Tar Heels or Fran Brown's Orange? Easy choice, right? Especially after SU and ND play in a couple of weeks in South Bend. Just reschedule the game in the Dome for another season down the road in which the 'Cuse will also need a Power 4 OOC opponent.

Where does that leave Syracuse for next season?

Longtime Senior Deputy Athletics Director Herm Frazier has been handling SU football scheduling since shortly after joining Daryl Gross' staff in 2011, and will likely help his colleagues in the process to find a replacement. There are several Power 4 teams needing non-conference games in 2026, but will one of them want to play on the road?

The Notre Dame game was set to be a Dome game in '26 against a "name" school. To duplicate that for ticket sales against another attractive visiting team, there are not many options. Illinois and perhaps South Carolina, Southern Cal, and TCU have current openings among Power 4 teams.

One other option is to schedule an ACC team as a non-conference game (Virginia and N.C. State did that this season), and in that case Florida State, Miami, and Stanford have current vacancies for a game next season, and the two Florida schools would likely sell some tickets.

Current 2026 Syracuse football opponents:

ACC Home-Cal, Clemson, Louisville, SMU.

ACC Away-Boston College, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Virginia.

OOC Home-New Hampshire, Notre Dame, Toledo.

OOC Away-Connecticut

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