July 1 brought a fresh round of conference realignment across Division I, and while Syracuse’s ACC home did not change, the ripple effects could still reach the Orange.
Conference USA is back in motion again. For the fifth straight year, the league has lost members, with UTEP and Louisiana Tech both departing for 2026.
The MAC also saw movement, as Northern Illinois exited and Sacramento State came aboard. Sacramento State will be allowed to play in the postseason right away after the NCAA removed the rule that had previously forced transitioning teams to sit out postseason competition.
Buffalo remains in the MAC as the Empire State representative.
The Mountain West picked up a pair of notable additions as well. North Dakota State joins the league and, like Sacramento State, will be eligible for postseason play in its first year.
The Bison and Northern Illinois are football-only members, while UC Davis arrives as a non-football member. UTEP’s full athletic department is also headed to the Mountain West.
The biggest reshaping came in the Pac-12. After Oregon State and Washington State stood alone for the past few seasons, the conference is expanding back to eight teams, with Gonzaga joining as a non-football member.
The new lineup includes Oregon State, Washington State, Gonzaga, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State. The schools that left over the past few seasons included UCLA, USC, Washington and Oregon, all of whom moved to the Big Ten.
The Sun Belt remains at 14 teams, though it is not unchanged. Louisiana Tech is out, and Texas State is in.
So what does any of this mean for Syracuse? Not much directly, at least not yet.
The changes do not touch the ACC, but they could influence how schools are viewed nationally. If these newly aligned programs start carrying more weight in the eyes of the selection committees and the scheduling world, Syracuse may have reason to pay attention.
That could matter in non-conference basketball especially. A Syracuse win over a team from the new Pac-12, for example, might carry different weight when March comes around. If these schools gain credibility because of where they now sit, the Orange could eventually start lining some of them up on the schedule.
Only time will tell, but the conference shuffle may end up giving Syracuse some new options to consider.
In Other News...
Syracuse Just Got An Early Sign Its New Core Piece Is Real
Gavin Dotys move from Siena to Syracuse already looked like the kind of transfer that could matter right away, and ESPNs latest preseason transfer rankings only add to that sense. The junior guard-forward is being viewed as one of the more impactful additions in the country, which is a useful early marker for a program trying to build a new identity under head coach Gerry McNamara.
For Syracuse, the appeal is obvious: Doty brings proven production, conference recognition and the kind of versatility that should fit into the starting rotation quickly. He was a unanimous All-MAAC first-team selection after a strong sophomore season at Siena, and the Orange are clearly counting on him to be more than just a depth piece as McNamara pieces together his first core group. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Awaits A Huge In-State Decision On New Yorks Top RB
The wait is almost over for one of the biggest in-state recruiting decisions Syracuse has had on its board in a while, as Elijah Kimble is set to choose his college at a ceremony at Canisius High School. The Western New York running back has already built a remarkable high school rsum, piling up more than 5,300 rushing yards and 77 touchdowns before even beginning his senior season, and his production has made him one of the most closely watched prospects in the state.
Kimble has drawn more than 30 offers, but Syracuse has long been viewed as the team to beat as the Orange try to keep the top local back close to home. His announcement will be streamed live, giving Syracuse fans a chance to follow along in real time as the program waits to see whether it can land a player who is also within striking distance of the Western New York career rushing record. [Read more 🡒]
Wildhack Revisited Syracuses Toughest Post-Boeheim Decision Yet
John Wildhacks run as Syracuses athletics director officially ended June 30, with Bryan Blair taking over July 1, but one of the defining calls of his tenure is still worth revisiting. In discussing the post-Jim Boeheim transition in mens basketball, Wildhack reflected on how difficult it was to sort through the options after Boeheim retired in 2023, when the program needed a new voice and the stakes around the choice were enormous.
The search eventually led Syracuse in a different direction after Adrian Autrys three seasons on the sideline produced a 49-48 record, including a strong first year followed by two losing seasons. Wildhacks comments underscore how much the decision still lingers around the program, especially with Gerry McNamara later returning to the job after a national search and after proving himself elsewhere, a twist that only adds to the sense that Syracuses post-Boeheim reset was never going to be simple. [Read more 🡒]