The ACC’s annual kickoff arrives this week with plenty more than the usual preseason chatter hanging over it, and Syracuse is right in the middle of that conversation.
The league’s media event opens Wednesday at the Uptown Hilton in Charlotte, where Commissioner Jim Phillips will deliver his state-of-the-conference address before fielding questions that figure to range far beyond the normal summer script. The backdrop is a busy offseason across college sports, with the NCAA’s June adoption of the “5-in-5” rule, the Big Ten and SEC’s push to expand revenue-sharing dollars, the College Football Playoff’s move to a 12-team bracket, and the ongoing noise around future conference realignment all waiting to be picked apart.
Thursday brings the Orange to the stage, with Syracuse set for its press conference at 12:00 p.m. ET on ACC Network. The event has been held in Charlotte’s downtown business district for the past 11 years, with 2020 the lone exception.
There’s also a league housekeeping note worth watching: on Monday, the ACC announced that longtime conference referee Gary Patterson will become the new Supervisor of Football Officials. Patterson, who spent 23 years as a conference referee, replaces Al Riveron, who retired after serving in the role since 2022. One of Patterson’s responsibilities will be continuing the league’s work with ESPN to improve instant replay access during game-review stoppages, a change that has drawn strong reviews from media, fans and coaching staffs.
For Syracuse, the timing of this week is obvious. The Orange open the season September 5 against New Hampshire, an FCS opponent, at 12:00 p.m.
ET on ACC Network. And if the ACC preseason stage is where teams start making their case, Syracuse has some history worth pointing to.
The program’s first big ACC season came in 2018, when Dino Babers led the Orange to a 10-3 finish and a bowl win over West Virginia. The following year brought Syracuse its best preseason media showing in the league, when it picked up two first-place votes and finished second overall behind Clemson in the Coastal Division race. That optimism didn’t hold; the 2019 season ended at 5-7.
Fran Brown’s first season in 2024 matched that 10-3 mark, capped by a bowl victory over Washington State. Even so, the Orange were picked 12th in last year’s preseason media poll, a ranking that didn’t reflect the success they’d just put on the field.
Steve Angeli was in position early last season to challenge that skepticism before a season-ending injury stopped him. This week, he’ll get a chance to make the case again that Syracuse shouldn’t be overlooked. Angeli will be joined Thursday by Antoine Deslauriers, Demetres Samuel Jr. and Brown, who is looking for a bounce-back season with new boss Bryan Blair now looking over his shoulder.
In Other News...
Syracuse Just Landed A Visit That Could Say A Lot About Its Future
A major recruiting test is coming into focus for Syracuse basketball, and it starts with Ahmed Nur. The five-star power forward in the 2027 class is set to take an official visit to campus from Aug. 28 to Aug. 30, giving the Orange a chance to make a real impression on one of the countrys top-25 prospects after the new coaching staff extended him a scholarship offer last month.
Nurs trip also comes with plenty of competition around it. He already has official visits lined up with Washington and has previously been to Purdue and Minnesota, while his offer sheet stretches well beyond the usual regional chase and includes a long list of major programs. For Syracuse, landing him in the building is only the first step, but it is the kind of visit that can tell you a lot about where the program stands as it tries to build under Gerry McNamara. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Defender Just Earned A National Nod That Changes The Conversation
Chris Peals offseason stock is rising at the right time for Syracuse, and Phil Steeles latest preseason guide only adds to the buzz around the cornerback. Steele slotted Peal on his preseason All-America fourth team and also put him among the nations top draft-eligible corners, a notable nod for a player who has become one of the more closely watched defenders on the roster.
Peal also came in as Syracuses highest-rated player on Steeles All-ACC teams, landing on the second team while linebackers Chris DAppolonia and Antoine Deslauriers also earned conference recognition. Even with that defensive praise, Steeles bigger picture for the Orange is still cautious, projecting improvement from last season but only enough to keep them near the bottom of the ACC, with the quarterback and linebacker groups carrying the most optimism and several other position areas still needing to prove they can hold up. [Read more 🡒]
Boeheims Army Just Added A Familiar TBT Nightmare
Boeheims Army has settled on its 10-player group for The Basketball Tournament, and the roster again leans heavily on familiar Syracuse connections while still leaving room for outside help. The mix includes six players with Orange ties and four who do not, a balance the club has used before as it tries to blend continuity, depth and enough versatility to survive the single-elimination format.
The latest additions give the group a little more structure in the backcourt and some size inside, with point guards Ty Nichols and Walker joining big man Williams among the new faces. The timing matters, too, because Boeheims Army opens against Hall In at Seton Halls Walsh Gymnasium on FS1, and in TBT there is never much margin for a roster that is still coming together. [Read more 🡒]