Syracuse will get plenty of heavyweight company in Gerry McNamara’s first ACC season, with Duke, North Carolina, Louisville and Virginia all scheduled to visit the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Orange’s first conference game under McNamara, though, comes on the road. Syracuse opens ACC play at Florida State on Tuesday, Dec. 29, then returns home for its league debut at the dome against Georgia Tech on Saturday, Jan. 2.
From there, the schedule turns quickly into a run of marquee matchups. Duke comes to Syracuse on Tuesday, Jan. 5, followed by road trips to Miami and Pittsburgh before Louisville visits on Saturday, Jan.
- North Carolina is next at home on Jan.
The ACC released its 2026-27 conference schedule on Wednesday, and it gives McNamara a demanding path as Syracuse tries to snap a five-year NCAA Tournament drought.
Syracuse’s full league slate is built around the ACC’s 18-game format, which is in place for the second straight year after the conference played 20 league games from 2019 through 2025. Each team has one primary opponent it plays both home and away, and for Syracuse that partner is Pittsburgh.
The Orange will play the Panthers on the road on Jan. 12 and again at home on Feb. 23.
The conference also assigns a variable partner for home-and-away games. Last season, Syracuse’s variable partner was North Carolina. This year, that role belongs to Stanford, so the Orange will see the Cardinal twice.
That leaves one-game matchups against 14 of the other 15 ACC teams. Syracuse’s home list includes Duke, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Virginia, Wake Forest and Louisville, plus Pittsburgh and Stanford. The road slate features Clemson, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Miami, Notre Dame, California and SMU, along with the trips to Pittsburgh and Stanford.
One team does not appear on Syracuse’s ACC schedule: N.C. State.
There’s also a notable date on Feb. 3, when Virginia visits the dome. That game will bring former Syracuse coach Adrian Autry back to campus, now serving as an assistant at UVa after spending the last three seasons as the Orange’s head coach.
Syracuse also makes the ACC’s West Coast swing in late January, with games at Stanford on Jan. 27 and at California on Jan. 30, matching the trip the program made two years ago.
The Orange close the regular season at home against Wake Forest on Saturday, March 6, before heading to the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., from March 9-13.
Game times and TV details will be announced later.
Here is Syracuse’s complete 2026-27 schedule:
Exhibition games Tue., Oct.
13 - UConn (Mohegan Sun) Sun., Oct.
18 - Siena (MVP Arena in Albany) Sat., Oct.
24 - Niagara (Key Bank Center, Buffalo)
Regular season Mon., Nov.
2 - NEW HAVEN Thurs., Nov.
5 - CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE Mon., Nov.
9 - Indiana (Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis) Sun., Nov.
15 - St. John’s (Madison Square Garden)
Wed., Nov. 18 - CORNELL
Sat., Nov. 21 - LAFAYETTE
Wed., Nov. 25 - ALBANY
Tue., Dec. 1 - at Oklahoma (ACC/SEC Challenge) Tue., Dec.
8 - COLGATE Sat., Dec.
12 - MERCYHURST Wed., Dec.
16 - CANISIUS Sat., Dec.
19 - Providence (TD Garden in Boston) Tue., Dec.
22 - BINGHAMTON Tue., Dec. 29 - at Florida State
Sat., Jan. 2 - GEORGIA TECH
Tue., Jan. 5 - DUKE
Sat., Jan. 9 - at Miami Tue., Jan. 12 - at Pittsburgh
Sat., Jan. 16 - LOUISVILLE
Tue., Jan. 19 - BOSTON COLLEGE
Sat., Jan. 23 - NORTH CAROLINA
Wed., Jan. 27 - at Stanford Sat., Jan. 30 - at California
Wed., Feb. 3 - VIRGINIA
Sat., Feb. 6 - Rutgers (Barclays Center)
Wed., Feb. 10 - at Clemson Wed., Feb.
17 - STANFORD Sat., Feb. 20 - at SMU
Tue., Feb. 23 - PITTSBURGH
Sat., Feb. 27 - at Notre Dame Wed., March 3 - at Virginia Tech
Sat., March 6 - WAKE FOREST Tue-Sat., March 9-13 - ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.)
In Other News...
Syracuse Just Lost A Backcourt Piece It Was Counting On
Dominique Darius will not be back with Syracuse womens basketball after the NCAA denied her petition for a seventh season of eligibility, coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. Darius had been seeking one more year after a midyear transfer and a redshirt season, a path that would have given the Orange another experienced option in the backcourt.
Instead, Darius is moving on to pursue opportunities overseas, leaving Syracuse to keep sorting out its rotation as it blends in new transfers and freshmen. The Orange had already been reshaping the roster around offseason departures, but Darius exit removes a player the staff had been counting on for added depth and experience. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuses New Era Will Get An Early ACC Reality Check
Syracuses mens basketball reset under Gerry McNamara appears set to get tested almost immediately. According to CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein, the Orange are expected to open their 2026-27 ACC schedule on Dec. 29 with a road trip to Florida State, a first conference game that would also mark McNamaras debut in league play after replacing Adrian Autry following the 2025-26 season.
It is the kind of early measuring-stick game that can quickly shape the mood around a new era, especially for a program still sorting out its roster and trying to build momentum after recent uneven results. Syracuse also has an upcoming game against Cal, another reminder that the next stretch will help reveal how quickly McNamara can get the Orange settled before the ACC grind really begins. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Fans Have A New Reason To Watch Demetres Samuel Jr
Demetres Samuel Jr. gave Syracuse a little extra to think about in the season opener, flashing return ability with four punt returns for 82 yards and hinting that the Orange may have found a playmaker who can change a game in a hurry. Now he has added another layer to the watchability, pledging to pay each member of the punt return team $100 for every punt return touchdown he scores this season.
Fran Brown confirmed Syracuse has a similar reward system for interception return touchdowns, which fits the broader tone around the program and the way big special-teams and defensive plays are being valued. For fans, it means Samuels returns are no longer just about field position or momentum, but about the possibility of a celebration that comes with a little financial incentive for the guys helping make it happen. [Read more 🡒]