Syracuse’s trip to Madison Square Garden to face St. John’s now has a date, a time and a TV home.
The Orange and Red Storm will square off on Sunday, Nov. 15, with tipoff set for 7 p.m., according to releases from NBC and St. John’s. The game will air on Peacock and NBC Sports Network (NBCSN).
It will be Syracuse’s first matchup with St. John’s since the 2022-23 season, when the teams met at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in the Empire Classic.
The Garden visit also ends a long wait for the Orange. Syracuse has not played at Madison Square Garden since a 67-53 loss to Villanova on Dec. 7, 2021.
There’s another layer to this one, too: it will be Gerry McNamara’s first game at the Garden as Syracuse head coach. McNamara finished his college career there in 2006, helping Syracuse win the Big East tournament title and earning tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
Before that Garden date arrives, Syracuse will get its season rolling with an exhibition next week at UConn. The Orange then open the regular season on Monday, Nov. 2, when New Haven visits the JMA Wireless Dome.
Syracuse’s full 2026-27 schedule also includes a loaded nonconference slate and a deep ACC run. Among the early highlights are home games against Central Connecticut State, Cornell, Lafayette, Albany, Colgate, Mercyhurst, Canisius, Binghamton, Georgia Tech, Duke, Louisville, Boston College, North Carolina, Virginia, Stanford and Wake Forest. The Orange also play at Oklahoma, Florida State, Miami, Pittsburgh, California, Clemson, SMU, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, with neutral-site games against Indiana in Indianapolis, Providence in Boston and Rutgers at Barclays Center.
The ACC Tournament is set for March 9-13 in Greensboro, N.C.
In Other News...
Syracuse Was Part Of A Frightening Moment UConn Fans Feared
A frightening scene unfolded during UConns game when wide receiver Javon Brown took a heavy hit in the end zone and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher with a neck brace. It was the kind of moment that stops everyone in their tracks, and both sidelines responded in kind as players and coaches from both teams showed support for Brown after the collision.
The encouraging update came later from coach Jason Candle, who said Brown is doing well after passing neurological tests, leaving the hospital and rejoining the team. For Syracuse fans, it was a reminder that even in the middle of a game, some moments matter far more than the scoreboard, and this one thankfully appears to have turned toward relief instead of something far worse. [Read more 🡒]
Gerry McNamaras Syracuse Plan Hinges On One Early Test
Syracuse enters the season with a fresh set of questions, and Gerry McNamaras first roster build is drawing plenty of attention for the right reasons. Seth Greenberg pointed to culture, retention and upside as the basics that can give the Orange a chance, while also noting how important the Siena transfers McNamara brought with him could be in helping steady the program early.
The real early test, though, comes down to whether that mix can take hold quickly enough to matter in ACC play. Greenberg also flagged the potential growth of young players such as Sadiq White, Kiyan Anthony and Mark Morano Mahmutovic, and if Syracuse is going to make McNamaras plan work, those developments may need to show up sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Gets Another Chance To Prove Oddsmakers Wrong
Syracuse heads into this weekend with another modest line attached to it, listed as 6.5-point underdogs by FanDuel against Virginia. The setup is familiar for a team that has already shown it can make a number look shaky, most recently by pulling out an overtime win against an opponent with Amari Odom starting in place of Steve Angeli.
Virginia comes in at 3-2 and is trying to bounce back from a loss to Florida State, so there is enough on paper to suggest a competitive game. For Syracuse, though, the bigger question is whether it can again turn skepticism into leverage and give oddsmakers another reason to rethink where this group belongs. [Read more 🡒]
