Syracuse’s trip to Chapel Hill could come with a little extra noise this fall.
The University of North Carolina has placed football general manager Mike Lombardi on paid administrative leave, effective immediately, according to multiple reports. Lombardi is a key figure in Bill Belichick’s setup at UNC, so his absence adds another layer of uncertainty as the Tar Heels try to build under Belichick and Lombardi.
How that affects the team on the field is still unclear, but it does complicate the process for a program already in the middle of a rebuild.
That matters for Syracuse, which is scheduled to play North Carolina on Oct. 24 in Chapel Hill. The official game time has not been announced yet.
The Orange are coming off a 3-9 season in which they dropped eight straight games after quarterback Steve Angeli suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. Syracuse should be improved this year, and the expectation has been laid out that the Orange can get to at least six wins and reach bowl eligibility. If that happens, a road win at North Carolina would be part of the equation.
Lombardi brings a long NFL résumé and has worked with Belichick at several stops, including the New England Patriots. He was also reportedly not well-liked in Foxboro and was let go in June of 2016.
Syracuse opens its season on Sept. 5, hosting the University of New Hampshire at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Elsewhere, the Syracuse alumni team Boeheim’s Army saw its TBT run end on Sunday with a 70-66 semifinal loss to La Familia, the Kentucky alumni squad. That ended their bid for the $2 million prize. Syracuse won the event in 2021 and had won two games in this year’s tournament, including a sweep of the Seton Hall alumni in the opening round series.
The Orange men’s basketball team also held its annual Summer Slam earlier this week, with Jim Boeheim and Carmelo Anthony among those in attendance.
In Other News...
Boeheim's Army Heads Into Kentucky Showdown With A Major Concern
Boeheims Army heads into its quarterfinal matchup with La Familia carrying a roster picture that looks thinner than it did a few days ago. Eric Devendorf is unavailable after hurting his knee in the previous round, while Chris McCullough also will not be in uniform for Sundays game, leaving the Syracuse-backed group to adjust its rotation on the fly in The Basketball Tournament.
The good news is Wes Johnson is active and could help stabilize the front line, but there is still some uncertainty around Jacorey Williams, who is listed as questionable. With the margin for error shrinking in a win-or-go-home setting, the Army has at least been weighing whether to add help from its reserve list, though no new player had been added by Sunday morning. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Is Being Written Off Too Early This Season
Syracuse heads into the 2026 season with Fran Brown entering his third year and a roster that looks different after a busy offseason, all while trying to move past a frustrating 3-9 finish in 2025. The Orange also have Steve Angeli back in position to lead the offense after his injury-hit 2025, giving the program at least one clear place to start as it tries to reset expectations.
Still, the outside view has been pretty chilly, with analysts and sportsbooks slotting Syracuse near the bottom of the pack and CBS Sports going as far as projecting another 3-9 type of season. Angeli, though, seems to be leaning into the skepticism, treating the preseason doubt as something the Orange can use as fuel while they navigate a schedule that will test them early and often. [Read more 🡒]
Boeheims Army Faces A Major Availability Concern Before Quarterfinal
Boeheims Army heads into Fridays quarterfinal in Lexington with the kind of matchup that tends to define The Basketball Tournament: a Syracuse-alumni group facing a Kentucky-heavy roster in La Familia, with a spot in the semifinals on the line. The game will air on Fox at 2 p.m., and the winner moves on to meet either the Aftershocks or JHX Hoops, but the bigger immediate concern for the Orange-connected side is simply getting through the day in good shape.
Availability has already become part of the storyline on both benches, with Boeheims Army missing Eric Devendorf and La Familia dealing with Willie Cauley-Steins foot injury. Buddy Boeheim also had a brief ankle scare in practice before returning quickly, which only adds to the sense that this quarterfinal could hinge as much on who can stay upright as on which alumni group handles the pressure better in a packed Lexington setting. [Read more 🡒]