Syracuse Football: Game against Colgate could be in jeopardy

The Syracuse football schedule looked complete. But guidelines from the Patriot League put their non-conference game against Colgate in doubt.

Syracuse football looked like their schedule was complete for the 2020 season. But news has come down that might result in a needed schedule change. In Week 3, Syracuse was expected to face local Colgate University. The Raiders, a Patriot League member, would be the FCS opponent that ‘Cuse was slated to play this season. While nothing is definitive, the Patriot League on Monday afternoon defined guidelines on the upcoming athletics season.

Patriot League restrictions via the conference website:

"•”Patriot League competition will begin at the end of September, with the expectation that League play will be completed prior to Thanksgiving;•Non-League competition will not begin prior to Friday, Sept. 4;•Patriot League member institutions will confirm that non-League competitors are following comparable health and safety protocols in advance of any contest; and,•No Patriot League teams will fly to competitions and, with rare exceptions, regular-season competition will exclude overnight travel.”"

Some of these restrictions are promising for a game to be played between the two teams. The matchup is slated for September 19th, which is after the September 4th non-league start date. Also, the two squads are only separated by an hour’s drive, so the travel should not be an issue.

There are two possibilities that could throw a wrench in the plans. One is the clause that all Patriot League teams must confirm teams are following similar protocols. If Colgate does not deem Syracuse to be following specific safety measures, then the game could be canceled. Lastly, the league added that athletes would be returning to campus at the same time as students. And so far, Colgate has not laid out a return plan for its students. So if Colgate’s academic year gets moved back, then its sports might not be able to play either, which could also cause a cancellation.

If Colgate does cancel, then Syracuse will likely look for another opponent. If other FCS schools follow suit, then it may be tough to find another FCS team to play. A spokesperson for Syracuse football, by the way, declined to comment at this time. So as it stands right now, the game will be played Week 3, but the new guidelines handed down by the Patriot League shed doubt on the possibility of the game being played.