Syracuse Basketball: Rutgers a logical choice for ACC-Big Ten Challenge

Syracuse basketball will travel to former Big East Conference foe Rutgers for the annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

In late September, we prognosticated that Rutgers would prove an ideal option for Syracuse basketball in the annual ACC-Big Ten Challenge, given that the Scarlet Knights are in relatively close proximity to the Orange.

Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, which creates plenty of logistical concerns and issues, it makes complete sense for the ‘Cuse to square off with Rutgers, a crew that had a terrific season in 2019-20 and is expected to prove among the best in the Big Ten Conference in the upcoming campaign.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein has broken the news about the match-ups for the 2020 ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and Syracuse basketball will head to the Scarlet Knights, whose main campus is located in New Brunswick, N.J.

Rothstein, citing multiple sources, reports that duels in this stanza’s event will occur on Dec. 8 and Dec. 9. The Atlantic Coast Conference later confirmed Rothstein’s report, and the ‘Cuse will go to Rutgers on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

Since joining the ACC in the 2013-14 term, the Orange is 3-4 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, beating Indiana, Maryland and Ohio State, and falling to Michigan, Wisconsin twice and, most recently, Iowa inside the Carrier Dome about a year ago.

Syracuse basketball will make a trip to Rutgers in the 2020 ACC-Big Ten Challenge, a sensible decision by the event’s organizers.

Per orangehoops.org, the ‘Cuse is 39-9 overall in its series with Rutgers. The last time that these two squads faced off, in January of 2013, both of them were members of the old Big East.

In that bout, Syracuse basketball won at home, 78-53. The Orange would go on to a magical run later that season in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, reaching the Final Four as a No. 4 seed.

Besides the Scarlet Knights, on the non-conference front, the ‘Cuse is planning to host Bryant on Nov. 27, which is the day after Thanksgiving, Rothstein recently disclosed via a tweet.

Additionally, Rothstein has said that former Big East rival Georgetown is likely to visit the Hill for a non-conference battle in January of 2021.

NCAA officials, at present, are allowing Division I basketball teams to suit up for 27 regular-season contests, which for the Orange would include 20 ACC games and seven non-conference encounters.