Syracuse Football: Florida State as 3rd annual foe could benefit recruiting

Beginning with the 2023 season, Syracuse football and its peers in the Atlantic Coast Conference will experience a new scheduling model that also eliminates the league’s Atlantic and Coastal divisions.

Per an announcement from the ACC on Tuesday, the top two squads based on their winning percentages in conference competition will vie for the league crown in the ACC championship contest.

During regular seasons starting in 2023, the conference will implement a 3-5-5 scheduling structure in which the Orange will suit up against three primary opponents every year and then face off with the ACC’s other 10 groups twice each during four-year cycles, once at home and once on the road.

As we noted not too long ago, ‘Cuse athletic director John Wildhack had hinted that Boston College and Pittsburgh could end up as two of the three permanent foes for Syracuse football in this newly approved 3-5-5 model.

But the third primary opponent didn’t appear as clear, at least to me. According to the ACC, Florida State will serve as the third and final permanent foe for the Orange commencing in 2023.

I love the Seminoles as a primary opponent for Syracuse football moving forward.

Now, Boston College and Pittsburgh are completely logical choices for the ‘Cuse, in my humble opinion. Both are long-time adversaries with firm geographic footprints in the northeast.

Florida State, obviously, is in the Sunshine State. FSU’s location in the southeast is certainly further away from Central New York, and the southeast is of course heavy Southeastern Conference territory.

However, I believe that Syracuse football playing the Seminoles annually could prove a good thing for the Orange, particularly as it relates to recruiting.

Growing the ‘Cuse brand in the state of Florida and the southeast can hopefully help with the team’s recruiting efforts, although if Syracuse football consistently gets crushed when it plays at Florida State, that’s not helpful.

Even though the Orange’s campus is in the northeast, Syracuse football coaches certainly offer scholarships to, and then actively recruit, high-school players from Florida or other states in the southeast.

With the ‘Cuse more entrenched in Florida and the southeast due to it playing more regularly in Tallahassee, Fla., where FSU is based, maybe that will bring more awareness of the Syracuse football program to recruiting prospects in the Sunshine State and throughout the southeastern region.

But to reiterate, the Orange has to fare well on the field versus Florida State. Some ‘Cuse fans, understandably, might have wanted Virginia Tech as the third permanent foe.

I’m good with the Seminoles, though, as it potentially enables Syracuse football coaches to further branch out with their recruiting initiatives, geographically speaking.

According to a quick review of sports-reference.com, Florida State is 12-2 all-time against the Orange. Pittsburgh is 42-32-3 overall versus the ‘Cuse, while Syracuse football holds a 32-22 series edge over Boston College.

In 2021, when the Orange recorded a 5-7 record, the ‘Cuse knocked off Boston College but suffered setbacks to both FSU and Pitt.

To see the scheduling structure for Syracuse football as it pertains to ACC opponents from 2023 until 2026, check out this press release from SU Athletics.