Syracuse basketball begins its 2025-26 season on Monday, and the Orange is looking to return to the NCAA Tournament following a four-year absence. Should the 'Cuse hear its name called on Selection Sunday in March of next year, it would be the first time for Syracuse basketball since 2021.
That's vital for the program and the fan base. If that scenario transpired, it would also go a long way toward the Atlantic Coast Conference getting back to its historical place as one of the country's top basketball leagues.
In each of the past four NCAA Tournaments, an ACC school has reached the Final Four. Two made it at least that far in 2022, when Duke advanced to the national semifinals, and North Carolina made an appearance in the title game, falling to Kansas.
Syracuse basketball can do its part to help the ACC climb higher on a national stage.
But as it relates to the number of Big Dance bids that ACC members have received in recent years, that conference is lagging behind others, such as the Southeastern Conference, which was immensely dominating in 2024-25.
For example, in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the SEC had a record 14 teams invited to March Madness. The ACC had just four, and only Duke made it past the round of 64 (the Blue Devils got to the national semifinals, losing to Houston).
If the ACC wants to compete with the SEC and other power conferences, it can't be sending four teams to the NCAA Tournament, even if one goes far. There's a perception problem that the ACC is dealing with, and Syracuse basketball can help in that regard.
In 2025-26, Duke is expected to be a Final Four contender yet again. Louisville is likely, too, a contender to go deep in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. North Carolina and N.C. State will likely vie for Big Dance bids.
Expecting the ACC to land double-digit invites to the next March Madness isn't realistic. However, if teams in that next tier, including the Orange, Virginia, SMU, Clemson, Miami and Notre Dame, can put forth relatively good seasons, that will propel the ACC to greater national heights.
As ESPN's Myron Medcalf wrote in a recent column, "The top of the conference looks the part of the typical ACC that has been a perennial powerhouse. But the strength of the conference will be determined by the success of that next tier - Virginia, Syracuse and others."
To that end, in 2025-26, ACC leaders decided to have league schools play two more non-conference games (13) and two fewer league encounters (18) to, hopefully, bolster the post-season resumes of ACC members, including Syracuse basketball.
We'll have to wait and see if that strategy plays out as planned.