Gerry McNamara, Syracuse basketball's first-year head coach, has said that he wants to play elite teams, such as UConn, the Big East Conference juggernaut led by exuberant head coach Dan Hurley.
It appears that McNamara will get that opportunity in the upcoming season. Sort of. CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported on Tuesday that the Orange and the Huskies are "finalizing an agreement" for an exhibition game on October 13 at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
Fun things.
Rothstein adds that an "official announcement is expected soon."
NEWS: UConn and Syracuse are finalizing an agreement to play an exhibition game at Mohegan Sun on October 13th, according to multiple sources.https://t.co/hRrsjo0lOI
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 23, 2026
Now, playing an exhibition isn't the same as competing in the regular season (or, dare I say, the postseason), however, this is still an encouraging development for McNamara and his program, which is attempting to rebound after back-to-back losing campaigns.
Syracuse basketball's 2026-27 schedule will have loads of Big East flavor.
While the 'Cuse hasn't made the annual Big Dance since 2021, UConn is one of the dominant teams in the sport these days. The Huskies won national titles in 2023 and 2024, and UConn advanced to the 2026 NCAA Tournament's championship encounter, where it fell to Michigan (which just lost its head coach to the NBA).
In their storied history together, which dates back to the 1955-56 season, Syracuse basketball is 53-37 against the Huskies, per SU Athletics. The last time they squared off was in November of 2018, when UConn knocked off the Orange, 83-76, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
It seems that McNamara wants to rekindle a lot of old Big East flames, with the 'Cuse reportedly set to face UConn in an exhibition. The Orange is also playing Big East member Providence on December 19 at the TD Garden in Boston.
Other non-conference match-ups for the 'Cuse in the 2026-27 stanza include SU taking on Big East school St. John's at Madison Square Garden, Rutgers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Indiana at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and Oklahoma on the road as part of this season's ACC-SEC Challenge.
Numerous non-conference games for Syracuse basketball have yet to be announced, but the Orange's docket against foes from power conferences is enticing and provides the 'Cuse with winnable contests against some opponents that will contend for NCAA Tournament bids in 2026-27.
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