Syracuse Basketball: Three key thoughts on the ACC schedule release for the Orange

With so many teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, it varies year to year how the schedule will shake out. But it's safe to say that this might be one of the most stacked home schedules since the Orange moved conferences in 2013.

Syracuse basketball will host Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, and NC State, among others. It's not every year that multiple blue bloods, recent NCAA Tournament champions, and a Final Four team from the year before make a pit stop to the Dome, even in a conference as great as the ACC. In other words, Syracuse basketball fans lucked out.

Of course, the team will still have plenty of challenging games. However, it's a schedule that has a lot of cool wrinkles and one that Syracuse basketball fans should really appreciate.

My three thoughts on the ACC schedule for Syracuse basketball.

1. Biggest surprise of the SU schedule

If there's one game Syracuse hoops fans circle year in and year out, it's the Duke game. The two historic college basketball programs play at least once a year, and sometimes twice in the regular season.

This year, Duke and Syracuse meet once, and interestingly enough, it's on a Wednesday.

That might not sound like a big deal, but given how much of a marquee game this usually is, it's a bit of a surprise.

Since joining the ACC in 2013, this is just the sixth time Syracuse and Duke have played a regular season game on a weekday, and the second time at the Dome. Syracuse won the last weekday Dome clash with Duke in 2017, 78-75.

Sure, with Jim Boeheim and Mike Krzyzewski no longer on the sidelines, some of the luster of this game has been lost.

The game will still be aired on the ESPN family of networks and I'm sure the Dome will exceed 30,000 fans, especially if the Orange and Blue Devils are both playing well by February. But not having it on a Saturday feels sort of lame.

2. Tough stretch to end the season

They really saved the best for last - or worst - depending on how you look at it - for Syracuse basketball.

While the overall slate for the upcoming 2024-25 season seems very doable without too many rough patches, Syracuse will be pushed to their limits right before the ACC Tournament.

On March 1, the Orange visit Virginia Tech. While the Hokies are projected to finish middle of the pack in the conference, Blacksburg is always a tough place to play.

Just three days later, on March 4, Syracuse plays at SMU (Dallas). The Mustangs are a bit of a sneaky team on paper and I wonder if the Orange will elect to fly straight to Dallas following the Virginia Tech game. Regardless on if they return home to Syracuse, it will make for a hectic week of travel.

Just four days later, SU will have to head back home and it'll be for the regular season finale against none other than Virginia.

So, in an eight day span, Syracuse will travel to Virginia, Texas, and back home to play one of the most frustrating defenses in college basketball.

On the good side, ending conference play like that should prepare Syracuse as well as any team for the ACC Tournament.

But finishing the regular season a bit fatigued is a real concern and needs to be managed well.

3. Don't make plans for February 15

If you must celebrate Valentine's Day, do it on Friday the 14th. Syracuse fans need the 15th left all alone.

Don't get me wrong - there are a lot of home games to circle. The Duke and Virginia games could both surpass 30,000 fans. NC State on February 26 is another one to mark down.

But when North Carolina plays at Syracuse on February 15, attendance records could be shattered.

Last season, Syracuse knocked off UNC when the Tar Heels came to town. The buzz around this matchup has heightened in recent years and with RJ Davis back in Carolina blue, the stardom will be in Syracuse on a Saturday in the middle of February.

UNC is expected to be a contender to cut down the nets in April, but they'll have to get through Syracuse to do so. The 6 p.m. start should make for an electric atmosphere in Syracuse all day long and one has to wonder if College GameDay comes back to town depending on the state of SU hoops at that point in time.

It's a lot of wishful thinking, but that's because this is THE marquee game for SU this season. If Duke on February 5 is gonna have the Salt City rocking, UNC on February 15 might just top that.