Syracuse Basketball: A doubleheader against UConn would be all kinds of awesome

Since Syracuse basketball moved from the Big East Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference during the 2013-14 season, the Orange has continued to play some former Big East rivals.

In recent years, the 'Cuse has consistently battled Georgetown, and the Hoyas will head to the Hill for a non-conference affair on Saturday, Dec. 14. The Orange has also played the likes of St. John's, Villanova and UConn, although the Huskies didn't move back to the Big East until July of 2020 after being in the American Athletic Conference.

The potential of Syracuse basketball playing a future doubleheader with UConn on the men's and women's sides appears to exist, and I absolutely love that.

Syracuse football, this past Saturday on senior day at the JMA Wireless Dome, beat non-conference foe UConn by seven points.

According to media reports, in a pregame interview, SU athletics director John Wildhack said that he's been in touch with UConn's AD about the possibility of playing a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader in the future, although nothing has been finalized and there's no guarantee something would actually happen.

Syracuse basketball against UConn in a hoops doubleheader would be great for recruiting, too.

Needless to say, the Connecticut men's and women's basketball programs are powerhouses in the sport. On the men's side, head coach Dan Hurley and his squad have captured the last two national championships, and the Huskies are a significant contender to cut down the nets at the conclusion of the 2024-25 stanza to secure a three-peat.

One could argue that UConn women's basketball, led by legendary head coach Geno Auriemma, is the most dominant program ever. Auriemma, a few days ago, became the winningest head coach in NCAA history.

Last season, in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Auriemma and his team defeated Syracuse women's basketball in the event's second round, and the Huskies would ultimately journey to the Final Four.

Given that there are only so many non-conference slots available to the Orange and UConn programs from year to year, scheduling this sort of doubleheader likely won't prove easy. But I hope that Wildhack and the Huskies athletics department can get it done.

One of the greatest thrills of my Syracuse basketball fandom occurred in March of 2009, when the 'Cuse would go on to beat UConn in the Big East Conference Tournament, 127-117, in a ridiculous six-overtime affair.

Both on the court and in the recruiting arena, renewing the rivalry between the Orange and the Huskies makes sense, given the Northeast locations of both schools.

And because Connecticut has such elite programs, Syracuse playing the Huskies would provide the 'Cuse with a stellar non-conference opportunity to build its post-season resume, on both the men's and women's sides.