Syracuse basketball will host fellow Empire State squad in exhibition in Buffalo

For the second straight season, Syracuse men's basketball is headed to Buffalo, N.Y., for an exhibition.

SU Athletics announced on Friday that the Orange will host fellow Empire State team Niagara in an exhibition on Saturday, Oct. 24, beginning at 3:00 pm EST at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo. In October of last year, the 'Cuse hosted Buffalo in an exhibition at the KeyBank Center.

Syracuse basketball hosting Niagara in an exhibition in Buffalo means that the Orange will be considered the home team, a team spokesperson said to Inside the Loud House on Friday.

"We know there are many passionate basketball fans throughout our region, and this is a tremendous opportunity for them to experience high-level college basketball in Buffalo," said Pete Guelli, the Buffalo Sabres' president of business operations, in a statement. "Providing unique opportunities for our fans and bringing a diverse mix of sports and entertainment to KeyBank Center is something we will continue to focus on as an organization."

Syracuse basketball will also battle a former Big East rival in an exhibition.

Niagara is led by head coach and Central New York native Greg Paulus, who played college basketball at Duke and also one season at quarterback for Syracuse football as a graduate student. He is entering his eighth campaign as the head coach of the Purple Eagles, a squad that competes in the Metro Conference.

In the 2025-26 campaign, the Orange went 15-17 overall, parting ways with then-head coach Adrian Autry, who is now an assistant at fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school Virginia. Gerry McNamara, another former Syracuse basketball standout, is now in his first season as the 'Cuse head coach.

Last season, Niagara went 8-22 overall and 5-15 in league play. The Purple Eagles' roster for 2026-27 is vastly overhauled, with SU Athletics noting that Niagara has 12 newcomers.

In their all-time series together that dates back to the 1909-10 season, the Orange is 56-28 against Niagara and has won 11 consecutive encounters. Their last regular-season meeting came on December 21, 2023, when SU beat the Purple Eagles, 83-71, at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Separately, Syracuse basketball will square off against Big East Conference powerhouse UConn in an exhibition on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.

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