Syracuse Football: Why a Cuse-UConn series benefits both of these programs

The Syracuse University Athletic Department has announced that the football program has agreed to two more future games against the University of Connecticut. It will be what is known as a home-and-home series with UConn getting the game in 2027 and Syracuse getting it back in the JMA Wireless Dome in 2028.

To some, this is maybe ho-hum news at best. To me, this is a great move for both programs. While Cuse has won the last four games dating back to 2012, according to Winsipedia, this series is tied with six wins each. And UConn is a former Big East "rival" that brings some name recognition to the non-conference schedule.

I also think that UConn has the potential to be very competitive if not beat Syracuse on occasion, as the program seems willing to try to build itself up. This year alone, this is a 7-3 team already coached by Jim Mora, who has an extensive history in coaching.

And while I am not a fan of teams being independents in this era, maybe UConn can use games like this to prove they deserve more consideration to join a power conference. Yes, they started the season rough with a 50-7 loss to Maryland, but they have some legit wins, and the other two losses are close ones to Duke and Wake Forest.

I also think this will satisfy those who think Cuse should schedule teams like UConn more frequently to help potentially build up their resume and hopefully, the win count as well. The ACC is a difficult conference, often lost in the SEC and Big Ten discussions, but it is still hard to play multiple games within the conference.

Why a Syracuse football series with UConn is good for both programs.

Also, this may help the fan who often speaks about missing the good old days of the Big East (I do too, but I also know why the split had to happen as well, and I say the downfall goes back to never adding Penn State back in the day).

So while this was only for two more games, I think bringing some of the history into the future like this matchup or Georgetown in basketball does add more appeal to the schedule, especially for fans of a certain age like me who grew up hating both programs, especially Georgetown.

And I think these matchups or even rivalries make the games have more meaning than just another win or loss on the schedule...it's a reason for fans to be even more passionate about their team. Heck, I still can't stand to lose to Georgetown even at 52 and doubt I ever will, and I also think beating UConn in football still can carry some weight to fans...but so does losing.

I will close by saying this, I think this should be renewed for more than just two years and hopefully become a more regular scheduling occurrence. This benefits both programs more than it hurts, and I think it helps the resume as both teams continue to build toward a brighter future.