According to a report on Tuesday from CBS Sports College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein, the Syracuse men's basketball team will kick off its 2026-27 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schedule on Dec. 29 on the road at Florida State.
If that report holds true, that will be the first conference game for new head coach Gerry McNamara, who has taken over the reigns over the program from Adrian Autry, who was fired at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
Syracuse went 15-17, lost in the first round of the ACC Tournament to SMU, and hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament in five years.
McNamara has been hired to turn those numbers around. He had a successful two-year run at Siena University, where he took the Saints to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 16 seed last year.
Last season, the Orange kicked off ACC play on New Years Eve (Dec. 31) against Clemson at the JMA Wireless Dome. While we know the SU non-conference schedule, we still don't have the full league schedule. This is the first nugget of that, and the full schedule shouldn't be far behind it.
Thoughts on Syracuse heading into 2026-27?
There's obviously a lot of ground to make up between where this program was last year and where it wants to go, but I generally feel good about things heading into the season.
The Orange have two solid returners in Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White Jr. who provide experience and athleticism, but they've also added depth at the shooting guard and small forward spots in the form of Gavin Doty and Aiden Tobiason.
If Amarri Monroe is eventually ruled eligible as part of the ongoing battle for fifth-year players to gain eligibility, that will be another nice piece for McNamara's roster.
Elsewhere in the news for Syracuse athletics
Congratulations are in order for Syracuse running back Shavane Anderson Jr., who was named as the ACC Rookie of the Week for his performance on Saturday against New Hampshire. He had 10 carries for 102 yards and three touchdowns, making history in the process.
Beyond him, we highlighted punt returner Demetres Samuel Jr., who was excellent as well on Saturday and helped give the Orange repeated edges on special teams.
Syracuse will be back in action on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET against Cal at the JMA Wireless Dome. Our own Tom Goslowski will have coverage all day from the venue.