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There needs to be a better approach for filling up the calendar.
The Syracuse Orange and new head coach Fran Brown have a special season in front of them. Optimism for the program threatens to blow open the new Dome roof, as it and other renovations, including the center-hung scoreboard and complete seating overhaul, have transformed the 44-year-old facility into a modern venue fit for hosting exciting football.
Fans should have every reason to come to more games, especially if 2024 pans out as many are expecting. The issue is in future scheduling – while ‘Cuse will host seven Dome games this fall, they are only expected to have six true home games each of the following three seasons:
2025
2026
2027
*Army needs to cancel games in both 2025 and 2026 after joining the AAC, and these are likely among them.
Syracuse has unfortunately gotten into a situation no Power 4 school should ever want by being too reactive instead of proactive with their scheduling. Even recently, SU has resorted to an extended series with UConn, essentially trading two Dome games for three on the road. There aren’t many options left to fix this, but that’s better than zero.
One road lies with the ongoing Army and UMass rescheduling. With the former dropping the independent label this fall, and the later joining suit in 2025, there are other programs who have to come up with alternate arrangements. The other is to scour for teams who haven’t finished scheduling that far out yet.
A few remaining possibilities are:
Finding another Dome opponent is only half the battle, as SU would also have to clear an away game.
One could open up naturally depending on what happens with the Notre Dame – ACC series. With Cal, Stanford, and SMU joining the conference, the three will soon be worked into the agreement to play five football games against the Fighting Irish each season through 2037.
While in the Pac-12, Stanford had an annual matchup with Notre Dame, and it’s set to continue this fall with their transition to the ACC. Perhaps the two sides would agree to keep it on the calendar permanently.
There’s also UConn, who may just be killing time until they can join a football-supported conference too. They’ve been willing to work with SU before, swapping the hosts of the 2024 and 2026 games, so maybe they would kick the can a little further on one road matchup, or forget it all together and revert to their original two-for-two agreement.
What are your thoughts on the state of future Syracuse football scheduling? Which of these options seems the most appealing?
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