Syracuse men’s basketball roundtable: discussing the 25-26 ACC opponent reveal

Which games are you interested in?

The 2025-26 Syracuse Orange men’s basketball season is a few months away, but now we know who the Orange will face in ACC play.

We put up the TNIAAM signal to get some roundtable reactions to the opponents, so let’s get to the questions….

What are your thoughts about UNC being the 25-26 home and away choice?

Kevin: With the ACC revenue being influenced by television ratings, this gives Syracuse two likely national television games. It also means that ESPN could schedule a marquee Saturday night game for when a Jordan Brand school comes to the Dome to face a team with the son of a Jordan Brand athlete….maybe MJ can join his NBA on NBC colleague Carmelo courtside for this one.

Max: I think it’s a great partner for Syracuse, and it should definitely get a few more eyeballs on the Orange. Plus, the Tar Heels are coming off a down year and will now be without their star guard RJ Davis. It will be tough sledding in Chapel Hill (0-7 all-time), but a win would be huge for SU’s resumé come March.

Dom: Love it on all fronts. Syracuse has played UNC closely in recent matchups and those games for the most part do stay competitive. From the perspective of making the NCAA Tournament, it’s certainly two golden opportunities on paper for ‘Cuse to boost that resume one way or another. I’d personally rather it be UNC than most schools, especially considering travel and general interest.

Szuba: Noted, longstanding ACC rivals Syracuse and North Carolina? Hey, you’ll get no complaints from me. Two storied programs with rich heritage that find themselves at fascinating intersections in the sport with head coaching situations that could go in either direction. Yes, this is basketball we’re talking about.

Which Syracuse home ACC game are you most interested in?

Kevin: Miami — New HC Jai Lucas has been praised for his job building the Hurricanes roster after being hired away from Duke. Lucas added a number of veterans through the portal to pair with top 20 recruit Shelton Henderson. I think this could turn out to be one of the better games in the Dome.

Max: Cal — The return of Chris Bell to the Dome is an immediate storyline when looking at the opponents. I’m kind of hoping this comes later in the season so we can see Bell settled in with his new West Coast teammates. Tensions will be high regardless, though, so looking forward to this one.

Dom: Miami (and Notre Dame) — Never going to say no to ‘Cuse-Miami in the Dome, so I’ll second Kevin with that pick. For a different option, Notre Dame is an intriguing matchup and that matchup continues to be a close one in recent years.

Szuba: Pitt — The home conference slate is a little underwhelming, but Pittsburgh and Syracuse have had some good games in recent years that resemble old Big East brawls. Notre Dame also intrigues.

Which Syracuse road ACC game are you most interested in?

Kevin: NC State — Quadir Copeland revenge game and the “We could have had Will Wade” conversations are sure to produce enough hot takes to heat up a cold Syracuse winter. If we don’t get Autry vs Pitino, this might be next best thing for that section of the Orange fanbase.

Max: Duke — With another stellar recruiting class, we’ll only have one chance to watch the Boozer twins take on the Orange (at least in the regular season). Cameron Boozer is Duke’s newest freshman phenom and is a projected top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. It’s another tall task for Adrian Autry’s crew, but it’s another chance to stand out from the rest of the ACC.

Dom: Georgia Tech — Duke is the obvious choice since it will likely make national TV, but considering Syracuse brought in both Naithan George and Ibrahim Souare, there’s some fun “welcome back” narratives that can manifest there, as Kevin alludes below.

Szuba: Louisville — we know Duke is almost always the big game, but the money machine in Durham has the Blue Devils out of Syracuse’s league. More intriguing: Pat Kelsey has revived the Ville in just one season. The Cards should be back in the mix for tops in the league again and a raucous KFC Yum! Center could make for a good atmosphere with an old rival in town. It might be Syracuse’s best shot at a big road win that’s slightly out of reach, yet not totally unrealistic.

Which ACC team are you disappointed isn’t coming to the JMA Dome?

Kevin: Louisville— I went back and forth on this one. Georgia Tech would offer a George/Souare revenge game. Stanford looks like they could struggle without Maxime Raynaud and of course NC State gets Copeland back to the Cuse. In the end, I went with Pat Kelsey’s squad which is loaded with shooters and looking like a NCAA Tournament team.

Max: Boston College — While last year’s contest was a tight, triple-overtime battle, hosting BC is usually easy pickings for the Orange, who have won 11 straight against the Eagles in the Dome. This year’s home slate just got a little bit tougher without this get-right game.

Dom: Virginia — The Orange are so prone historically to beating the Cavaliers in Charlottesville (just 2-6 all-time; last road win came in 2019-20). That’s a game where purely from the perspective of making the NCAA Tournament, rather that be a home matchup instead.

Szuba: Maryland — Just kidding.

It would have been fun to see NC State and Quadir Copeland back in the dome, who most assuredly would have had much to say. This is the guy who crashed the press conference after beating North Carolina, after all. Alas, we won’t get to experience the adventure of Q, nor witness him interact with the dome faithful. And interact he would have.

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Now it’s your turn…