The Orange and Hoosiers will face off this upcoming season in a road game for SU.
The Syracuse men's basketball team does not tip off again until November, but already the 2026-2027 schedule is piling up with opponents. We already knew that SU will take on Providence College at TD Garden in Boston, and on Wednesday it was confirmed that Syracuse will play Indiana in a non-conference game on November 9 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Importance of non-conference schedule
The Orange gained nine of their total 15 wins in the non-conference slate last season. If Syracuse was closer to an NCAA Tournament qualifying team, the team's resume would have been looked stronger because of a win over Tennessee. Tennessee reached the Elite Eight before falling to Michigan. The Orange also lost to NCAA qualifying teams Kansas and Houston, and if they can get closer to tournament-level, their non-conference schedule will gain more importance.
Syracuse's history with Indiana
The most recent matchup between the two schools took place during the 2021-2022 season. Both schools were a part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, an event featuring games between schools of both conferences facing off the same week. Syracuse won a double-overtime thriller 112-110 at home in the JMA Wireless Dome.
The most famous matchup between Indiana and Syracuse took place during the 1987 national championship game. Syracuse led 73-72 with just seconds remaining on the clock before Indiana's Keith Smart hit a jump shot to give his Hoosiers the lead and eventual victory.
Syracuse did not reach a national championship again until 1996 when they fell to Kentucky. The Orange's lone national championship came in 2003 when they defeated Kansas 81-78. Syracuse has not reached the title game since that campaign, but with Gerry McNamara at the helm of the program, the expectations to get back to that level are real.
Syracuse and Gainbridge Fieldhouse
The most recent time in which Syracuse won an NCAA tournament game was in 2021 when Gainbridge Fieldhouse hosted the action.
In the Round of 64, Syracuse defeated defeated San Diego State 78-62. Just two days later, the game site changed from Hinkle Fieldhouse to Gainbridge Fieldhouse (then known as Bankers Life Fieldhouse).
The Orange then defeated No. 3 West Virginia 75-72. Eventually the Orange lost in the Sweet 16 to Houston (62-46) in a game played back at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The 2021 NCAA tournament had no fans in attendance because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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