According to a report from Syracuse.com, the Syracuse men's basketball team will not return to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival in 2026-27. SU did play in the event this past season, which was the strongest part of its non-conference schedule.

Here's what you need to know:

Syracuse was one of the 18 teams that participated in the event this past season, and they failed to win a single game in their three matchups.

All three of their opponents eventually were NCAA Tournament qualifying teams: Syracuse lost game one to 2025 national runner-up Houston 78-74 in overtime. The following day, the Orange fell 71-60 to Kansas. Syracuse finished the event with a 94-65 defeat at the hands of Iowa State. 

Syracuse played hard in the first two contests before getting embarrassed in game three. It should be noted that top player Donnie Freeman did not participate in any of the games because of a foot injury suffered before the tournament.

The Orange gained nine of their total 15 wins in the non-conference slate, but failing to secure even a single win in the Players Era Championship was a knock against them. While Syracuse's 15-17 record wasn't good enough to put them on the NCAA Tournament bubble, a win in Las Vegas would have gone a long way toward giving them a better national reputation. Had they been closer to the bubble, a win would have helped immensely.

Instead, Syracuse's best win came in a home win against Tennessee in early December. The Volunteers reached the Elite Eight.

The Players Era Festival is a national event featuring some of the top-tier programs from around the country. According to the event's website:

...The Championship will consist of four days of college basketball, crowning a men's and women's champion. The event will be hosted by partner MGM Resorts International at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, with games being distributed across TNT Sports Networks: TNT, TruTV, and Max.

One of the enticing incentives for schools to join the event is the money that is provided to schools for their participation. Sportico reported in February that some schools had still not received their payments. Syracuse did confirm to multiple outlets that they in fact received their payment. 

The Orange will not get their season underway until November but we do know some matchups this fall. We already knew that SU will take on Providence College at TD Garden in Boston. The date and time of that game is still to be determined. Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Syracuse will play Indiana in a non-conference game on November 9 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.  

These games are seemingly replacing the Players Era Festival on the schedule, with SU electing to play true road games against power conference opponents, something they haven't historically done.

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