The Orange will host a different group of fans to the winter match up
The Syracuse Orange women's basketball team is projected to draw more than 9,000 fans for a non-conference game in December.
Most fans would guess that a number that high, for a Syracuse home game, would likely feature a highly-ranked national team like UConn, USC or LSU.
Instead? This much-anticipated Dec. 18 game inside the JMA Wireless Dome will feature the Bucknell Bison from the Patriot League.
Why is that game, in particular, projected to draw such a large crowd?
The program announced this week that the game will be the annual "School Day" contest with a special 10:00 a.m. ET tip-off.
What is the Syracuse's women's basketball School Day game?
Thousands of local Central New York students are scheduled to be in attendance for the game. Many local schools, ranging from elementary to high schools, are expected to be in attendance.
In the 2023 edition of the School Day game, more than 9,000 fans packed the JMA Wireless Dome, setting the annual game's high mark.
The contest between Bucknell and the Orange is only a few days before students in the Syracuse area are scheduled to be off for Christmas break, which makes it a nice wind down to the holiday.
Syracuse coach Felicia Legette-Jack during the ACC Women’s Basketball Tip-Off in Charlotte, NC. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY SportsOther confirmed games for 2026-27
--The team tips off the 2026-27 campaign at home against Sacred Heart on Nov. 3
--The November slate also includes home games against Cornell (Nov. 8), Siena (Nov. 11), and Canisius (Nov. 15).
--The Orange hit the road for their first road game of the season on Nov. 18 vs. Harvard.
-The Discover Puerto Rico Shootout will be a three day event held during late November. Syracuse will take on Southern on Wednesday Nov. 25 at 11 a.m. ET.
--The following day is Thanksgiving and Syracuse will battle against Wisconsin at 1:30 p.m. ET.
--Friday concludes the event with Syracuse and Auburn squaring off in an 11 a.m. ET contest.
--As a part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, the Orange will host Oklahoma on Dec. 3
--Plus, Syracuse will stay in Central New York when they travel to LeMoyne on Dec. 16.
--The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schedule was released earlier in September. The Orange will begin league play on Dec. 6 vs. SMU.
About the Orange a season ago
Syracuse put together a strong season in 2025-26, earning a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament and defeating Iowa State in the Round of 64. The Orange were beaten by UConn in the Round of 32, but it was still a solid year for Felicia Legette-Jack's program.
However, this team features a bunch of new players, and a few key departures, like Sophie Burrows, who has transferred to North Carolina.
