The schools announced the details to the matchup on Tuesday.
A former Big East rivalry will be renewed in Boston this December as Syracuse and Providence have finalized the details of their non-conference men's basketball matchup. The Friars and Orange will take the floor at the TD Garden, the home of the NBA's Boston Celtics, on Dec. 19. That should be right before the start of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) season, which began on Dec. 31 in 2025.
The matchup will be a part of an event dubbed as the "Hall of Fame Series." The event is partnering with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame to showcase a day of college basketball action. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is located in Springfield, Mass., less than 100 miles away from the TD Garden.
The Hall of Fame Series will also feature a rematch of last year's national championship game between UConn and Michigan.
Tip-off for both of those games is still to be determined.
History of Syracuse and Providence
December's game will be the 59th time that Syracuse and Providence will square off. Syracuse holds a 48-10 series advantage thus far. The series between the two schools dates back over 50 years, with the first game being played in 1970. Syracuse and Providence have not played since 2013.
That year marked the final season of Syracuse competing as a member of the BIG EAST Conference. Providence still remains in the league while SU is obviously in the ACC.
McNamara vs Hodgson: A new rivalry?
Is there potentially a rivalry already brewing between these head coaches? This past March, The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman reported that Bryan Hodgson turned down the Syracuse job . Four days later, Syracuse athletic director Bryan Blair refuted Goodman's report. When asked by ESPN Syracuse's Orange Nation radio show if any one candidate had turned down the job, Blair said "no".
Two days after Blair's response, Gerry McNamara was reported to be the Orange's new head coach.
Although McNamara and Hodgson both share the same agent, it is possible Hodgson's maneuver was used as leverage play to gain the Providence job. The always competitive McNamara may use the Hodgson reports as extra motivation heading into his first season. Despite McNamara's success as a former player and assistant coach with the Orange, many Syracuse fans were upset this past March when Hodgson allegedly turned down the job.
This December's matchup between the Friars and Orange may serve as a way for the Orange fans who supported the hiring of Hodgson or McNamara to validate their past opinions.
Other non-conference schedule updates
The Orange also recently announced a date for the matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers. Syracuse will tip off inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Nov. 9.
ACC schedule updates
The Orange learned their list of ACC opponents this past month. Some notable home games include matchups against Duke, North Carolina and Virginia.
Our own Brady Farkas helps us understand some of the schedule oddities for this upcoming season.
Exact dates and times for each ACC game is still yet to be determined.
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