The highly-anticipated matchup is set, but Syracuse fans are not thrilled by the date.
Syracuse and St. John's renewing their men's basketball rivalry has been a widely discussed topic over the course of the offseason.
New SU head coach Gerry McNamara stated his desire to play at Madison Square Garden in the upcoming year, and he worked to make that happen.
The Orange and Red Storm were longtime rivals in the BIG East Conference, and Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reports that the matchup will take place on Nov. 15 of this season. However, while some fans are happy to see the matchup come back, others are disappointed at the date.
Why is Syracuse vs St. John's a highly-anticipated game?
Well, first off, the Red Storm have rebuilt themselves into a national power, making the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two years. The group won the Big East regular season and tournament titles last year and that's a caliber that McNamara wants to re-establish with the Orange. To get to that level, they have to be able to play teams at that level.
Beyond that? There's several connections between the programs.
Two former Syracuse players have joined the St. John's roster for the upcoming season. Kyle Cuffe is a Harlem, N.Y. native who signed on with Rick Pitino this offseason. Cuffe spent two seasons in Central New York, logging a total of 59 games. Under then-head coach Adrian Autry, Cuffe averaged 4.2 points per game and the Orange never reached the NCAA tournament.
As our own Brady Farkas covered earlier this year, Donnie Freeman committed to St. John's out of the transfer portal.
Freeman was a top 10 recruit in the country in the class of 2024 by ESPN, The 6-foot-9 forward left Central New York after just two seasons. In those two seasons, Freeman averaged 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds, Freeman only played in 37 total games as he battled through lower body injuries in both campaigns.
Unfortunately for the Red Storm, Freeman suffered a season-ending injury and is unlikely to take the court for the entire 2026-27 season. That means he will obviously miss the Syracuse game.
Rick Pitino, the current head coach of St. John's, served as a former assistant at Syracuse from 1976-78.
The last time Syracuse played St. John's in Madison Square Garden was in Dec. 2015. Although St. John's grabbed the win 84-72, some fans may remember the game because of Jim Boeheim not being on the sidelines as he served a suspension from the NCAA.
Why are some Syracuse fans upset by this?
Orange fans have voiced their frustration on social media because of the rumored Nov. 15 date. Many fans were hoping for a game away from an NFL Sunday, or later in the season.
One user wrote: "fortunately there are no NFL games that day. What's that, never mind!"
And another said: "Great idea putting this on a football Sunday!"
With a third adding: "Football Sunday No bueno"
More Syracuse athletics news from the week
--Our Syracuse football training camp coverage continues to roll on. Find out why the wide receiver position has this major thing going for them.
--Fran Brown has continued to welcome back former players and coaches to the team's practices. Find out what legendary New York football coach was in attendance at a practice this week.
--Plus, our own Brady Farkas has you covered with the news involving a new NCAA rule that is being played out across the country, could have an impact on the Syracuse basketball program in the future.
