Another season of Syracuse sports begins with seven men’s and women’s sports at the start of the school year. Syracuse football is ranked in the preseason coaches’ poll, women’s basketball was ranked No. 10 in an early ESPN list and SU men’s basketball faces multiple rivals in the beginning of its schedule.

Here are the top five sporting events to attend at Syracuse this fall:

1. Syracuse football vs. Clemson, Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m.

Syracuse football’s home openers in the last two seasons have been against Central Connecticut State and Wagner, respectively. In 2019, the defending national champions return to New York for the Carrier Dome’s first football game of the season. College GameDay hasn’t released its location for Week 3, but Syracuse is a likely destination. The Carrier Dome is sold out, and both teams are likely to be ranked entering the clash.

Syracuse pulled off a historic upset the last time the Tigers came to the Dome. Quarterback Eric Dungey carried the Orange past the defending national champions, 27-24, in 2017. Last season, the Orange went to Memorial Stadium in Clemson and led by 10 points with 12 minutes remaining before Clemson’s then-third string quarterback Chase Brice led two touchdown drives to win the game.

No team in the nation has played Clemson tougher than SU in the last two seasons, and while the Orange will be underdogs yet again, fourth-year head coach Dino Babers has shown an ability to pull off significant upsets with the Orange.

2. Syracuse basketball vs. Virginia, Nov. 6

Syracuse football opens its home schedule with the defending national champions. Basketball does too. As a part of the launch of the ACC Network in 2019 — along with the conference’s expansion to a 20-game schedule — one opening ACC game will be played before nonconference play begins.

Virginia is headed to the Carrier Dome as the first game of the Orange’s season. Both teams are replacing their top talent, as SU lost Tyus Battle and Oshae Brissett, while UVA had three players — De’Andre Hunter, Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome — who were drafted in the NBA Draft.

The Cavaliers have thrashed the Orange in their last two trips to the Dome. Virginia made 18-of-25 threes in March en route to a 79-53 win. In 2018, UVA held SU to 44 points in a 15-point victory.

3. Syracuse basketball vs. Iowa, Dec. 3

Syracuse basketball will host Iowa on Tuesday, Dec. 3 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Orange are 3-3 since joining the ACC in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and have won two straight.

The Hawkeyes earned a No. 10 seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, defeating Cincinnati in round one before falling in overtime to No. 2-seed Tennessee. According to KenPom.com, Iowa is the second-best team on SU’s nonconference schedule.

Two seasons ago, Tyus Battle hit a critical corner three with less than a minute left to propel the Orange past Maryland. Without that three, SU would’ve likely missed the NCAA Tournament, preventing its Sweet 16 run. Conference play usually decides the Orange’s tournament fate, but Iowa presents a chance for SU to grab a win over an additional postseason team.

Amy Nakamura | Co-Digital Editor

4. Syracuse women’s basketball vs. Oregon

The Orange traveled to Eugene at the start of the 2018-19 season and lost a 75-73 thriller that came down to the final possession. As part of an agreed home-and-home, SU will host the Ducks in 2019-20. The Orange were upset in the second round of the NCAA tournament on their home floor in March by South Dakota State, but are ranked No. 10 in ESPN’s early Top 25 rankings.

Oregon point guard Sabrina Ionescu won the Wade Trophy and Wooden Award, two honors given to the best player in college basketball. The 5-foot-11 point guard averaged 19.9 points and 8.2 assists per game in her junior season. Oregon earned a No. 2 seed in March, losing to Baylor in the Final Four.

The Orange look to be national contenders again, and the Ducks will be their toughest home test of the nonconference slate. The time and date of the game have yet to be officially announced.

5. Syracuse men’s soccer vs. Louisville, Sept. 13

One day before SU football hosts Clemson in the Carrier Dome, Syracuse men’s soccer plays its biggest home game of the 2019 season. Louisville finished the 2018 season ranked No. 3 in RPI and began the 2019 season No. 14 in the preseason United Soccer Coaches poll.

Syracuse begins its conference schedule with the Cardinals, and kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 13. The Orange played the Cardinals to a 2-2 tie in Louisville last season, and lost 2-1 at home in 2017.

While the Orange play No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 6 North Carolina and No. 10 Duke all on the road, the Cardinals are the highest-ranked team headed to SU Soccer Stadium in the fall. 2018 leading goal scorer Tajon Buchanan was drafted by the MLS’ New England Revolution, but the Orange’s other top goal scorers — Massimo Ferrin, Sondre Norheim and Ryan Raposo — will return.

Published on August 21, 2019 at 1:10 pm

Contact Anthony: amdabbun@syr.edu | @AnthonyDabbundo