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The Syracuse University men's basketball team will not face their longtime rival, the Georgetown Hoyas, in the upcoming 2025-26 season. This decision marks a pause in a rivalry that has been a staple of college basketball since the two teams first met in 1930. The rivalry intensified in the 1980s when both teams were part of the Big East Conference, often playing two to three times a year. However, after Syracuse moved to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in 2013, the rivalry was put on hold for two years before resuming in the 2015-16 season with annual matchups.
According to Syracuse.com, the decision to not include Georgetown in this season's schedule was first reported by CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein. Syracuse's non-conference schedule will include participation in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas in November and the ACC/SEC Challenge, providing the team with other competitive opportunities.
The ACC recently announced a reduction in its conference schedule from 20 to 18 games, allowing Syracuse to have 13 non-conference games this season, as noted by Inside the Loud House. This change aims to give ACC teams more flexibility to schedule marquee non-conference games that could enhance their NCAA Tournament resumes.
While the rivalry with Georgetown is on hold, Syracuse fans can look forward to a challenging season with matchups against top teams like North Carolina and Duke. The full non-conference schedule is expected to be released soon, as reported by CNY Central. Despite the pause, there is hope that the Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry will resume in future seasons.