With Georgetown coming to the Dome Saturday for one final Big East romp on the Hill, Orange Nation reminisces about some of the epic clashes these two have tangled over. Syracuse, or course, is¬†ACC bound next season and this year has been one long¬†”Greatest Hits” album.
A record 35,012 tickets have been sold for this Georgetown game. This surpasses the record 34,616 people for the game against Villanova in 2010.
While the Hoyas will still play SU, it’ll never have as much on the line when these two are in different conferences. So with the move, who will replace Syracuse‚Äôs biggest rival? Let’s go with¬†Duke.¬†Both the Blue Devils and Orange are soaked in basketball history. Duke is known for elite basketball and academics, a lot like SU.
Assuming Jim Boeheim sticks around past this season, seeing both Mike Krzyzewski and The Per’fesser on the sidelines against one another will be special. Both are private institutions. Both have been taken to new heights by their current Hall of Fame coaches in the early ’80s. Both have incredible home court advantages.
Villanova is also a tremendous rival SU loses. Who replaces the Wildcats? We say UNC.¬†Not only is it an academically strong school, but the Tar Heels are college basketball blue bloods. Roy Williams may never be Dean Smith, but he’s¬†a Hall of Fame coach as well, with a winning percentage just below 80%. He is a two-time national champion and a two-time AP Coach of the Year.
The rivalry between Syracuse and UConn isn‚Äôt really the same now that Kevin Ollie is at the helm and Jim Calhoun is enjoying retirement. For some, the Huskies replaced the most hated rival of SU since the ’90s.¬†These two teams are geographically close and both have have been the big dogs in the Big East. Depending on the season, the Orange and Huskies have battled for the top spot in the conference (and historic battles in the Big East Tourney).
Who replaces UConn? How about¬†Boston College.¬†These two held a rivalry when BC was a member of the Big East. Although BC has been disappointing since the days of Jared Dudley and Tyrese Rice, the Eagles will be the closest geographically. There’s also a ton of SU alums that live in the Boston area.¬†These are two very academically strong schools, too.
There’s no guarantee any of these matchups become as intense as the previous ones. But there is some hope that with Georgetown in town for one last conference roadie, the new chapter of SU rivalries will pick up where the old ones left off.
Posted: Austin Pollack
Who do you think will become SU’s biggest rivals in the future?
24 responses to “Georgetown at the Dome for Final BE Clash: Who’ll Be Syracuse’s Next Rivals?”
I think in terms of Basketball, we’ll have Pitt and Louisville for awhile. If BC can pull a few upsets, then we can start talking.
Duke and UNC will never be our rival. I don’t want SU to pretend to be Maryland and say “Duke is our rival.”
In terms of Football, I think Clemson will be a nice rivalry to start up. Obviously Louisville will continue to be, and most likely Notre Dame, the years we play them.
I want a Duke rivalry, sells tickets, big $$$ and bigger basketball prestige. Leave Pitt and L’ville alone and quit thinking Big East transfers coming with us – new rivals, fresh blood. IT’S A GOOD THING ALBANYCUSE!
I agree it’s a good thing, I’m excited for the ACC move, but you can’t just expect Duke and UNC to be our main rivals right from the beginning just because. Rivalries come from tradition. In.. let’s say ten years, circumstances may change and we could certainly have built up big time rivalries with Duke and UNC. Time will tell.
Jax32 – For there to be a rival each team has to consider the other as their rival. Duke will NEVER consider SU a rival. Just as AlbanyCuse pointed out, SU fans don’t need to be like Maryland fans and have a rival that is one sided. Personally, I consider Maryland the little brother of Duke/UNC and I am sure I am not alone. SU would need to start winning ACC titles right away for Duke or UNC to take notice.
I agree with the sentiment that rivalries take time to develop, and are born out of competitive games. I think in time Syracuse will have nice rivalries with UNC and Duke, but for now, I think Pitt and Louisville will be the biggest rivals. I can also see NC State being a solid rival.
While I don’t think you would consider UNC and Duke bitter rivals right away, you better believe the first few match ups are going to be intense and hyped big time in the media. College Gameday, the whole nine yards. Should be exciting! How many times has Cuse played at Duke or Chapel Hill and vice versa?
Also, does the Dome have to stop selling beer now that we’re in the ACC?? I’m imagining the look on the 80 yr old, sweater vested UNC fan taking in the 35K screaming fans in the Dome on a cold snowy night in the Upstate
I hear ya guys, I hear ya. I just think it could happen quicker than we all think. It just takes 1 thing, moment, player and we’re off and rivalrying!
@Mike
I believe I read a while ago that Cuse will still be able to sell beer during ACC games.
BC is not good and woud have no chance if I didn’t think that football could also play into the hate. I think that will make the Clemson, UNC or Miami rivalries higher potential. NC State seems to fall into this category as well. I think the advent of rivals that exist in more than one sport makes for a better potential for more hate and a faster “history”. Louisville and PITT yes, but now also FSU and maybe GaTech? with Lax enters Duke and UNC and UVA. The options are much broader, but I am not sure BC makes the cut in any sport. Proximity alone won’t do it. They just are not good enough.
Duke is the easy pick for next big rival in basketball but others in the ACC may well qualify like North Carolina and even Clemson which may become the big two sport rival.We have never liked Virginia Tech or Miami so it becomes matter of time and situation for the next “hate”program in the minds of the fans.
PEOPLE-The move is for FOOTBALL not BASKETBALL don’t forget about that. Who cares the first couple of years about rivals. You BBallers are again throwing out the SUFB program with the water. Quit it!! Football is # 1 in national college sports!! That’s where the $$$$$$$$$$$ is!! Enough already!!!! Beat Georgetown!!
@Terry;
I guess in your world Terry people like Ron,Chris,Malone,AlbanyCuse,Jaz32,Mike,JonW and others can’t show their love for both sports. It doesn’t look to me like they’re throwing football out with the water but are having a discussion about something they are passionate about and that is the future of Syracuse Basketball. You need to see the world as it truly is Terry,people have different views,the discussion their having is a good one.
After your short rant, I find it very interesting that you were hoping Syracuse beat Georgetown today. Geez,I don’t ever remember those two schools meeting on the football field. EVER!!!!!!!
I join you in your wish and hope that we do beat Georgetown today,but I also believe that all of the other people posting here believes the same way.
Duke and UNC will always be big games because of their popularity but that doesn’t make a rivalry.
I look at Va Tech and Miami, there’s plenty of history there and we will probably be the favorites so if they beat us it’ll sting and we’ll want payback and that starts a rivalry.
A Boston friend emailed me to check this thread and could’nt believe our arrogance that already we’re looking down on their old rivalry..lol…but I hope were looking for bigger game “Clemson,FSU” now!!Duke?Id hope were not shooting that low or we might as well forget football but lets not forget CR aint finished yet and we might be looking at a lot of our traditional rivals again soon!…right Ron?
Malone,rivalrys w/work themselves out in time if they try and “job” us down south out of a close game or two my friend!!Good to see u posting regular bud!
@Russell MacEachern;
Russ you tell your Boston friend that not all of us are looking down on them. I for one think it’s going to be interesting to be playing them again. Also tell him that Boston is one of my destinations to travel to for a football game in the future.
On a side note Russell,I’ve been watching the OKS vs West Virginia Basketball game and one thing I noticed was the attendance. The stadium is half empty. So much for going to the Big 12. Oh! one other thing,the announcers was talking about the amount of traveling WVA had to do and the school wasn’t to happy about it.
Oh well life goes on.
OLD RIVALS,I wish for that to happen Russell.
I just finished looking at CuseNation.com web site and was just wondering what happens to all of those players that didn’t receive a scholarship from a college(any college)to play football.
Do they go the JC route? Do they go DIII? Do you think that the people who run that site just didn’t bother to up grade it after NSD?
Another web site has posted that Coach McDonald was down in South Florida talking to one of the best WR’s Steve Ishmael. I can’t seem to find any information on him at this point in time.
Babble, babble, babble!! Ronette your moms basement lights got turned off!! We haven’t played anyone(ACC) yet so how in the hell can we find a rival. It takes time and great competition between both schools, to develop a rival. But homers like Ronette(by the way he babbles way too much) just like to spu anything that comes to his mind. SUFB is # 1 to me and also many others. SUBB takes place after SUFB season is over. Once SUBB is over I’m onto SU Lax. I’m just a huge CUSE fan!! Gez, now I know how Ronette feels about spuing his babble. But this is the USA. So he’s entitled to his listless thoughts. So babble away my friend!!
@Terrie;
If you haven’t caught up to the latest yet,let me the first to tell you that college football ended the minute after Alabama won the National Championship back in January. What the hell have you been smoking that would give you or anyone a mental breakdown,that would make you lose 7-8 weeks of time? Your delusional you need to go see a doctor man.
Terrie,I haven’t said anything about new rivalries as of yet. All I said was that the people who are talking passionately about Syracuse Basketball have that right and that they’re not throwing the Football program out the window like you’ve indicated.
You really need to see a doctor about your problem Terrie.
I’ve raised my three sons by a code that I grew up with,you respect women and never ever say anything bad about a guy’s girlfriend,daughter or mother. My mother(God bless her soul) passed away back in 1995,SO WHATEVER YOU DO IN THE FUTURE,YOU ATTACK ME AND LEAVE MY MOTHER OUT OF THE CONVERSATION. Get my drift here asshole.
@Terry,at least Ron is sober!! and lol can’t you just learn to play well in others sandboxes?
Ron,if you look at WVU on the map their surrounded by the ACC,B1G,BE and MAC conferences w/o a rival in a 1000 miles…Im thinking their gonna start losing recruits on top of losing fans due to there extreme isolation!!Look at what happened with BCs recruiting b4 we got in the ACC and MD was their closest conference mate!Now they’re an after thought in the Boston papers!
I watched a little of the WVA game on Saturday Russell and the first thing that I noticed was the stadium half full. That alone told me that the fan base hasn’t agreed with them leaving the Big East and going to the Big 12.
I don’t want to wish any ill will towards a program but I hope that they are having major migraine headaches after Syracuse kicked their butts in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Ron,my nephew Brian went there “00”-“04” and is not sure whats gone wrong with WVU?..I see in a blog yesterday their AD is looking for some travel relief or partners for their Olympic sports….not even one year and they dont know what went wrong Ha ha!…imagine if we were in the MWC or the old WAC?its just not a natural or geographical fit!!