Football season may just be getting under way and the ACC may be set to be as good and competitive as ever but the conference does not want you to forget that it is a premier basketball conference as well. Several college basketball insiders, including CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, reported that the ACC will release its complete conference basketball schedule on Thursday. While the schedule is not yet out, we actually do already know quite a bit about it. It may not be breaking news, but it surely isn’t fake news so here is a breakdown of who Syracuse will play and where.
Home and Away
Every year, the Orange will play four teams twice and ten teams once (five home and five away). The Orange will again play Boston College and Pittsburgh both home and away as they are considered to be “rivalry games”. This could be considered good news or bad news. Neither team is projected to make noise in the ACC but we really don’t need to go down the road of how Syracuse has fared against Pitt since joining the ACC nor how the Orange played against BC last season on the road (or the fact that the BC was the team that ended Syracuse’s perfect start to the 2013-14 season). The Orange will also play Wake Forest and Virginia twice. The Orange and Demon Deacons have played some competitive games in recent years but that pales in comparison to the recent history between Syracuse and Virginia.
Just for fun: Syracuse vs. Virginia: Syracuse Moves on to Final Four
Away Only 
Look away Orange fans. Read at your own risk. The Orange will have to travel to Cameron Indoor to play Duke, to the KFC Yum! Center to play Louisville and fly down to Coral Gables to play Miami. Syracuse will also trek to Georgia Tech and Florida State. It is important to remember that the Orange won their last game in Durham and are on a two game winning streak against the Blue Devils.
I know what every Syracuse fan wants to do right now. So, here is the John Gillon buzzer beater. ¬†And here is what he had to say to the Fizz about that moment. You’re welcome.
Home at the Dome 
The good news is that the Orange will avoid trips to Chapel Hill and Notre Dame. Syracuse play UNC, the Irish, Virginia Tech, NC State and Clemson just once and only at the Carrier Dome. UNC, like Duke, is set up to be one of the best teams in the country this season and having that game at home can only help.
So What All of This Means:
This is not news. These matchups have been out there for a while but now it’s all in one place. Syracuse may have some tough road games, but the Orange only have to play Duke, UNC, Louisville, Notre Dame and Florida State once next season. Everything will be fully and officially set sometime Thursday. Prepare yourself. Basketball is coming.
