For the first time since 2011, Syracuse football is headed to the Golden State to take on the California Golden Bears this season. A season with already so much buzz now includes a cross-country road trip smack dab in the middle. But this isn’t just a one-off for 2024. The welcoming of Stanford and Cal to the ACC guarantees a West Coast trip for the Orange each season. Is this a good thing or a bad thing for SU football? Let’s dive into it.
The Good
Taking trips out west could be a blessing in disguise for Fran Brown. Why you may ask? The elite recruiter has an opportunity to really break into an untapped market for Syracuse and encourage some top prospects to consider joining the Orange. The ‘Cuse have had just two recruits come from the Golden State since 2023, and currently have zero for both this season and the next. A warm-weather state with so much talent can’t go unnoticed, especially when the Orange will play there every year and Fran Brown can make some visits. It seems like a GOLDEN opportunity just waiting to happen, no pun intended.
The Bad
California trips sound awesome in theory, but for a New York team, it’s much more than just a getaway to nicer weather in the winter. Syracuse’s game in Berkeley this season comes on November 16th, the fourth consecutive game in a row for the Orange without a bye. A team that could be already tired from games past and possibly dealing with injuries will then have to deal with the three-hour time difference to play a key ACC matchup. This travel could very easily catch up to SU and not allow them to play their best while out west. It’s similar to the men’s basketball team taking a trip to Hawaii last season, except that was before conference play kicked off. This is right in the middle of a pivotal season, and it could pay dividends when it’s all said and done. Also, this will be the second game of Syracuse’s season in the Pacific time zone, as they travel to Las Vegas to battle UNLV earlier in the season as well.
At the end of the day, this is something Syracuse fans will have to get used to for years to come. While on paper the negatives might outweigh the positives, only time will tell if the ‘Cuse are up for the challenge of the Wild Wild West.
