Back in July, EA Sports announced the return of a college basketball videogame. While plans changed over the past several months from a separate college game to an integrated NBA/CBB format, the initial plan is a 16-team play mode that will launch in the beginning of 2026 as an addition to the existing NBA 2K27 title.
Because of the short turnaround, 2K is only adding 16 colleges: Syracuse made the cut.
There are still three unconfirmed teams, but the Orange will be joined by Duke and North Carolina in the ACC. SU made the cut over Louisville and Virginia, two schools that have performed better than ‘Cuse recently. Syracuse has video game talent on the roster with freshman Kiyan Anthony, the son of Knicks great Carmelo Anthony who holds over 1 million followers on Instagram. The Orange host a knockdown three-point shooter in Nate Kingz and playmakers with J.J. Starling and top transfer guard Naithan George.
The Big 12 brings four squads to the game with Baylor, Houston, Kansas, and Arizona. Similarly, the Big Ten contributes top powerhouses with Purdue, Michigan State, Illinois, and UCLA. The SEC only has two: Florida and Kentucky.
Larger than the ability for Syracuse fans to hop on the sticks and play with their favorite players, it is encouraging to see the “Orange Standard” being put amongst some of the best teams in college basketball. SU looks to get back to its prestigious past with a reloaded squad this year; even though the on-court wins haven’t showed up yet, it is a strong sign for recruiting and transfer portal work that the ‘Cuse is put into the same category as the above consistent winning programs.
