Syracuse & UConn Having 'Ongoing Discussions' About Three-Game Series, Per Report

For a while in the 2000's, Syracuse versus UConn was the most anticipated Big East matchup for Syracuse Orange basketball fans. Georgetown has always been the premiere rivalry, but the Syracuse and UConn battles of the 2000's put Georgetown on the back-burner in some years.

Now it looks as though the Connecticut Huskies are looking to schedule Syracuse in the non-conference, pushing for three game arcs against Syracuse, St. John's and Villanova. These games would include a home-and-home series with a third game scheduled at a neutral site, Madison Square Garden.

Syracuse is already locked into a four-year home-and-home series with Georgetown beginning this season and will also return to the Mecca this year to play St. John's.

For recruiting purposes, Syracuse's current games against former Big East foes in the non-conference make perfect sense. It's vital for Syracuse to play at MSG to have a presence in the New York City and New Jersey area. Philadelphia has been a hot bed for Syracuse recruiting since the incarnation of the Big East, although it remains to be seen if Syracuse and Villanova will extend the series. Syracuse versus Georgetown has been one of the better rivalries in college basketball and the Orange also have a recruiting presence in the D.C Metro area. (See Frank Howard, Jerami Grant, etc.)

Syracuse and UConn could meet in this season's Battle 4 Atlantis in a field that also includes Michigan, Gonzaga and Texas.

Should Syracuse decide to schedule UConn in the 2016-2017 season, this would guarantee Syracuse's presence in the New York City area for the next four seasons. The ACC Tournament will be played at the Barclays Center in 2017 and 2018; the following season would mark the third game of the Syracuse-UConn series, which would take place at MSG.