Syracuse will host NC State at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Last Monday, the Syracuse Orange vs. N.C. State Wolfpack game received the six-day hold treatment, meaning we’d have to wait until Saturday night/Sunday morning to find out when (and what channel) the game would be played.

Well, after Syracuse miraculously came back to beat UNC and State was stomped by Clemson, it ends up this one will be in PRIMETIME — 7 p.m. ET — on ESPN2.

It’s Family Weekend at SU, so of course, some of you are groaning about the time and traffic and potential for accommodations and that’s fine. But it’s certainly MORE positive that Syracuse is being seen as good enough to feature on national TV in a primetime slot, no? Especially this late in the season, Saturday night kicks are hard to come by. The fact that we get one while also getting a chance to hit six wins can only be perceived as a good thing in my book.

We may be used to primetime slots on Friday nights (this year’s Louisville, last year’s Clemson, 2011 vs. WVU and the numerous other weird nights at the Dome we’ve staged over the years). But the Saturday primetime games are much more rare. Dan looked it up last night and it seems this is the first Saturday night game at home since 2010 vs. UConn. That game, between two bowl-bound Big East squads, ended in a 23-6 loss for SU.

But back to this week’s game: As you probably need no reminding (and ESPN will tell you plenty all week), Syracuse is 1-10 all-time against the Wolfpack, with the lone win coming in 2013, a 24-10 triumph in Raleigh against a 3-9 NC State squad. Since then, four straight defeats — though the last two have been closer than the scores indicate.

Plenty more on this game as we move throughout the week. And enjoy the mild ESPN promotional cycle that will inevitably come with this. Let’s win No. 6, shall we?