Syracuse men’s basketball: Orange to face LSU Tigers in first ACC/SEC Challenge

After years’ worth of memories in the now-defunct ACC/Big 10 Challenge, the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team will officially take on the LSU Tigers in the upcoming season as part of a new multi-year partnership between the ACC, SEC and ESPN.

An announcement on Tuesday stated that the game between Syracuse and LSU will take place at 7 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 28th, six days after the Orange wrap up their games in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational.

The upcoming matchup versus LSU marks the second time ever that both programs will face each other, with the Orange winning 76-64 in the team’s first and only game versus LSU back in 1985. All games as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge will be available for stream on ESPN platforms.

The game versus the Tigers is part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, a series of 28 total games in men’s and women’s college basketball between the two conferences. The deal runs through the 2025-2026 season and takes the place of the former ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

LSU finished 14-19 overall, including just 2-16 in conference play with a 153rd overall ranking in NET this past season. But, this will not be a walk in the park for the Orange. LSU head coach Matt McMahon, now in his second season with the Tigers, secured the ninth-best transfer portal class this offseason. Like Syracuse, LSU is also hoping to turn its prospects around and return to the NCAA Tournament, something that eight SEC teams achieved last season - tied for the most in any conference along with the Big 10.

Here is the complete slate for the 2023 ACC/SEC Challenge:

Tuesday, Nov. 28:

LSU at Syracuse, 7 p.m.

Missouri at Pitt, 7 p.m.

Mississippi State at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m.

Notre Dame at South Carolina, 7 p.m.

Miami at Kentucky, 7:30 p.m.

NC State at Ole Miss, 9 p.m.

Clemson at Alabama, 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 29:

Tennessee at North Carolina, 7:15 p.m.

Texas A&M at Virginia, 7:15 p.m.

Florida at Wake Forest, 7:15 p.m.

Duke at Arkansas, 9:15 p.m.

Virginia Tech at Auburn, 9:15 p.m.

Georgia at Florida State, 9:15 p.m.

Boston College at Vanderbilt, 9:15 p.m.

Louisville is the one ACC men’s team which is not involved in this year’s series.

Here’s a complete look at the current Syracuse men’s basketball schedule:

Oct. 27: Deamon (exhibition), JMA Wireless Dome

Nov. 1: College of St. Rose (exhibition), JMA Wireless Dome

Nov. 6: New Hampshire, JMA Wireless Dome

Nov. 8: Canisius, JMA Wireless Dome

Nov. 14: Colgate, JMA Wireless Dome

Nov. 20: Maui Jim Maui Invitational Lahaina Civic Center

Nov. 21: Maui Jim Maui Invitational Lahaina Civic Center

Nov. 22: Maui Jim Maui Invitational Lahaina Civic Center

Nov. 28: LSU (ACC/SEC Challenge), JMA Wireless Dome

Dec. 17: Oregon in Sioux Falls, S.D., Sanford Pentagon

Dec. 21: Niagara, JMA Wireless Dome