Syracuse men’s basketball to play Georgetown Hoyas in December showdown

For the 99th time ever, the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team will take on the Georgetown Hoyas on Saturday, December 9th at the Capital One Arena to continue an iconic series among two long-time rivals.

The announced matchup versus the Hoyas means the Orange have finalized the complete non-conference portion of their schedule for the upcoming season, which includes 11 regular season games and two exhibitions.

Syracuse is 53-45 all-time in the series versus Georgetown dating back to 1930, but is just 18-31 on the road. The Orange most recently defeated the Hoyas 83-64 at home this past season, and will look to secure a road victory against Georgetown for the first time since the 2017-2018 season.

The Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry is a mainstay in the world of college hoops, but this year will be a bit different. For the first time since 1979, we will have a Syracuse versus Georgetown game without either former coach Jim Boeheim or John Thompson in the mix.

Linda D. Epstein/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

In fact, both programs dealt with complete regression compared to their glory days in the Big East, changed who was at the helm and brought in a fresh face to revitalize two iconic teams as well as one (hopefully) renewed rivalry along the way.

The most interesting storyline is how each program will perform under new, exciting leadership in this upcoming season. Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry emphasized returning the Orange to its former winning ways at the height of the Boeheim era.

Meanwhile, new Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley faces a far greater path ahead. The Hoyas cratered off the face of the Earth last season in what would end up being Patrick Ewing’s final time at the helm. Georgetown finished just 7-25 overall and a poor 2-18 in the Big East Conference last season.

One other thing to note is if this rivalry will even continue following this season. Both programs agreed in December 2022 to a two-year extension for the series, which included last year’s game at Syracuse and this year’s game at Georgetown. With no extension reported as of now, the status of the series between the programs remain unknown.

Then again, could a revitalization under Autry for Syracuse and Cooley for G-Town bring the rivalry back to its heyday?

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. 5: Cornell, JMA Wireless Dome

Dec. 9: Georgetown, Capital One Arena

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

Dec. 21: Niagara, JMA Wireless Dome