UConn and Syracuse are set to officially renew their rivalry next season. The Hartford Courant reports that the two former rivals will square off on December 5th in UConn’s home-away-from-home arena: Madison Square Garden.
The programs have been negotiating new games for months. In January, UConn coach Kevin Ollie let slip in a postgame press conference that a contest was likely for next year. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim declared Syracuse’s interest months earlier following the pair’s last contest in the Bahamas.
In addition to December’s game in New York, the Courant is reporting that the schools are still negotiating future games that could include a home-and-home series as well as additional games in MSG.
For UConn, this amounts to a scheduling victory. The school is eager to remain active in New York, and this game provides them a huge opportunity to showcase their fan support in the country’s largest media market. It also provides restless – and recently listless – fans with a reason to get excited and buy tickets.
The Huskies will visit Georgetown and Ohio State next season. Reports indicate that UConn is still looking to add a west coast road game prior to their November trip to the Maui Invitational Tournament. That leaves (approximately) four or five out-of-conference home games for UConn to fill.
