Syracuse opens the 2012 season at home on Sept. 1 against the Northwestern Wildcats of the Big Ten. Syracuse holds a 5-4 series lead over NU and have won five of the last six meetings.
The following week, Syracuse takes on the USC Trojans in New York’s College Classic at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The Orange are winless in three attempts against the Trojans. Last season, USC rolled to a 38-17 win in Los Angeles.
The Orange return to the Carrier Dome on Sept. 15 to host the Stony Brook Seawolves. The game will be the first ever between the two schools. Stony Brook is a member of the Big South Conference in the FCS.
On Sept. 22, Syracuse travels to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The two schools have met three times and Minnesota leads the series 2-1. In their last meeting in 2009, the Gophers beat the Orange 23-20 at the Carrier Dome.
Syracuse’s final non-conference game is at Missouri on Nov. 17. The Tigers will be playing their first season as a member of the SEC after leaving the Big 12. The contract between the two schools, which was announced this morning, is for one game only and does not include a return game at Syracuse.
With Syracuse announcing their non-conference schedule, it seems clear that the Big East is confident it will add an eighth member for the 2012 season. The most likely schools appears to be Temple.
Syracuse deputy athletics director Herman Frazier told Syracuse.com this morning that “The Big East has to assist us with that last conference game, whatever that is.” Frazier also expects the league “…to make an announcement sometime in the next seven to 10 days.”
Football Schedules: