Syracuse men’s basketball to face Oklahoma in 2026 ACC/SEC Challenge
Syracuse men’s basketball will face Oklahoma in the 2026 ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 1 in Norman, Oklahoma, Jon Rothstein first reported. Eli Schwartz | Asst. Photo Editor
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Syracuse men’s basketball will face Oklahoma in the 2026 ACC/SEC Challenge, College Hoops Today’s Jon Rothstein first reported late Thursday night. The matchup is slated for Dec. 1 at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
The duel marks the two squads’ first meeting since March 27, 2009, when the Blake Griffin-led Sooners defeated the Orange 84-71 in the Sweet 16.
SU enters its first season under former star guard Gerry McNamara, who returns to Syracuse as its head coach after a two-year head coaching stint at Siena. McNamara brought Gavin Doty, Tasman Goodrick and Francis Folefac with him to the Orange, along with four-star guard Ryan Moesch, who initially committed to Siena last September.
Alongside McNamara, Syracuse hired four new assistant coaches after completely wiping its staff from the Adrian Autry era. The program aims to reach its first NCAA Tournament since 2021.
Unlike SU, the Sooners played postseason basketball last season. They participated in the second-ever College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas, where they fell to West Virginia in the championship game. Oklahoma went 21-16 in 2025-26, finishing 11th in the Southeastern Conference. The 2026-27 campaign is head coach Porter Moser’s sixth season in charge.
The December matchup represents the fourth annual ACC/SEC Challenge. Syracuse is 2-1 in such contests, including a massive victory over then-No. 13 Tennessee on Dec. 2, 2025. Oklahoma is 2-0 in the event after leaving the Big 12 for the SEC in 2024.
