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Syracuse’s 2021 football schedule was released Thursday morning with the rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s schedule. The conference is returning to its traditional, two-division format, with each team playing eight conference games and four nonconference games. Notre Dame will not participate in the ACC like it did in 2020.

The Orange open their season with nine consecutive games without a week off, something SU has only done three times since 2000, according to 247 Sports.

Syracuse previously announced nonconference games against Ohio, Rutgers, Albany and Liberty to open the season. The Rutgers game on Sept. 12 is scheduled to be the home opener in the Carrier Dome following SU’s first trip to Athens, Ohio, to meet the Bobcats the week prior. Syracuse was scheduled to play Rutgers in 2020, but the game was canceled when the Big Ten initially announced there wouldn’t be fall sports.

The Orange’s conference opener will be on the road against Florida State on Oct. 2, while the home opener for the ACC is set to be a matchup with Wake Forest the following Saturday. Virginia Tech will be SU’s cross-division game for 2021, marking the first time the teams have met since 2016. That year, the Orange upset then-No. 17 Virginia Tech 31-17 for Dino Babers’ first win over a ranked opponent at Syracuse.

Likely the biggest name scheduled to play central New York this fall will be Clemson, the reigning conference champion. That game, scheduled for Oct. 15, will be the third straight time the two have played a primetime game in Syracuse. SU also has a Friday-night home game scheduled against Liberty in September.

Here is Syracuse’s full 2021 schedule (home games in bold.)

@ Ohio, Saturday, Sept. 4
vs Rutgers, Saturday, Sept. 11
vs Albany, Saturday, Sept. 18
vs Liberty, Friday, Sept. 24
@ Florida State, Saturday, Oct. 2
vs Wake Forest, Saturday, Oct. 9
vs Clemson, Friday, Oct. 15
@ Virginia Tech, Saturday, Oct. 23
vs Boston College, Saturday, Oct. 30
@ Louisville, Saturday, Nov. 13
@ NC State, Saturday, Nov. 20
vs Pittsburgh, Saturday, Nov. 27

Published on January 28, 2021 at 11:59 am

Contact Connor: csmith49@syr.edu | @csmith17_