Random thoughts regarding the home schedule ...
I could be completely wrong, but this upcoming season strikes me as one that will be incredibly topsy turvy. We saw it last year, and that was with a bunch of teams that were supposed to be "head and shoulders" above the rest given the amount of star players and other fifth year players. There has been a significant talent train across NCAA lacrosse, and I think anyone making absolutes about the upcoming season is bound to be proven wrong.
That said, I would have tried to schedule some more difficult opponents. The good news is that the Orange have a built in advantage with the ACC. But some of these teams strike me as maybe not as tough as they should be.
Just taking a look at the out of conference matchups -
Jacksonville - feel good story with Galloway coming back to campus. I am not sure how good the Dolphins will be next year, as it doesn't seem like they brought in their typical haul of transfers. They lose their top scorer and main FOGO, but bring back three of their top four leading scorers and starting goalie. I'm not expecting a big RPI bump for this game. RPI of 30 last year.
Delaware - again, not listed on the Blue Hens schedule, which is weird. Perhaps they are working out a date still. They lose their top two leading scorers who each almost doubled up the third leading scorer on the team. I think they'll be worse than they were last year. RPI of 29 last year.
Harvard - will be a tough game next year. Sam King is one of the best in the country and probably the most overlooked. Defense has been an issue for the Crimson. Had a surprising run to the playoffs a few years ago, but haven't gotten close since. RPI of 20 last year.
Towson - excited about this game. Last year's tournament game was really fun and a closer battle than I think most remember. The Tigers should be loaded on offense with Weissaar leading the way. The Tigers have been up and down over the years, but I think they'll be good in 2025. RPI of 16 last year.
Colgate - Also should be a fun game as the Raiders play an up-tempo style. They bring back a ton and have been one of the most remarkable turnaround jobs of recent memory. RPI of 28 last year.
Vermont - doesn't seem like the Cattamounts have gotten close to their Thomas McConvey years. It seems like a slow fade from those years in fact. I'm not a huge fan of this game on the schedule as I am not sure what the upside is. They bring back four of their five leading scorers next year, so maybe they can build on something. RPI of 39 last year.
I'll throw Utah in here as well. Should be a fun road trip, but man this team losses a ton on offense (five of top six leading scorers). They had an RPI of 24 last year.
In terms of RPI, all these games are respectable. I guess its just hard to predict what they will be next year. I feel like Delaware, Vermont and Utah are going to slide, but it's hard to know. I can't see any of these teams in the 60s like some teams in the past Gait has scheduled (St Bonnie's, Manhattan, etc).
As for Army and Albany, personally I like seeing some fresh meat on the schedule. Army is a very good obviously and seems to have the Orange's number. That said, they always seem to falter down the stretch, which doesn't help Syracuse. Would they be better than Vermont though? Certainly. I think in the long run it would be better to have the Black Knights on the schedule than to not have them. They had an RPI of 17 last year. I think they will be highly ranked again next year. Albany I think is a team that should be considered a "riser" next year. They had an RPI of 36 last year. I think it would be good if the coaches could schedule a road game to one of these schools in 2025.
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