Why don't we play at MSG anymore?

[Eric15]

Obviously the Big East Tournament and regular season games at St Johns are no longer a thing for us. But even if you control for those, we still play at MSG way less than we used to. Between the 2001-02 and 2018-19 seasons, we played non-conference games at MSG the following times:

2001-02: Michigan State, Wake Forest (2)
2002-03: Memphis (1)
2003-04: None
2004-05: Miss State, Memphis, Oklahoma State (3)
2005-06: Texas Tech, Florida (2)
2006-07: Oklahoma State (1)
2007-08: Ohio State, Washington (2)
2008-09: None
2009-10: Cal, UNC (2)
2010-11: Michigan State (1)
2011-12: Virginia Tech, Stanford (2)
2012-13: Temple (1)
2013-14: None
2014-15: Cal, Iowa (2)
2015-16: None
2016-17: UConn (1)
2017-18: UConn (1)
2018-19: UConn, Oregon (2)

But then it just falls off a cliff.

2019-20: None
2020-21: None (Covid)
2021-22: Villanova (1)
2022-23: None
2023-24: None
2024-25: None
2025-26: None

Taking the BET completely out of the equation, in 18 seasons between 2002-2019 we played 23 non-conference games at MSG. In the following seven seasons, we will have played one non-conference game at MSG.

Does anyone have a logical explanation why we have conceded our presence at the country's most high profile college basketball venue in our home state to the rest of the college basketball world?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Because we suck and MSG only wants winners?

 

[tptcuse]

Obviously the Big East Tournament and regular season games at St Johns are no longer a thing for us. But even if you control for those, we still play at MSG way less than we used to. Between the 2001-02 and 2018-19 seasons, we played non-conference games at MSG the following times:

2001-02: Michigan State, Wake Forest (2)
2002-03: Memphis (1)
2003-04: None
2004-05: Miss State, Memphis, Oklahoma State (3)
2005-06: Texas Tech, Florida (2)
2006-07: Oklahoma State (1)
2007-08: Ohio State, Washington (2)
2008-09: None
2009-10: Cal, UNC (2)
2010-11: Michigan State (1)
2011-12: Virginia Tech, Stanford (2)
2012-13: Temple (1)
2013-14: None
2014-15: Cal, Iowa (2)
2015-16: None
2016-17: UConn (1)
2017-18: UConn (1)
2018-19: UConn, Oregon (2)

But then it just falls off a cliff.

2019-20: None
2020-21: None (Covid)
2021-22: Villanova (1)
2022-23: None
2023-24: None
2024-25: None
2025-26: None

Taking the BET completely out of the equation, in 18 seasons between 2002-2019 we played 23 non-conference games at MSG. In the following seven seasons, we will have played one non-conference game at MSG.

Does anyone have a logical explanation why we have conceded our presence at the country's most high profile college basketball venue in our home state to the rest of the college basketball world?

Thank you! I thought I was exaggerating in my own mind because I live nearby. It is weird.

 

[Eric15]

Because we suck and MSG only wants winners?

You can probably count on one, maybe two hands, the number of CBB programs who will have as many fans in the Garden as us even when we suck.

 

[sufan59]

In the last years of the Boeheim era, I think our downfall really took a hit for us to access MSG. Additionally, MSG games from non Big East conference (think SEC and Big 10) have been able to leverage large local alumni of their own and also to convince a lot of travel from those fans. St John’s also is using the building more with Pitino as well. This upcoming season, I’m actually kind of surprised and it’s mainly due to having Kiyan on the team. He has a LARGE following and I would think the main area of that is NYC. Now I think for Syracuse between Las Vegas and Tennessee, as well as using all the rest of the games to hopefully build confidence and run up the score for our NET. I actually think it may be a good thing to skip NYC this season. I honestly don’t love Barclays, we never play well there (kind of checks out when we started playing there, the program decline began). Ideally this season the program regains its pulse and returns to the NCAA tournament. I think it will make a ton of sense for us to return to MSG next season for perhaps multiple games in the non conference. It’s been really an awful period to witness as a Syracuse basketball fan since leaving the Big East. Yeah we have some good moments, but we’ve been a shell of what we were. When we return though and we will whether it’s this season, the next coach, or the coach after, it will be so sweet and we’re going to be so insufferable lol.

 

[MSOrange]

Obviously the Big East Tournament and regular season games at St Johns are no longer a thing for us. But even if you control for those, we still play at MSG way less than we used to. Between the 2001-02 and 2018-19 seasons, we played non-conference games at MSG the following times:

2001-02: Michigan State, Wake Forest (2)
2002-03: Memphis (1)
2003-04: None
2004-05: Miss State, Memphis, Oklahoma State (3)
2005-06: Texas Tech, Florida (2)
2006-07: Oklahoma State (1)
2007-08: Ohio State, Washington (2)
2008-09: None
2009-10: Cal, UNC (2)
2010-11: Michigan State (1)
2011-12: Virginia Tech, Stanford (2)
2012-13: Temple (1)
2013-14: None
2014-15: Cal, Iowa (2)
2015-16: None
2016-17: UConn (1)
2017-18: UConn (1)
2018-19: UConn, Oregon (2)

But then it just falls off a cliff.

2019-20: None
2020-21: None (Covid)
2021-22: Villanova (1)
2022-23: None
2023-24: None
2024-25: None
2025-26: None

Taking the BET completely out of the equation, in 18 seasons between 2002-2019 we played 23 non-conference games at MSG. In the following seven seasons, we will have played one non-conference game at MSG.

Does anyone have a logical explanation why we have conceded our presence at the country's most high profile college basketball venue in our home state to the rest of the college basketball world?

I'd put Cameron Indoor and Allen Fieldhouse up there just as high profile, just as a side note.

 

[sufan59]

I'd put Cameron Indoor and Allen Fieldhouse up there just as high profile, just as a side note.

The Dome is also high profile.

 

[sufandu]

You can probably count on one, maybe two hands, the number of CBB programs who will have as many fans in the Garden as us even when we suck.

But outside of St. Johns the MSG games are some sort of early season special. The network wants eyeballs. That probably has something to do with it.

 

[Scooch]

We seemed to play a lot more games in Brooklyn. That, of course, stinks. Unless you live in Brooklyn, or a few spots in Manhattan, it’s a major PITA to get to Barclays. Getting there from CT, Westchester or Jersey isn’t worth trying.

 

[Sherman20]

We seemed to play a lot more games in Brooklyn. That, of course, stinks. Unless you live in Brooklyn, or a few spots in Manhattan, it’s a major PITA to get to Barclays. Getting there from CT, Westchester or Jersey isn’t worth trying.

Barclays is easy to get to. This is a strange comment. It’s not like it’s in deep Brooklyn. It’s like 2 or 3 stops across the river from Manhattan. Yeah, it’s not as convenient as MSG, but it’s not far either.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Unless there's an opportunity to increase NIL with a game there this is the type of non conference schedule I would get used to.

 

[joct]

Could be because the Blarney Rock closed a few years ago. It is now a new bar with pretty much the same layout, but still not the same. We wouldn't know where to go pre and post game.

 

[Scooch]

Barclays is easy to get to. This is a strange comment. It’s not like it’s in deep Brooklyn. It’s like 2 or 3 stops across the river from Manhattan. Yeah, it’s not as convenient as MSG, but it’s not far either.

Like I said, “from a few spots in Manhattan”. Getting there from the burbs is a giant PITA.

 

[721Comstock]

Like I said, “from a few spots in Manhattan”. Getting there from the burbs is a giant PITA.

This 144%!!!!

Barclays is massively more difficult/inconvenient to get to from the northern burbs vs. MSG.

I have only done it a handful of times, and every time I say - never again.

 

[Frozen]

I prefer the easier commute to Barclays, being a Brooklynite.

 

[tbonezone]

we play notre dame jan 31st. might have been fun to move that game to MSG. again not sure if that's a home court advantage for us or what's already scheduled there but i bet it would've drawn a crowd.

 

[Eric15]

Barclays is perfectly fine. It's a very nice basketball arena with great sight lines. I've only been there once (the Buddy nut punch game). I just wish we could balance it out a little bit with MSG. I miss that warm and fuzzy feeling MSG gives you where it feels like the game you're playing is the most important thing taking place on Earth at that given moment.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Barclays is perfectly fine. It's a very nice basketball arena with great sight lines. I've only been there once (the Buddy nut punch game). I just wish we could balance it out a little bit with MSG. I miss that warm and fuzzy feeling MSG gives you where it feels like the game you're playing is the most important thing taking place on Earth at that given moment.

I don’t think I have ever been in a more electric environment than the 6OT game. Being in the Garden elevated it to a whole other level. It’s like being in Yankee stadium.) I loathe the Yankees, but it’s true.) It’s is the Mecca.

 

[tbonezone]

Barclay is perfectly fine.

 

[Scooch]

I don’t think I have ever been in a more electric environment than the 6OT game. Being in the Garden elevated it to a whole other level. It’s like being in Yankee stadium.) I loathe the Yankees, but it’s true.) It’s is the Mecca.

The new Yankee Stadium? The one that has all the charm of a suburban mall and is built on the parking lot of the old place where all the history actually happened? The stadium that sounds like a Pitbull recording session?

Gonna have to disagree with you there. That place suuuuuucks.

 

[Knicks411]

You can probably count on one, maybe two hands, the number of CBB programs who will have as many fans in the Garden as us even when we suck.

Counterpoint; we played at Barclays last year against Maryland and the reported attendance was 8k. That's not the entire story, MSG vs Barclays isnt a totally one to one comp, but its worth pointing out.

 

[CuseFan]

MSG was always a great place to play and fill the rafters with SU fans. Its just not the same at Barclays (granted that our team hasn't been the same in years either)

 

[Eric15]

Counterpoint; we played at Barclays last year against Maryland and the reported attendance was 8k. That's not the entire story, MSG vs Barclays isnt a totally one to one comp, but its worth pointing out.

I feel like that had to be at least 75% our fans, right? I don't think that's terrible for the absolute worst SU team of our lifetime last year.

 

[Surfan06001]

Being in NYC and Playing at Barclays is like being in NYC and going to Sbarros for a New York slice.

 

[jgeorge322]

Being in NYC and Playing at Barclays is like being in NYC and going to Sbarros for a New York slice.

Man you must not know park slope. I can give you some spots.

Agree watching games at msg is the Mecca though