Syracuse men’s basketball: what to know about the Orange’s upcoming trip to Vegas

“Feast Week” is almost here for the Syracuse Orange and the college basketball world, and this team will be one of 18 under the bright lights and glamor that come with being in the Sin City.

Syracuse will play three games as part of the new Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, and it’s a critical point in the Orange’s season considering how stacked the slate is already for this tournament.

To help you get prepared for a week full of Orange hoops, here’s what you need to know about the tournament, who Syracuse is playing and more.

How does the tournament work?

This is the second year Players Era will be happening. It first debuted last year with eight teams. Now, it’s not just bigger, but features the most top-50 and top-100 teams of any other major tournaments happening in the upcoming week.

Players Era starts on Monday and officially ends on Thursday. Syracuse will be on the court on Monday and Tuesday. ’Cuse will then compete on either Wednesday or Thursday, depending on how the rest of the tournament plays out.

Both of Syracuse’s first two games will be held at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The other half of the tournament is also being held at Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Who is Syracuse playing and how can you watch?

Syracuse’s first game will be against the No. 2 Houston Cougars on Monday. That will start at 6 p.m. EST and you can watch that on TNT.

Like the Orange, Houston currently sits at 4-0 with wins over Lehigh, Towson, Oakland and No. 22 Auburn. Per KenPom, the Cougars currently rank third overall and first in the Big 12 with the 28th-best offense and best defense. Houston is the number-one ranked team according to Bart Torvik with the same ratings on both ends of the court as KenPom.

Syracuse is also guaranteed to play the No. 24 Kansas Jayhawks, who are currently No. 24 in the AP poll but sitting with a 3-2 record. Kansas blew out Green Bay, Texas A&M-CC and Princeton but lost by double-digits to No. 18 North Carolina and No. 5 Duke. The Jayhawks still rank No. 30 overall per KenPom (57th in offense and 12th in defense) and No. 20 per Bart Torvik (49th in offense and ninth in defense).

That game will be at 3:30 p.m. EST and also on TNT.

The Orange’s third opponent will be based on how it and other teams perform in their first two games. If teams have the same records, it appears factors like point differential, will be among those to decide who gets placed where.

TV information and tip-off time remains TBD for that last game.

When and how can you watch all of Players Era?

Courtesy of the NCAA, here is the full schedule for Monday and Tuesday (writer’s note: all tip-off times are EST):

• Monday:

  • Tennessee vs. Rutgers: 1 p.m. on TNT

  • Baylor vs. Creighton: 2 p.m. on truTV

  • Kansas vs. Notre Dame: 3:30 p.m. on TNT

  • St. John’s vs. Iowa State: 4:30 p.m. on truTV

  • Houston vs. Syracuse: 6 p.m. on TNT

  • Oregon vs. Auburn: 8 p.m. on truTV

  • Alabama vs. Gonzaga: 9:30 p.m. on TNT

  • Michigan vs. San Diego State: 10:30 p.m. on truTV

  • Maryland vs. UNLV: 12 a.m. on TNT

• Tuesday:

  • Rutgers vs. Notre Dame: 1 p.m. on TNT

  • Iowa State vs. Creighton: 2:30 p.m. on truTV

  • Kansas vs. Syracuse: 3:30 p.m. on TNT

  • St. John’s vs. Baylor: 5 p.m. on truTV

  • Houston vs. Tennessee: 6 p.m. on TNT

  • Michigan vs. Auburn: 8:30 p.m. on TNT

  • Gonzaga vs. Maryland: 9:30 p.m. on truTV

  • Oregon vs. San Diego State: 11 p.m. on TNT

  • Alabama vs. UNLV: 12 a.m. on truTV

What are the stakes for the Orange?

The good news for Syracuse: regardless of the on-court results, it is walking away with a jackpot… literally.

Syracuse and each of the other teams participating are getting $1 million just for participating. It’s also suggested there will be other “opportunities to earn more NIL.” This is being reportedly labeled as the “most expensive regular season event” in college basketball history, per CBS Sports.

In terms of the Orange’s outlook going forward, Las Vegas marks a critical point in the young 2025-26 season. Houston and Kansas are easily going to be two of the toughest three non-con opponents ‘Cuse will face.

Additionally, the Orange have so far played four games. Three were against Q4 opponents at home; the other was a Q3 opponent in a neutral-site contest. Currently, Houston and Kansas each project to be Q1 opponents. It’s very likely Syracuse’s third game will be Q1 or Q2. It’s the best chance Syracuse has to bolster its resume outside of how it performs against the ACC. Fans will also get see how the Orange compete against a caliber of opponent that is way above what they’ve played against so far.

As always, we’ll be providing you full coverage in will be a busy and important stretch for Syracuse.