UConn will host Syracuse in a Hall of Fame Exhibition on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The preseason meeting gives the Huskies an early test against a former BIG EAST rival as they begin the 2026-27 preseason.
The game is an exhibition, so it will not count toward the all-time series. Even so, it carries some weight because UConn and Syracuse were once charter members of the same league and played each other regularly before Syracuse left the BIG EAST in 2013. The matchup also adds another notable event to UConn's preseason schedule, which includes three preseason games ahead of the regular season.
A familiar rivalry with a new setting
These programs have crossed paths before, including UConn's 83-76 win over No. 15 Syracuse in the 2K Classic at The Garden on Nov. 15, 2018. That result is one of the more recent reminders of how competitive the series can be, even in a neutral-site setting.
For UConn, the exhibition comes after a 2025-26 season in which the Huskies finished 34-6, won the NCAA East Regional and reached the Final Four. Dan Hurley is entering his ninth year at UConn, and the preseason matchup offers one more chance to evaluate a roster that features 10 newcomers, including three freshmen and seven incoming transfers.
The Huskies will open the regular season on Nov. 2 against Gardner-Webb at PeoplesBank Arena, but the Syracuse exhibition should serve as a more meaningful early checkpoint. It is the kind of preseason game that gives UConn a strong measuring stick before the games begin to count.
