Syracuse and Georgetown coaches express interest in extending series: Should it continue?

Both Syracuse and Georgetown head coaches want to keep the rivalry alive. The question is, should it?

The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball program and the Georgetown Hoyas continued its longstanding rivalry over the weekend as Ed Cooley’s Hoyas came out on top 75-71 in the 100th all-time meeting.

The game continued the series despite Syracuse’s departure from the Big East to the ACC over a decade ago. Coaches on both sides have expressed interest in keeping the series going into the future.

“It brings a lot of joy to the college game,” Cooley said. “Of which right now — with the state of intercollegiate athletics — we need something that we can hang our hat on. To me, hopefully, as long as I’m the head coach, I’m going to want to play this game each and every year if it makes sense for both organizations.”

Since he’s taken the Syracuse head coaching mantle following Jim Boeheim’s tenure, Adrian Autry has been consistent in saying he wants to keep the Georgetown game on the schedule. Syracuse and Georgetown have scheduled each other in each year following both programs’ hiring of new head coaches.

“It’s no question that I would like to continue this,” Autry said. “It’s a great rivalry as we both try to make strides to get it back to where we would both like it to be. I think it’s something that resonates with both fanbases.”

With both Cooley and Autry both in their second year with their respective programs, both coaches are working to reestablish storied brands within the sport. The tradition, legacy and chronicled history between the two programs is intact but both programs need to raise the bar to lift the rivalry.

The question is: should the rivalry continue? With both programs in different conferences, the stakes aren’t as high as they used to be. Even if Syracuse and Georgetown climb the mountain again and achieve previous success in the sport, it’s hard to think the series can overcome that ceiling as non-conference meetings restrict meaningful basketball.

The crowd of 17,187 that showed up Saturday was certainly loud and engaged, but as one of the lowest marks for attendance in the dome for Syracuse-Georgetown, it’s indicative of where interest in the rivalry stands. So too is an ACC Network airing. For the older crowd that grew up with the rivalry in the 1980s when it was at its pinnacle — and for Autry who went 6-3 against the Hoyas in his early 1990 playing days — the series still holds meaning. The same can’t be said for younger fans and the current players on both teams.

The problem for Syracuse? In the time since the Orange left the Big East for the ACC, the series has been split 5-5. That’s good for a rivalry, but the hang up for Syracuse has been winning against a down Hoyas program hasn’t helped the non-conference metrics (NET, quadrants, analytics and strength of schedule), or worse, losing has only dragged those numbers further down.

The case for ticket sales is dwindling. What’s left might be history and, perhaps with Syracuse intent on heavily recruiting the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area for talent, playing Georgetown makes sense. That also might not be enough to keep the series alive.

Outside of some edginess between the centers Eddie Lampkin and Thomas Sorber, the Syracuse-Georgetown contest on Saturday afternoon had the feel of any other non-conference game. It was an otherwise muted game until Elijah Moore was whistled for a foul seven minutes into the second half. The proceedings resulted in Lucas Taylor getting heated with the Georgetown bench, resulting in double-technical fouls on he and Drew Fielder.

“I love the Big East, dog. I absolutely love the Big East and that’s what it felt like in here,” Cooley said. “It felt like an old school Big East, backyard, sh*t-talking, everybody (getting mad). That’s what it’s about.

“I’m pretty sure the alum on both sides know it’s not the friendliest game in town.”

With increased limitations in non-conference scheduling, continuing this game into the future might be harder on both sides. There’s no mandate that states the game has to be played every year, but for now both coaches have expressed interesting in maintaining the rivalry.

“As we’re trying to build our program here this is a game that we love having,” Cooley said. “We love the energy that goes with it. We love the tradition that it has. The legacy that it has, the edginess that it has, the chippiness that it has and I think it brings some juice.”

That might be all Syracuse-Georgetown is capable of delivering. If the series does continue we shouldn’t expect much more.