On campus

Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim has spent the past season alternately bemoaning the forces of realignment that have destroyed his beloved Big East Conference and fencing with reporters questioning whether the 68-year-old coach is committed to leading the Orange into the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Those emotions came to a head Saturday night in the Georgia Dome after the Orange lost their national...

St. John’s coach Steve Lavin found it difficult to reflect on the end of the traditional Big East conference in the immediate aftermath of the Red Storm’s 66-53 second-round loss to Villanova in the league tournament Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. And really, Lavin has just three years coaching in the league and sat out most of last season recovering from prostate cancer surgery.

But...

After a last-second loss to Northwestern and a very respectable losing effort against USC, some called Syracuse the best 0-2 team in the country because of the prolific passing of quarterback Ryan Nassib. Playing at home in the Carrier Dome on Saturday against an FCS school like Stony Brook (2-0), the Orange should be a prohibitive favorite to get their first win.

But there’s one area where...

Stony Brook (2-0) at Syracuse (0-2)

Saturday at 4 p.m., the Carrier Dome

Mark Larson, Dale Drypolcher and Danny Liedka will have the call on SNY. Mike Solano, Curt Hylton and Jeff Bernstein will also broadcast the game on WUSB 90.1 and GoSeawolves.org. The game will also be available on ESPN3

History note: The schools will play for the first time on Saturday.

Last week: Stony...

What does Notre Dame joining the ACC mean for Big East football?

The initial news was certainly a shock. And people predicting the end of Big East football are already accepting bows. But it’s a little premature to count out Big East football, at least for now.  

Sure, Notre Dame’s basketball programs (men and women) have both thrived.  And losing both will hurt the...

The Atlantic Coast Conference on Wednesday announced the addition of Notre Dame as a full member in all sports except football. Notre Dame football, however, will play five games annually against ACC schools.

It’s a great move for the ACC. Notre Dame was the one school every conference wanted – well, maybe not the Pac-12. The Big Ten makes geographic sense and the football history between...

Game: No. 2 USC (1-0) vs. Syracuse (0-1)

Details: At MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J. 3:30 p.m., ABC (Ch. 7)

Last week: USC beat Hawaii 49-10, Syracuse lost to Northwestern 42-41

What to watch for: Plenty of offense. USC’s offense is loaded with stars. Quarterback Matt Barkley, a Heisman Trophy contender, threw for 372 yards and four touchdowns last week, Penn State transfer...