When No. 1 and No. 2 in a sport play each other, it’s always a noteworthy occasion.
At the very least, it’s a chance to see the perceived best in the sport go head-to-head in a battle for in-the-moment supremacy. But it can also be something more, as you never know when a top-ranked matchup will provide you with an epic moment.
And you never know when an early season meeting can give you a preview of things to come. In the case of Syracuse and Maryland on Friday, the look-ahead might just have multiple
meanings.
While there is the obvious potential for a Memorial Day weekend reunion, this game also has the ability to transport us into the future when this spring sport can be played in the spring time.
This has been an especially rough winter with the combination of the amount of snow, timing of snow and freezing temperatures, and it’s had an impact on college lacrosse in a significant way. Postponements, cancelations and moving games indoors and away from fans have occurred en mass, and it’s led to a lot more open conversation this season about when, where and how the start of the year should occur.
It’s a complex issue, but for now it’s just unfortunate for so much of the early season to have the dark clouds, often literally, hanging over what should be an uncompromisingly exciting start to college lacrosse.
And that’s where Syracuse vs. Maryland comes into play. We know this game is big for both teams and provides a spectacle for the sport, but it’s also arriving at the perfect time to provide a shot of adrenaline into the 2026 season.
Maryland already missed their first game of the year against Richmond, which was postponed two weekends ago and has yet to be re-scheduled. North Carolina versus Towson was already cancelled, and Johns Hopkins against Georgetown was postponed this past weekend. Tons of other games have been re-located, physically and/or time and date-wise.
The Orange are immune to it all inside the Dome, but most of the rest of the country has been struggling, and it feels like the season is in need of a jolt to really get it going.
No. 1 vs. No. 2. Friday night in the Dome. Possibly as many as 10,000 fans or more in attendance. The broadcast sending the A-team to cover it.
We can’t speak to how it will all play out on the field, but the lead-up looks to be setting us up for a playoff-like atmosphere on Friday night inside the Dome.
And nothing feels more like spring than playoff lacrosse.
