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Syracuse will not compete in the 2020 Gotham Classic, a multiple-team event it previously scheduled for some time in December, a team official confirmed Thursday. 

The Orange’s original commitment was for three games in the Carrier Dome and one in Madison Square Garden.

LSU also dropped out of the tournament, CBS Sports senior writer Matt Norlander said on Twitter. It’s unclear if teams will replace the Orange and Tigers, Norlander said. 

The headliner of the Gotham Classic was previously set to be a doubleheader of Syracuse-LSU and Stony Brook-Iona on Dec. 19 in Madison Square Garden. Other teams currently involved in the 2020 showcase include Green Bay and Jacksonville State.

The 2020 college basketball season can start no earlier than Nov. 25, and schedules will consist of fewer games. Teams can play between 13 and 25 games — plus one multiple-team event, such as the Gotham Classic — and may compete mostly in the six-week stretch between late November and late January when most students aren’t on campus.

Syracuse officially begins practice in less than two weeks, on Oct. 14. Players have been training for months in the Carmelo K. Anthony Center with masks.

Published on October 1, 2020 at 4:32 pm

Contact Danny: dremerma@syr.edu | @DannyEmerman