Since non-conference schedules were obliterated around the country this past college football season, it seems that at least some teams are looking to just slot those opponents into future open dates instead of cancelling things altogether. For schools that have themselves scheduled out pretty far into the next decade, that can pose a challenge. In the case of the Syracuse Orange and various other programs that decidedly aren’t, it’s potentially easier.
Syracuse lost three of their four non-conference games in 2020, only retaining the Liberty matchup (/gnashes teeth). The other three include road dates at Rutgers and Western Michigan, plus an additional home game against Colgate.