LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena Men's Basketball will unofficially tip off its 2026-27 season by bridging the program's past with its future. The Saints will host Atlantic Coast Conference foe Syracuse in a premier preseason exhibition on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. at MVP Arena.
 
Tickets to the exhibition are on sale now starting at just $20. Tickets can be purchased online at sienasaints.com/syracuse, by contacting the Siena Fan Relations Management Center by phone at (518) 487-2235 or by e-mail at sienatickets2@siena.edu, or by visiting the MVP Arena Box Office during normal business hours. The Siena-Syracuse exhibition game is included as part of the 2026-27 Siena Men's Basketball Season Ticket Package.
 
The Siena-Syracuse exhibition celebrates the Saints past while offering a first glimpse towards the future in a highly anticipated matchup.
 
Siena will honor its 2026 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship team – which includes new Syracuse Head Coach Gerry McNamara, Orange players Gavin Doty, Francis Folefac, and Tasman Goodrick, and additional Syracuse coaches and support staff – with a special pregame ceremony including the unfurling of the championship banner and distribution of championship rings. McNamara led the Saints to the program's seventh MAAC Championship and eighth NCAA Tournament berth in March before returning to lead his alma mater.
 
Meanwhile, the Saints will take to the court for the first time leading into their highly anticipated 2026-27 season under the direction of new head coach Nevada Smith. Siena returns five letterwinners from last season's championship squad, while welcoming 11 newcomers featuring three transfers and eight incoming freshmen.
 
Empire State foes Siena and Syracuse have met eight times previously in regular season action. The Orange have captured each prior matchup – albeit seven of which they were nationally ranked – including the most recent meeting 97-89 on Nov. 12, 2007 in Central New York. The programs met once previously in Albany on Nov. 27, 2004, where the Saints hosted fourth-ranked Syracuse before a crowd of 14,743, the second-largest in Siena history downtown.
 
This marks the third straight season in which Siena will host a home exhibition, and will be the program's first held in the state capital since facing Saint Rose in 2021.
 
2026-27 Siena Men's Basketball season tickets are on sale now and can be secured through the following avenues:
 
Siena Fan Relations Management Center
Renewals:                            sienasaints.com/accountmanager
New Season Tickets:           sienasaints.com/seasontix
By Phone:                             (518) 487-2202
By E-Mail:                             sienatickets2@siena.edu
Additional Information:          sienasaints.com/tickets
 
Siena Men's Basketball season ticket holder benefits include the same great seats for all home games at a cheaper rate than the per-game price, an exclusive 15% off discount to secure Siena merchandise at shopsienasaints.com, use of the Ticket Exchange Program, postseason ticket priority, and more!
 
The 20-game Siena Men's Basketball Metro Conference schedule was released Thursday, with the Saints full slate set to be announced in the near future. 2026-27 Siena Men's Basketball individual game tickets will go on sale in September.