Sports SUmmary: WBB receives bid in NCAA tournament, new AD selected

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Women’s basketball punches ticket to NCAA tournament

The Orange women’s basketball team is dancing into March, earning a bid to the NCAA tournament for the 14th time in program history.

No. 9-seeded Syracuse will face No. 8-seeded Iowa State in the First Round on March 21 at 5:30 p.m. This is the second time in three years the Orange have received an at-large bid.

Freshman standout Uche Izoje led the way for the Orange this year, earning ACC Rookie of the Year, All-ACC First Team, All-Defensive Team and All-Freshman Team honors in her first season with the Orange.

“We’re going to give it our best effort,” head coach Felicia Legette-Jack said after the selection was announced. “They say that we are good enough to be here, so now we have to prove that we are good enough to stay.”

Syracuse athletics enters new chapter with new AD

Orange athletics is set for a new chapter with Bryan Blair taking over as Syracuse’s next athletic director. Blair previously served as the vice president and director of athletics at the University of Toledo.

The Rockets won 16 conference championships under Blair’s leadership and won three consecutive MAC Cartwright Awards as the conference’s top overall athletics program.

“Syracuse University is one of the most iconic programs in college athletics, with a proud championship history, world-class academics, and an incredibly passionate fan base,” Blair said. “The opportunity to lead Orange Athletics at this moment is incredibly exciting because the potential ahead is extraordinary.”

Orange lacrosse makes moves against ranked opponents

No. 8 Syracuse men’s lacrosse narrowly defeated No. 14 Denver 13-12 to go 4-2 in their daunting six-game road stretch on Monday night.

The Orange have played against seven ranked opponents in the opening of their 2026 campaign and are currently 7-2.

Molly Guzik led the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team with six goals to defeat No. 4 Northwestern 9-6 on Thursday night.

The Wildcats’ six goals were their fewest in a game since their loss to Rutgers in May 2022. Daniella Guyette defended the goal, notching eight saves on 14 shots on goal.

Former SU quarterback dies at 28

Rex Culpepper, who was most known for overcoming cancer at age 20 while playing for Syracuse, died on Saturday after sustaining injuries from a dirt bike crash in Georgia.

He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in March 2018 while he was on the team. He underwent chemotherapy and was cancer-free in June 2018.

Culpepper played in 30 games for the team and threw for 1,546 yards with 11 touchdowns.