The Syracuse Orange are the

athletic Athletic may refer to: * An athlete, a sportsperson * Athletic director, a position at many American universities and schools * Athletic type, a physical/psychological type in the classification of Ernst Kretschmer * Athletic of Philadelphia, a ba ...

teams that represent

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

. The school is a member of

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...

and the

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...

. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the

Big East Conference The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and ...

. The school's mascot is

Otto the Orange Otto the Orange is the mascot for the Syracuse Orange, the athletic teams of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, United States, USA. Otto is an anthropomorphism of the Orange (fruit), citrus fruit, wearing a large blue hat and blue pants. O ...

. Until 2004, the teams were known as the Orangemen and Orangewomen. The men's basketball, football, wrestling, men's lacrosse, and women's basketball teams play in the JMA Wireless Dome, referred to as the JMA Dome. Other sports facilities include the nearby

Manley Field House The John A. Lally Athletics Complex, formerly known as Manley Field House, is a multi-purpose academic and athletics village at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. Located at the university's South Campus, it is home to 20 Syracuse Orange ...

complex, the

Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion The Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion (The TIP) is an ice arena in Syracuse, New York. Named for donors Marilyn and Bill Tennity, the facility opened in October 2000 for the use of Syracuse University students. The facility is the home of Syracuse U ...

, and Drumlins Country Club.

Important firsts

*Baseball team established: 1870 *Rowing team founded: 1874 *First recorded football game: 1884 vs. Medical College of Syracuse *First intercollegiate football game: 1889 vs.

University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of ...

*First recorded basketball game: 1899 vs. Christian Association of Hamilton (Ontario) *

Lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

team founded: 1916 *First

United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of member institutions and organizations with college lacrosse programs at all levels of competition, including the three NCAA divisions and non-NCAA schools, at both the vars ...

championship: 1920 *First National Championship: Football, 1959 vs. Texas *First ACC Championship: Men's Cross Country, 2013 *First Women's National Championship:

Field Hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...

, 2015

Sports sponsored

Syracuse is the only ACC school and one of only four Power 5 schools that do not sponsor baseball, the other three being

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...

, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

Football

The Syracuse Orange football program is a

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...

team that currently represents

as a member of the

. The Syracuse University football program is also renowned for producing many All-Americans and Professionals as well as

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

rs. Among them are

Ernie Davis Ernest Davis (December 14, 1939 – May 18, 1963) was an American football player who won the Heisman Trophy in 1961 and was its first African-American recipient. Davis played college football for Syracuse University and was the first pick in t ...

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...

Larry Csonka Larry Richard Csonka (; born December 25, 1946) is a former professional American football fullback who played for the Miami Dolphins for the majority of his career, along with the New York Giants for three years, and a short stint with the ...

, Joe Morris, Art Monk,

Jim Ringo James Stephen Ringo (November 21, 1931 – November 19, 2007) was a professional American football player, a Hall of Fame center, and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He was a 10-time Pro Bowler during his 15-year Early years Born i ...

, John Mackey, Doc Alexander, and

Floyd Little Floyd Douglas Little (July 4, 1942 – January 1, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a halfback for the Denver Broncos, initially in the American Football League (AFL) and later the National Football League (NFL). He ...

. Among the current NFL players are

Chandler Jones Chandler James Jones (born February 27, 1990) is an American football defensive end for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Syracuse, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the firs ...

Alton Robinson Alton Ledell Robinson (born June 2, 1998) is an American football outside linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Syracuse. Early life and high school Robinson was born in San Antonio, Texas and grew up in Converse, Texas ...

, Zaire Franklin,

Andre Cisco Andre J. Cisco (born March 23, 2000) is an American football safety for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Syracuse, and was drafted by the Jaguars in the third round of the 2021 NFL Dr ...

Ifeatu Melifonwu Ifeatu Christian-David Melifonwu (born May 2, 1999) is an American football defensive back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Syracuse and was drafted by the Lions in the third round of t ...

, and Riley Dixon.

Men's basketball

The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball program of Syracuse University. The program is classified in the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

's Division I, and the team competes in the

. The Orange won the National Championship in the

2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball tournament The 2003 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the champions ...

. During the 2008–09, they played in, and won, a six-overtime thriller against a rival

UConn The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from ...

team. The game was during the Big East Championship Tournament, and is the second-longest NCAA Division I basketball game of all-time. Their recent success has included a trip to the 2013 Final Four and the 2016 Final Four. In the 2013–14 season they broke a record set two years prior by starting the season 25–0. The previous record was 20–0 set during the 2011–12 season. The 1917–18 and 1925–26 Syracuse teams were retroactively named the national champion by the

Helms Athletic Foundation The Helms Athletic Foundation, founded in 1936, was a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the promotion of athletics and sportsmanship. Paul H. Helms was the organization's founder and benefactor, funding the foundation via his owners ...

and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll.

Women's basketball

The Syracuse Orange women's basketball program is the intercollegiate women's basketball of Syracuse University. The program is classified in the

's Division I, and the team competes in the

. The head coach of the team is

Felisha Legette-Jack Felisha Legette-Jack (born September 4, 1966) is the current head coach of the Syracuse University's women basketball team. She previously served as the head coach at the University at Buffalo, Indiana University, and Hofstra University's women ...

. The team began playing in the 1971–72 season.

Women's ice hockey

In 2008, Syracuse University announced that it would sanction a women's ice hockey team and become a member of

College Hockey America College Hockey America (CHA) is a college ice hockey conference in the United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. The conference is made up of five women’s teams, with two in Pennsylvania; two in New ...

. The team started playing in 2008.

Men's lacrosse

Syracuse fields a Division I NCAA college lacrosse team. Syracuse played its first intercollegiate lacrosse game in 1916, and captured its first USILL division championship in 1920. It would go on to win USILL championships in 1922, 1924, and 1925 and the USILA Division II co-national championship (Laurie Cox Trophy) in 1954. In the modern NCAA era, Syracuse has won ten national championships, with one additional championship (1990) vacated due to rules infractions. The Orange's ten national championship titles are the most of any team in

history. Most recently, Syracuse won the 2009 National Championship in a come-from-behind 10-9 overtime victory against

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

. Prior to that year, they won in 2008.

Softball

The Orange softball team began play in 2000. The team has made three NCAA Tournament appearances in 2010, 2011, 2012. The current head coach is Shannon Doepking.

Soccer

Men's soccer

Syracuse Orange men's

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

team are a Division I team in the Atlantic Coast Conference and play their games at the Syracuse Soccer Stadium. Syracuse is currently coached by

Ian McIntyre Ian McIntyre (9 December 1931 – 19 April 2014) was a British BBC Radio producer, journalist, broadcaster and author. who was Controller of BBC Radio 4 from 1976 to 1978 and then Controller of BBC Radio 3 between 1978 and 1987. After joinin ...

who has brought the team to three NCAA tournament appearances and two ACC Conference Titles in 2015 and 2022. McIntyre was named the ACC Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2022. The Orange won the National Championship in the 2022 NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament under coach

Women's soccer

Syracuse Orange is the

women's college soccer team for Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. They play in the

and play their games at the Syracuse Soccer Stadium. The team was founded in 1996.

Notable non-varsity sports

Baseball

Syracuse's club baseball team was established in 1979 and has been successful in tournaments. The sport is currently played at the club level and the team is part of the National Club Baseball Association ( NCBA). Many students, alumni, citizens and other baseball enthusiasts in the area are in favor of an NCAA varsity team being formed on campus, but the athletic budget is a difficult barrier. In a September 12, 2006, story in '' The Daily Orange'', Michael Wasylenko, chairman of the Athletic Policy Board, said Title IX and Syracuse's athletic budget is still a major crutch.

Men's ice hockey

Men's hockey competes at the ACHA Division I level in the ESCHL league.

Rugby

Founded in 1969, Syracuse University Rugby Football Club plays in Division 1 in the Empire Conference. Syracuse has enjoyed success, including a trip to the Division 1 sweet 16 national playoffs in 2010. Syracuse has participated in international tours to Europe, Argentina and Australia. Syracuse are led by head coach Bob Wilson.

Facilities

JMA Wireless Dome

Carrier Dome - New Roof 2021 (Jimhoward03)

Built in 1980, the JMA Wireless Dome is a 49,250-seat domed sports

stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...

located on the campus of Syracuse University. It is both the largest domed stadium on a college campus and the largest domed stadium in the

Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...

. It is home to the Syracuse Orange football, basketball, and lacrosse teams. With regard to basketball, it holds another title, being the largest on-campus basketball arena, with a listed capacity of 33,000. This limit has been exceeded several times. The Dome sold an on-campus NCAA record of 35,446 tickets for a game against the

Duke Blue Devils The Duke Blue Devils are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Associatio ...

on February 1, 2014. The previous record was set on February 23, 2013 against the

Georgetown Hoyas The Georgetown Hoyas are the collegiate athletics teams that officially represent Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C. Georgetown's athletics department fields 23 men's and women's varsity level teams and competes at the National ...

, with 35,012 in the stands.

Manley Field House

Built in 1962, this complex houses many of the offices of SU Athletics including the Equipment Room. It also contains academic rooms and two weight rooms strictly for Syracuse athletes only. Adjacent to the complex there are a variety of fields used for softball,

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...

, as well as a track for the track and field team. Manley was initially used as an indoor training facility for the football team, as well as a home court for men's basketball. Its

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile tha ...

, 9,500, for basketball, at the time among the largest campus facilities in the

, supported the rise to national prominence of the men's basketball program. The team shifted to the JMA Wireless Dome after the 1980 season. In the final men's basketball game played at Manley, Georgetown snapped the Orangemen's 57 game home winning streak.

Carmelo Anthony Basketball Center

The name comes from Syracuse basketball star, Carmelo Anthony, who donated $3 million to the project. Anthony played one year with the Orange, the 2002-2003 season, in which he helped the program win its only NCAA Championship. It's a college basketball practice facility located in Syracuse, New York. The facility opened September 24, 2009. Both the men's and women's basketball teams for Syracuse University use the center. The facility houses two practice courts, locker rooms and office facilities for the men's and women's basketball programs at Syracuse. It is located on the north side of Manley Field House, in between the Roy Simmons Sr. Coaches Wing and the Comstock Art Facility.

Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion

Home of the

Division I Syracuse University ice hockey programs playing in the

conference. Named for donors Marilyn and Bill Tennity, the Pavilion opened in October 2000.

Drumlins Country Club

Owned by Syracuse University, the Drumlins Country Club, 800 Nottingham Road,

DeWitt, New York DeWitt is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 26,074. The town is named after Major Moses DeWitt, a judge and soldier. An eastern suburb of Syracuse, DeWitt also is "the site ...

, operates a private, 18-hole golf course; a public, 18-hole golf course; indoor tennis courts; and other facilities. The tennis courts are home of the Syracuse University's women's tennis team.

Historic

Archbold Stadium

Thanks to a $600,000 gift by Syracuse University trustee and Standard Oil President,

John D. Archbold John Dustin Archbold (July 26, 1848 – December 6, 1916) was an American businessman and one of the United States' earliest oil refiners. His small oil company was bought out by John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company. Archbold rose rapidl ...

, what was publicized as the "Greatest Athletic Arena in America" opened in 1907. Designed to resemble the Roman

Colosseum The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world ...

and to never become outdated, Archbold Stadium became a trademark of Syracuse football. The stadium formed a massive

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

oval, 670 feet (204 m) long and 475 feet (145 m) wide. It was 100 feet (30 m) longer and only 22 feet (7 m) thinner than the JMA Wireless Dome, and more than 6 million Orangemen football fans passed through its gates. From 1907 until 1978, Archbold Stadium was the home of SU football. Archbold opened up with a bang when the Orange defeated Hobart 28–0. It went out in style 71 years later, with an improbable victory over second-ranked Navy 20–17. Syracuse posted a record of 265–112–50 at Archbold, and it housed many great teams. It was home of the 1915 squad, which was invited to play in the prestigious Rose Bowl and outscored its opponents 331 to 16. The 1959 team also called Archbold home ''en route'' to SU's only National Championship. In 1978, SU fans said good-bye forever to the historic stadium. Archbold was demolished to make way for the new on-campus facility, the JMA Wireless Dome, which opened in 1980.(Source: SU Athletics)

Championships

NCAA team championships

Syracuse University has won 16 NCAA team national championships. *Men's (15) **

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

(1): 2003 **

Boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

(1): 1936 ** Cross Country (2): 1951, 2015 **

^* (10): 1983, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009 **

Soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

(1): 2022 *Women's (1) **

(1):

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

*see also: ** ACC NCAA team championships ** List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships Syracuse Orange Rowing - Wallace 1905

Other national team championships

Below are 17 national team titles that were not bestowed by the NCAA: * Men's **Basketball^∆ (2): 1918, 1926 **Cross-country (4): 1919, 1922, 1923, 1925 **Football (1): 1959 **Lacrosse (4): 1920^#, 1922, 1924, 1925 **Rowing (6): 1904, 1908, 1913, 1916, 1920, 1978 ^* After the 1990 championship, the NCAA Committee on Infractions determined that Paul Gait had played in the 1990 championship while ineligible. Under NCAA rules, Syracuse and Paul Gait's records for that championship were vacated. The NCAA does not recognize Syracuse and Coach Roy Simmons Jr.'s 3–0 record, and Paul Gait's 7 goals, 7 assists and his participation in that championship. ^∆ No title games or contemporary selections made. Retroactive selections by Helms and Premo-Porretta. ^# Syracuse and Lehigh claim 1920 title based on winning their USILL divisions. No title game played. Syracuse-Lehigh game won by Lehigh. *see also: **

List of NCAA schools with the most Division I national championships This is a list of U.S. universities and colleges that have won the most team sport national championships (more than 15) that have been bestowed for the highest level of collegiate athletic competition, be that at either the varsity or club level, ...

Notable coaches, past and present

Lew Andreas Lewis P. Andreas (February 25, 1895 – June 16, 1983) was an American football and basketball coach and college athletic administrator. He was the head coach for Syracuse University's men's basketball and football programs beginning in the 192 ...

– Men's Basketball (1924–1950), Football (1922–1929) * Jim Boeheim – Men's Basketball (1976–present)

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

* Lew Carr – Baseball (1910–1942)

Helms Foundation The Helms Athletic Foundation, founded in 1936, was a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to the promotion of athletics and sportsmanship. Paul H. Helms was the organization's founder and benefactor, funding the foundation via his ownersh ...

College Baseball Hall of Fame *

Laurie D. Cox Laurie Davidson Cox (August 18, 1883 – October 1, 1968) was a leading American landscape architect and Hall of Fame coach and contributor to the sport of lacrosse. He was professor of Landscape Engineering at the New York State College of ...

– Men's Lacrosse (1916–1930) National Lacrosse Hall of Fame * Roy Danforth – Men's Basketball (1968–1976) *

John Desko John Terry Desko is a retired lacrosse head coach. Desko coached the men's lacrosse team at Syracuse University for 22 seasons from 1999 to 2021. Desko took over as head coach in 1999 from Hall of Fame coach Roy Simmons Jr. Early life The Des ...

– Men's Lacrosse (1999–2021) National Lacrosse Hall of Fame * Gary Gait – Men's Lacrosse (2021–present) National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame * Ted Kleinhans – Baseball (1947–1966) * Dick MacPherson – Football (1981–1991)

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vo ...

* Doug Marrone – Football (2009–2012) *

Frank "Buck" O'Neill Frank J. "Buck" O'Neill (March 6, 1875 – April 21, 1958) was an American football player and coach. He served as head football coach at Colgate University (1902, 1904–1905), Williams College (1903), Syracuse University (1906–1907, 1913– ...

– Football (1906–07, 1913–15, and 1917–19)

* Paul Pasqualoni – Football (1991–2004) * Ben Schwartzwalder – Football (1949–1973)

* Roy Simmons Sr. – Men's Lacrosse (1931–1969) National Lacrosse Hall of Fame * Roy Simmons Jr. – Men's Lacrosse (1970–1998) National Lacrosse Hall of Fame *

Edwin Sweetland Edwin Regur Sweetland (January 10, 1875 – October 21, 1950) was a coach, trainer, and athletic administrator at several American universities. During his coaching career he was head coach of many sports including basketball, track and field and c ...

– Men's Football (1900–1902),

Rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...

(1901–1902) * James A. Ten Eyck –

(1903–1938)

Notable athletes

* Doc Alexander (1916–1920) –

, 2-time All American, 2-time NFL All-Pro selection * Gary Anderson (1978–1981) – All American kicker, second all-time in NFL scoring, 2-time NFL All-Pro selection * Carmelo Anthony (2002–2003) –

NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player At the conclusion of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, men's and NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship, women's Division I (NCAA), Division I basketball championships (the "F ...

Olympic Gold Medalist This article lists the individuals who have won at least four gold medals at the Olympic Games or at least three gold medals in individual events. List of most Olympic gold medals over career This is a partial list of multiple Olympic gold medalis ...

, most points scored in Olympic play * John Barsha (born Abraham Barshofsky; 1898–1976), professional football player *

Dave Bing David Bing (born November 24, 1943) is an American former professional basketball player, businessman, and politician who served as the 74th mayor of Detroit, Michigan from 2009 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party. After starring a ...

(1963–1966) –

, Mayor of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

(1954–1957) –

, National Lacrosse Hall of Fame,

* Keith Bulluck (1996–1999) – 3-time NFL All-Pro selection linebacker * Michael Carter-Williams (2011–2013) –

NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gott ...

Derrick Coleman Derrick Demetrius Coleman (born June 21, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player. Coleman was born in Mobile, Alabama, but grew up and attended high school in Detroit, and attended college at Syracuse University. He was select ...

(1986–1990) – Silver Anniversary Big East Basketball Team, All-time Big East rebounding leader,

Tom Coughlin Thomas Richard Coughlin ( ; born August 31, 1946) is a former American football coach and executive. He was the head coach for the New York Giants from 2004 to 2015. He led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI, both time ...

(1964–1967) – Head Coach,

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

(1965–1967) –

(1959–1961) –

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and har ...

winner,

* Sherman Douglas (1986–1989) – Two-time basketball All American, All-time Big East assists leader, NBA Star *

Dennis DuVal Dennis DuVal (born March 31, 1952), nicknamed "Sweet D" is a former National Basketball Association (NBA) player. College career In 1970–71, Dennis played on the Syracuse Orange freshman basketball team. He averaged 19.2 points and 7.7 rebound ...

(1970–1974) – Former NBA player and All-American basketball player *

Jonny Flynn Jonny William Flynn (born February 6, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. A three-year National Basketball Association (NBA) veteran, he last played for the Orlandina Basket of the Lega Basket Serie A and played collegia ...

(2007–2009) –

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

2009 First Round selection, 2009 Big East tournament MVP * Dwight Freeney (1998–2001) – 6-time NFL

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

selection, 3-time NFL All-Pro selection,

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...

Champion,

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

all-time sacks leader * Gary Gait (1986–1989) – 2-time

National Player of the Year National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

, 2-time

McLaughlin Award The Lt. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Award — also known as the "Don MacLaughlin Award" — has been given annually since 1973 by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) to the NCAA's most outstanding college lacrosse midfielder. ...

(Midfielder of the Year) winner, National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame * Paul Gait (1986–1989) – National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame *

Dave Giusti David John Giusti, Jr. (born November 27, 1939) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1962 to 1977, most notably as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams that won f ...

(1959–1961) – Major League Baseball All Star, Sporting News Reliever of the Year * Marty Glickman (1936–1939) – Football All American, Olympic sprinter *

Marvin Graves Marvin Graves (born February 7, 1971) is a former quarterback in the Canadian Football League as well as one of the top signal-callers in the history of Syracuse University. High school Graves was a standout quarterback at Archbishop Carroll Hi ...

(1990–1993) – All-time school passing yards leader *

Donté Greene Donté Dominic Greene (born February 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange for one year before being selected with the 28th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 200 ...

(2007–2008) –

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The ...

, player * Tim Green (1982–1985) –

Vic Hanson Victor Arthur Hanson (July 30, 1903 – April 10, 1982) was an American football player and coach, basketball player, and baseball player. A three-sport college athlete, he played football, basketball, and baseball at Syracuse University in th ...

(1924–1927) –

* Marvin Harrison (1992–1995) – All American, Six-time All Pro wide receiver * Jason Hart (1997–2000) – All Big East First Team * Wesley Johnson (2008–2010) – First Team All American, Big East Player of the Year, Naismith Award Finalist, Los Angeles Lakers, player * Daryl Johnston (1985–1988) – Two-time All Pro fullback * Mark Kerr – 1992 All-American and NCAA Division I 190 lbs champion wrestler, two-time UFC tournament champion * Jim Konstanty (1937–1939) – 1950

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

MVP, Saves leader * Brad Kotz (1982–1985) – National Lacrosse Hall of Fame *

(1964–1966) –

Ron Luciano Ronald Michael Luciano (June 28, 1937 – January 18, 1995) was an American professional baseball umpire who worked in Major League Baseball's American League from 1969 to 1979. He was known for his flamboyant style, clever aphorisms, and a serie ...

(1957–1960) – lineman, played professionally for the Detroit Lions, and Major League Baseball umpire * John Mackey (1960–1962) –

* Julie McBride (2000–2004) – All-time Syracuse women's basketball scoring and assist leader *

Donovan McNabb Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and ...

(1995–1998) – Big East Offensive Player of the Decade (football) * Gerry McNamara (2002–2006) – Two-time All Big East Basketball Team and NCAA National Champion *

Don McPherson Donald G. McPherson (born April 2, 1965) is a former National Football League and Canadian Football League quarterback. He spent seven seasons in the NFL and CFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Oilers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Ottawa ...

(1985–1988) –

runner-up, Maxwell Award winner (

College Football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...

Player of the Year), College Football Hall of Fame * Dave Meggyesy (1959–1963) – NFL linebacker for seven seasons; author of ''Out of Their League'' in 1970; retired NFLPA Western Regional Director * Art Monk (1976–1979) – All American wide receiver, 3-time All Pro, Pro Football Hall of Fame * Joe Morris (1978–1981) – All-time Syracuse rushing leader, 2-time

selection *

Lawrence Moten Lawrence Edward Moten (born March 25, 1972) is an American retired professional basketball player. Moten attended Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C. and the New Hampton School in New Hampton, New Hampshire before playing his colle ...

(1991–1995) – 3-time All Big East Basketball Team, All-time Big East scoring leader *

Jim Nance James Solomon "Big Jim" Nance (December 30, 1942 – June 17, 1992) was an American professional football player who was a fullback with the Boston Patriots during their days in the American Football League (AFL). He was inducted into the Pat ...

1962–1965 All America wrestling, AFL All star * Demetris Nichols (2003–2007) – Unanimous selection to All Big East Basketball Team *

Billy Owens Billy Eugene Owens (born May 1, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player who played for several teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Syracuse, where he was an All-American and the ...

(1988–1991) –

Big East Men's Basketball Player of the Year The Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year award is given to the men's basketball player in the Big East Conference voted as the top performer by the conference coaches. It was first awarded at the end of the league's inaugural sea ...

, All American, NBA star * Casey Powell (1995–1998) – 4-time All American, 2-time

(1997, 1998), Jack Turnbull Award (Attackmen of the Year) winner (1998),

(Midfielder of the Year) winner (1996) *

Mikey Powell Michael Powell (born October 29, 1982) is a former American professional lacrosse player who was a four-time First Team All-American at Syracuse University, played professional lacrosse for the Baltimore Bayhawks and Boston Cannons, and played on ...

(2001–2004) – 4-time All American, 2-time

Tewaaraton Trophy The Tewaaraton Award is an annual award for the most outstanding American college lacrosse men's and women's players, since 2001. It is the lacrosse equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. The award is presented by The Tewaaraton Foundation and th ...

winner (2002, 2004),

(2004), 4-time Jack Turnbull Award (Attackmen of the Year) winner * Ryan Powell (1997–2000) – 4-time All American,

(2000), Jack Turnbull Award (Attackmen of the Year) winner (2000) *

Leo Rautins Leo Rytis Rautins (born March 20, 1960) is a Canadian broadcaster, former professional basketball player and the former head coach of the Canadian men's national basketball team. Rautins played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) drafted ...

(1980–1983) *

Andy Rautins Andrew Jay Rautins (born November 2, 1986) is an American-born Canadian professional basketball player who last played for AEK Athens of the Greek Basket League. He played for Syracuse University and was drafted by the NBA's New York Knicks in 20 ...

(2005–2010) – Big East Second Team All American, Honorable All American Mention, Team Canada Basketball Player, 2nd All-Time in 3-point Field Goals Made in SU Basketball History, New York Knicks, player *

(1950–1952) –

Danny Schayes Daniel Leslie Schayes (born May 10, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player who played for Syracuse University and played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), from 1981 until 1999. At 6' 11" and 235 pounds, h ...

(1978–1981) – Academic All American, 18-season NBA star *

Rony Seikaly Rony is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Ronielson da Silva Barbosa, Brazilian footballer better known as Rony * Rony Ahonen (born 1987), Finnish ice hockey defenceman *Rony Bakale (born 1987), Olympic swimmer from the Repub ...

(1984–1988) – All American, Gold Medalist 1986 Basketball World Championships, NBA star, first ever draft pick of the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

Wilmeth Sidat-Singh Wilmeth Sidat-Singh (February 13, 1918 – May 9, 1943) was a U.S. Army Air Corps officer with the Tuskegee Airmen, and an American basketball and football player who was subject to segregation in college and professional sports in the 1930s. Ear ...

(1935–1939) – Football and Basketball star, Pioneer of civil rights in college athletics *

Preston Shumpert Preston Anthony Shumpert (20 August 1979), also known by his Turkish name of Mert Shumpert, is an American-born, naturalised-Turkish professional basketball player. He was twice named to the All-Big East first team while playing college basketball ...

(1998–2002) – Two-time All-Big East First Team selection *

Walt Sweeney Walter Francis Sweeney (April 18, 1941 – February 2, 2013) was an American professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football at ...

(1960-1962) – 9-time

selection, 2-time First Team

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...

, 4-time Second Team

Etan Thomas Dedrick Etan Thomas (born April 1, 1978) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Washington Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also a published poet ...

(1997–2000) – Twice Big East Defensive Player of the Year,

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

player *

David Tyree David Mikel Tyree (born January 3, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver and executive who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the New York Giants. He played college football at Syracuse an ...

(1998–2002) – NFL

selection, Super Bowl Champion * Hakim Warrick (2001–2005) –

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

player * Dwayne "Pearl" Washington (1983–1986) – Silver Anniversary Big East Basketball Team

Nicknames, mascots and colors

Orange is the official school color, adopted as such in 1890. Prior to that time, the school's colors were rose pink and pea green. Orange, blue, and white are traditionally used for athletic uniforms. The athletic nickname derives from the official color. Prior to 2004, the official nicknames of the athletic teams were the "Orangemen" and "Orangewomen." These former nicknames are still affectionately used by some fans. However, beginning with the 2004–2005 school year, the official nickname was changed to the "Orange." This revision is

gender-neutral Gender neutrality (adjective form: gender-neutral), also known as gender-neutralism or the gender neutrality movement, is the idea that policies, language, and other social institutions ( social structures or gender roles) should avoid disting ...

, concise, and reflects the basis of the nickname as being the school color. According to an 1890 newspaper article uncovered by the ''Syracuse Post Standard,'' the orange was originally a reference to the Netherlands, which first colonized New York State. It's common in upstate New York for place names to make reference to the Dutch heritage. In a similar way, the original settlement that became Albany was called Fort Orange. Other nicknames over the years have included the "Hilltoppers," for the school's location on a hill, and the "Saltine Warriors," for a former mascot.

Mascot

In 1931, a Native American warrior known as Nathan March aka: "Saltine Warrior" became the athletic mascot. The name derived from an article describing an archaeological dig on campus allegedly uncovering the artifacts of a Native American warrior. The warrior was called the "Saltine Warrior" because of the abundant salt deposits in the

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, Yonkers, and Rochester. At the 2020 census, the city' ...

area. The article was later revealed to be a hoax, but the mascot remained for next four decades. In the mid-1950s, the father of a

Lambda Chi Alpha Lambda Chi Alpha (), commonly known as Lambda Chi, is a college fraternity in North America which was founded at Boston University in 1909. It is one of the largest social fraternities in North America, with more than 300,000 lifetime members a ...

fraternity brother owned a cheerleading camp. He made a Saltine Warrior costume for his son to wear at Syracuse football games. Thus began a nearly forty-year tradition of Lambda Chi brothers serving as the university's mascot. In 1978, the Saltine Warrior was banned by the university as part of the national movement to eliminate Native American motifs, becoming one of the first colleges to do so. The mascot briefly morphed into a Roman warrior, but was eventually replaced unofficially in 1982 by a giant, cartoon-style Orange.

Otto the Orange

The cheerleaders and mascots were at a UCA Cheerleading Camp in Tennessee that summer, and narrowed the field down to two potential names—"Opie" and "Otto." Figuring the name "Opie" would lead to the inevitable rhyme with "dopey," they settled on "Otto." Later that fall, word got out that the cheerleaders were calling the latest mascot costume Otto, and the name stuck. Otto the Orange was adopted by the university in 1995 as the university's official mascot, selected over a wolf and a lion also under consideration.

References

External links

* {{Navboxes , titlestyle = {{CollegePrimaryStyle, Syracuse Orange, color=white , list = {{Atlantic Coast Conference navbox {{College Hockey America {{Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges {{Sports in Syracuse {{New York Sports Rugby union teams in New York (state)