Alum or community member?

[Orangezoo]

Alum in NEPA whose family grew up massive cuse fans and ultimately decided on SU for education as well. Also only 4 year degree in entire family - so SU is an honorary "family" degree. Die hards way before i knew I was going there. Amongst loads of Ped St fans here nonetheless

 

[OrangeAl]

ESF / SU alum from Rochester. Live in Buffalo area now. Love the Bills and the Sabres, but more emotionally invested in SU sports than a person should be!

 

[llandz]

Alum. Mother was an alum. BUT as someone who ran 2 alumni clubs, I can say we have many participants, especially in AZ who did not go to SU but are staunch fans. A few years ago, I spearheaded allowing "friends of Syracuse" to be part of our alumni clubs.
Oh the Magic Johnson game? I had season tickets then as I still lived in Syracuse for 3 years after graduating. And I still am mad at that MVP thing...

 

[Acesn8s]

Born in Homer Cortland area, family members are alums but I have been a fan for as long as I can remember, parents had season tickets in late 80s up until 2000, I took them over then and buy 6 more now my wife and I go to all the home games, and we try to go to away games as much as possible with 5 kids.

 

[dasher]

Alum class of '78

 

[oldpinepoint]

I’m a townie and an alum

 

[Doc5120]

I’ve been a giant SU fan for 4 decades but I attended a SUNY school and Lemoyne for graduate work. I’ve recently wondered how many on here are actually Alums? I’ve never had any affiliation with the school but have followed them closely for local pride. Is it odd to be so invested in a college team when you didn’t attend the actual college?

Not even a little. If only alums followed teams, fan bases (especially private institutions) would be awfully small. I grew up in the Syracuse area and have been a fan since I was probably 8 years old.

 

[MGDCuse]

Neither an alumni or a townie. Have lived my whole life in the Toledo OH area. My Grandfather played at Syracuse in the 1930's. Was co-captain and roommates with Duffy Daugherty. Have been a fan for as long as I can remember because of him.

 

[cusefan88]

Townie and grad school.

Ditto

 

[UpstateSM]

Grew up in Utica area. Have been going to games since I was born. My mother turned me into a diehard Cuse football and hoops fan and we’ve been to games all over the place my entire life.

Played juco hoops up north (was going to go to St John’s if I didn’t) > UMass > ‘Cuse Law

I guess I’m technically an alum, kind of but I don’t feel any connection to Syracuse that way. Just born and raised to bleed orange and wouldn’t change that for anything.

 

[suorange08]

Alum from San Antonio, TX, though live in South Florida now. Grew up as, and still am, an Oklahoma fan, even though I didn't go there. Both Cuse and OU are my teams.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Both. Grew up in Fayetteville and class of 2012. Been orange my entire life.

 

[690West]

My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low-grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a 15 year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet.

So I chose to attend Lemoyne.

 

[Deleted member 8116]

Community here. I went to Utica & later Buffalo for graduate school, then spent 10 in Texas before returning to CNY in 2020 because I missed the snow.

 

[phsyra]

Former faculty at SU and now living in Tampa. Son graduated from ESF and Maxwell grad schools

 

[sabach]

Grew up in the Mohawk Valley and rooted for SU all my life, hoops and football. Only college I applied to, got early acceptance and graduated in 1992. Met my wife at SU, married her in Hendricks Chapel and my daughter graduated from SU last May. I plan to be buried at Oakwood Cemetery close to the campus. GO ORANGE!!!

 

[tep624]

I'm a townie. Lived here all my life and bleed orange & blue. I always thought it was normal but the past few years I have ran into people who found it odd.

Maybe it's only weird because I consciously made the decision to put myself through this year in and year out...

I think it’s only odd for out of area Syracuse alumni. Anyone who grew up in CNY and attended Syracuse understands locals following the program because they were probably one as a kid before they attended the school.

The other wrinkle is that CNY doesn’t have pro sports of any significance so Syracuse is the only horse in town. Most major metro areas have pro sports so people from there may not understand it either.

 

[NJneer12]

Alum from NJ. Peak GERG years baby! Have lived along the east coast. Back in NJ.

Got ST in 2019, Had to stop this season for work but should be back next season. Probably joining the tailgate/initiative since I'll be coming up alone.

 

[Faegan]

Alum... I remember figuring out real quickly after arriving at SU in the late 80s that the university was part of the identity of a pretty big chunk of the community.

 

[CuseGrad94]

Grew up 10 mins from the Dome and proud class of ‘94 undergrad.

 

[sufandu]

Former local who isn't an alum. I was a fan before I ever thought about going to college. It's common for locals that weren't alums to be big fans. Most fans I've ever known never attended the university.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

It’s weirder how many people grew up around here and hate SU. I grew up an SU fan because my dad got his MBA here and we lived in Corning. Now I’m an alum who moved around and lives back here now. I love this area.

 

[P from Malaysia]

Alum... class of 99 from Malaysia, 3 years in syracuse, basketball season ticket holder 98-99, stayed somewhere in oakland st, few minutes walk to the train station down the road (is the train service still there?), worked as kitchen helper at shaw dining hall, enjoyed occasional drinking sessions at Empire... love my time in Syracuse.

 

[bevosu]

Alum... and a local boy.

 

[SanDiegoCuse]

Grew up in Webster(outside of Rochester), my aunt who lived in Liverpool hooked me as a fan as a 7 year old in 1986 and I’ve been insanely addicted since. Several relatives are alums but I am not.