Alum or community member?

['72 Orange]

Alum of ESF/SU ‘72. From NYC, then NJ and now Westchester Co. While on campus caught the end of Ben’s coaching career the year after Czonk graduated which was the beginning of the end (20-18-1). Saw the start of the resurrection of bball under Roy Danforth when the team made the NIT two consecutive years! Followed the Orangemen faithfully ever since but every new “kick in the nuts” event now causes barely a ripple in my psyche.

 

[OburgOrange]

Being the son of a dairyman, Im an example of the rare baby that was born in Hamilton’s community general hospital. Grew up in the southern Oneida county countryside, an area I never wanted to leave in my youth. Accepted to my dream school in Cuse, got cold feet for several reasons and went to Bonaventure, which was a great choice for me in the end. Enlisted in the Army after college, spent 6 years at Bragg (half overseas) and have worked civil service at a local military base since my medical separation. I’ve now been in North Carolina for about as long as I lived in NY.

I still have yet to go to a game of any kind in the dome other than HS playoffs. No one in my immediate family were sports fans, and the farm was the priority. My initial fascination with sports came that fateful couple of years in 86 and 87. I don’t know how one could grow up in the area during that time and not be Cuse fans. The move to the ACC has allowed me and my family the opportunities to attend several games over the years here in NC.

Cautionary tale: be careful about raising ardent Cuse fans from a distance because you might be looking at a daunting trip. My oldest is now a junior in the engineering department. He only applied to Cuse and NIT State, and NCSU was never a serious consideration in his mind. My hope was to get up for a family weekend, but COVID protocols his first two years, prevented us from going up. Maybe next year…

I’m pretty sure i met you at Fort Drum one year when the team did a couple of preseason weeks there. We all met Floyd Little. I think that’s you on the right in the rain poncho?

 

[tptcuse]

One of my brother in law's favorite quotes!

Oh yeah, I grew up in DeWitt and saw my first hoops games in Manley. My first football game was the last game at Archbold. I decided that I didn't want to go to school in town and went to Ithaca instead. Sometimes I regret not going to SU. My wife got her Master's at Newhouse. If you ask most people I work with, or my students here in Jersey, most assume I went to SU based on the Cuse flag, banners (ala Varsity) and other SU items around my classroom. I've had football season tickets for 21 of the last 23 years. It would've been longer if it was easier and cheaper to have come up from Georgia when I lived in Atlanta.

I wonder if we sat near each other at that last game at Archbold, which was also my first football game. I also went to the first football game in the Dome.

I'm a local from North Syracuse who has lived a bunch of places and now lives on Long Island. I lived in London during the 2003 National Championship run when internet was not so good and have followed Cuse basketball and football most of my life. Season tickets for football and I attend all the NYC based basketball and football games. LGO!

 

[SUFaninNJ]

85-86,

That’s when I started there. Talcott Hall, baby!

 

[Ithacaorange]

That’s when I started there. Talcott Hall, baby!

haha! nice! i transferred there for my last 2 years of college i never actually lived on campus.

 

[Owens guy]

Oh! How's it going to look for you during the Pinstripe Bowl? Any conflicts with family or friends that are Minny fans?

I had Gopher football season tickets for about 10 years before I had a family. I’m probably one of a few fans that has watched seen every MN & Syracuse game this year. Both programs are eerily similar with great football program success in the distant past and often poor records and hard losses since.

I wear a Syracuse shirt just about every day of the year so I’ll root for Syracuse.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

haha! nice! i transferred there for my last 2 years of college i never actually lived on campus.

My last two years I lived on the lake and down Cayuga from the Hall of Justice.

 

[skeeter223]

Alum. Born in Wellsville, NY and have lived in Huntsville, AL for the past 25 years.

 

[orangecuse]

Community and SUNY route. I've been a fan since my youth (early/mid seventies) once we moved to Liverpool from Cleveland, Ohio after my dad took a promotion with General Motors.

 

[kirbivore]

Townie who grew up in apple country just south of Syracuse and my Dad had season tickets. First SU hoops game was 1/28/85 vs Georgetown.

 

[OHIORANGES]

Alumni Class of 1975 & proud of it!

 

[Janner]

Local from 30 min away. Family had season tickets since the dome opened. Also an alum. Born and raised an orangeman, and will die one.

I cant understand people finding it odd or wierd to be a Cuse fan if you have little or no connection to the actual University? That's not abnormal in college athletics. I mean look at Duke today, 95% of their "fans" have absolutely no connection to the university. Look at Gtown back in the 80s, or even a school like Indiana back in the 80s (and probably still today to some degree). Im sure there are plenty of more examples.

 

[C Bomb]

I’m pretty sure i met you at Fort Drum one year when the team did a couple of preseason weeks there. We all met Floyd Little. I think that’s you on the right in the rain poncho?
View attachment 222983

That is I. Meeting Floyd was a great memory for my son. Still joke about going from 55 degree in august Watertown to 95 degree coastal Carolina less than a day later

 

[Consigliere]

Grew up in Fairmount and stayed home for college. West Genesee Class of ‘74 (yes, my yearbook picture can be found at The Wildcat) and SU Class of ‘78. Shortly after graduation I was promoted to the home office for Endicott Johnson and moved to Broome County. Raised the family in Johnson City, drove EJ out of business in 2000 and spent the remainder of why work life at IBM before retiring in 2020. Then, like all good retirees, we moved north and upsized. Thrilled to be home in the 315!

 

[CuseFan]

Both. Grew up in Eastwood 15 min from campus, and grew up a rabid fan. Father worked at SU. Graduated in 1987. Had one class with Derrick Coleman, and another with Daryl Johnston. Sister and several cousins also graduated. Live in Northern VA now, and try to get back to at least 1-2 games a year.

Aunt and Uncle both graduates as well, and Aunt still tells stories of being in a class with Jim Brown.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Born in Syracuse, grew up in East Syracuse, graduated from SU in 1973, did some graduate work at SU. My Dad was a big SU football fan and my Brother and I were absorbed into the culture. I had the childhood thrill of meeting Ernie and later Floyd when he came to my high school. Got into SU hoops during the Bing years.

After marriage, my wife (SU Masters 1975), kids, and I lived in Camillus until moving to Michigan in 1991. I went home to CNY once or twice a year to visit family and friends until the pandemic hit. Went back this September for the first time in 2 1/2 years. Retired in 2012 and briefly considered moving back but now if I move again it will likely be closer to grandchildren.

My son teaches at the University of Oregon and while out there in November with my Grand-Neice (SU Maxwell grad and SU Equestrian team), we got a two bedroom, 2 bath hotel suite and decorated it with SU posters for a week. When we went to the gym in the morning, I wore my SU shirts and she wore an "Always Reppin' the Cuse" shirt.

Phlebotomists tell me that when I have bloodwork done, I bleed Orange. No kidding, I say.

 

[kirbivore]

Local from 30 min away. Family had season tickets since the dome opened. Also an alum. Born and raised an orangeman, and will die one.

I cant understand people finding it odd or wierd to be a Cuse fan if you have little or no connection to the actual University? That's not abnormal in college athletics. I mean look at Duke today, 95% of their "fans" have absolutely no connection to the university. Look at Gtown back in the 80s, or even a school like Indiana back in the 80s (and probably still today to some degree). Im sure there are plenty of more examples.

Ohio St. or any other factory state school where a vast majority of their in state fans didn't go to the school.

 

[OrangePA]

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?

Hometown and alum. Son of an alum. Grandson of an alum. Brother of an alum.

 

[Willy75]

Ohio St. or any other factory state school where a vast majority of their in state fans didn't go to the school.

Or the most obvious, Norte Dame.

 

[wfschrec]

Born and raised in Stockbridge NY … attended SU’s LC Smith College of Engineering and Comp Sci 95-99 … spent 2000-2009 working at LM in Liverpool before transferring to the. Marietta GA location until 2013 before working for a few other tech companies … moved to the Pensacola area in April of this year and I never miss a game. Have been watching Cuse football and hoops for 38 years. From Tim Green to Sean Tucker I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some incredible players.

 

[Chip]

Grew up a local. Then went to school there and became an alum after 4...or 5 years.

Then got the hell out of there before the next winter started, been in the DC area ever since and never looked back (go back a few times a year).

 

[wiCuse]

Neither as I'm from WI. My dad is from Syracuse and I grew up watching games with him. I've seen them play all over the country (mostly basketball).

 

[NJCuse97]

Alum. I went to SU for architecture from Northern NJ and graduated in '97 (5 years). Live in NJ and work in NYC. Spent time in DC right around the corner from the SU alumni center there.

I was fortunate to have unprecedented access to various programs and as a result have all sorts of great stories and experiences to talk about. I was hooked by hoops and lax in the late 80's and wasn't really aware of football until I arrived. I have met many great alums of hoops in large part because I was invited to the post-alumni game dinner at Grimaldi's. I dined with Pearl and Louie/Bouie that evening among other greats. I've played golf with Casey Powell, shot around with Charlie Lockwood, hung with McNabb at basketball games, talked football with Wallace (Dallas fan) and Moten (Commanders?), played pickup at Flannigan with Z and Rolland Williams, and once spent an afternoon watching monster movies with Donovin Darius. Too much to type here, but having 2 or 3 basketball players show up at my final thesis presentation in '97 caught one professor's eye. I've been hooked since I got on campus.

 

[ar inj]

Alum. Born in NYC. Dewitt resident for 25+ years

 

[Dave]

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?

No. It isn’t odd. As an alumnus I cheer on equal footing with many who truly recognize us as New Yorks team.