Syracuse Orange

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Syracuse Orange
University Syracuse University
Conference Big East
NCAA Division I
Athletics director Daryl Gross
Location Syracuse, NY
Varsity teams
Football stadium Carrier Dome
Basketball arena Carrier Dome
Other arenas Manley Field House
Mascot Otto the Orange
Nickname Orange
Fight song Down The Field
Colors Orange and Blue

             
Homepage http://www.suathletics.com/

The Syracuse Orange is the nickname used by the athletic teams of Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Big East Conference. The school's mascot is Otto the Orange. Teams were previously known (until 2004) as the "Orangemen" and "Orangewomen" and, originally, as the "Saltine Warriors." The men's basketball, football, men's lacrosse, and women's basketball teams play in the Carrier Dome. Other sports facilities are located at the nearby Manley Field House complex.

Contents

[edit] Current sports programs

Women's ice hockey will be added for the 2008-09 season, joining College Hockey America.

[edit] Important firsts

  • Rowing team founded: 1873
  • First recorded football game: 1884 vs. Medical College of Syracuse
  • First intercollegiate football game: 1889 vs. University of Rochester
  • First recorded basketball game: 1899 vs. Christian Association of Hamilton (Ontario)

[edit] Football history

New football coach Greg Robinson "chases" the last of his players onto the field before the kickoff of his inaugural 2005 season. It was also the first game played on the Carrier Dome's new FieldTurf.
New football coach Greg Robinson "chases" the last of his players onto the field before the kickoff of his inaugural 2005 season. It was also the first game played on the Carrier Dome's new FieldTurf.

Syracuse played its first intercollegiate football game in 1889, and achieved its first success in the 1890s and 1900s. With the construction of "state-of-the-art" Archbold Stadium in 1907, Syracuse rose to national prominence under Hall of Fame coach Frank "Buck" O'Neill. The 1915 squad garnered a Rose Bowl invitation that the school declined, having already played on the West Coast that season.

The 1920s saw continued success with teams featuring star end Vic Hanson, the only individual who is a member of both the Basketball Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame, and who later coached the team. Through this period, Colgate University was the school's biggest rival.

The late 1930s and 1940s saw a decline in fortunes that began to reverse when Ben Schwartzwalder took over as coach in 1949. Syracuse made its first bowl appearance in the 1953 Orange Bowl, followed by appearances in the 1957 Cotton Bowl and the 1959 Orange Bowl. The 1957 Cotton Bowl team featured Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown. During this era, Penn State emerged as Syracuse's principal rival, replacing Colgate University which had not kept up to compete at a national level.

In 1959, Syracuse earned its first National Championship following an undefeated season and Cotton Bowl victory over Texas. The team featured sophomore running back Ernie Davis, who was the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy in 1961. Davis was slated to play for the Cleveland Browns in the same backfield as Jim Brown, but died of leukemia before being able to play professionally.

Syracuse remained competitive through the 1960s with a series of All American running backs, including Floyd Little and Larry Csonka. The program began a gradual decline, though, in the 1970s. The construction of the Carrier Dome in 1980 began to turn the program around, as did the success of future NFL stars Joe Morris and Art Monk.

The program returned suddenly to national prominence in 1987 under coach Dick MacPherson with an undefeated 11-0 regular season record. The team featured Maxwell Award winning quarterback Don McPherson and fullback Daryl Johnston. The team missed an opportunity to play for the NCAA Division I-A national football championship, because both the University of Oklahoma and the University of Miami also finished undefeated that year and finished higher in the polls. Instead, the team faced Southeastern Conference champion Auburn University in the Sugar Bowl. The game ended in a tie when Auburn kicked a late field goal rather than trying for a game winning touchdown.

Over the next 14 seasons (1988-2001), the program enjoyed tremendous success under coach MacPherson and his successor Paul Pasqualoni, appearing in 11 bowl games (including 3 major bowls) and winning 9. The team also captured or shared 4 Big East football championships during this period. Prominent players of the period included Donovan McNabb, Marvin Harrison, Dwight Freeney, Keith Bulluck, Rob Moore, Donovin Darius, Qadry Ismail, Kevin Johnson, Rob Konrad, Tebucky Jones and Marvin Graves. Rivalries shifted in the early 1990s as Penn State ended its series with Syracuse and joined the Big Ten. Syracuse, meanwhile, joined the newly formed Big East football conference with traditional rivals University of Pittsburgh, and West Virginia University and national programs Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech.

In 2004, Miami and Virginia Tech left the Big East to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, followed by Boston College in 2005, threatening the stature of the Big East. Syracuse was originally supposed to leave the Big East and join the ACC, but the ACC decided to allow Virginia Tech to join the conference instead. Thus, Syracuse remained in the Big East. However, the departures coincided with a "dry" period for the football program, prompting the University to hire Greg Robinson, former defensive coordinator for the Texas Longhorns, as head coach beginning with the 2005 season. That season, the Orange went 1-10, the worst season in Syracuse history.

On November 12, 2005, Syracuse University retired the uniform number 44, to honor Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little, and the legacy of the number itself, which has become so associated with Syracuse that the university's ZIP code, 13244, was requested by university officials to remember those who wore 44 for the Orange.

Syracuse also retired the uniform number 88 in honor of tight end John Mackey (1960-62) on Sept 15, 2007. Mackey, who is considered one of the greatest tight ends to play football, was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1992. He was named to the Pro Bowl five times as a member of the Baltimore Colts. He also played in two Super Bowls.

[edit] Men's basketball history

Main article: Syracuse Orange 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's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference.

[edit] Baseball history

Syracuse fielded a team in baseball from 1870 through 1921, and again from 1923 to 1972, when the team was disbanded. The Orangemen appeared in the 1961 College World Series, and were eliminated by Oklahoma State. The 1961 team entered the College World Series in Omaha with a 16-3 record. In their first game they defeated Northern Colorado 12-5, but were defeated in their next game 12-9 by Oklahoma State. They then defeated Western Michigan 6-0, before being eliminated by eventual tournament runner-up Oklahoma State 8-0. The 1961 SU baseball team included two future major league pitchers, Dave Guisti and Billy Connors. The team also included four members of the 1959 NCAA championship football team: Dave Sarette, Billy Canon, Dick Easterly, and Bob Lelli. In the 1961 College World Series, Sarette was named to the all-tournament team as the third baseman.

Syracuse played its home games on Lew Carr Field, named after the Orangemen's coach from 1910-1942. The field was situated behind Manley Field House, where the lacrosse practice fields are today. At the height of the sport's popularity, often more than 1,000 fans attended the games.

During the cold winter months, the team practiced in an old barn adjacent to Manley. There was a batting cage made of nets and some artificial mounds for pitchers to throw batting practice, but not much else. The only heating was a big space heater inside. There was no way to work on fielding or baserunning, nor could the pitchers realistically throw live pitches to batters.

Many students, alumni, citizens and other baseball enthusiasts in the area are in favor of an NCAA team being formed on campus. Even if the college did try to start a varsity NCAA team, the athletic budget is a difficult barrier to overcome. In a Sept. 12, 2006, story that appeared in The Daily Orange, Michael Wasylenko, current chairman of the Athletic Policy Board, said Title IX and Syracuse's athletic budget is still a major crutch. "If we added a men's sport, we'd have to get rid of a men's sport," Wasylenko said in the article. "And that's probably not a good idea."

Steve Owens, the head baseball coach at neighboring LeMoyne College said in a March 2007 article of the The Daily Orange, "Without question, you could be successful in this part of the country," Owens said. "I know money is a big issue at a lot of places, but just talking about the game itself, I see no reason why baseball couldn't be a great fit at Syracuse."

A club 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).

[edit] Notable coaches, past and present

[edit] Facilities

[edit] Carrier Dome

Built in 1980, the Carrier Dome is a 50,000-seat domed sports stadium 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. It is home to the Syracuse Orangemen 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; but this limit has been exceeded several times.

[edit] Manley Field House

Built in 1962, this complex houses many of the offices of SU Athletics. It also contains the exercise facilities for athletes and the Field House itself seats 9,500, and hosts many of the games and competitions of SU teams. Adjacent to the complex there are a variety of fields used for softball, soccer, and field hockey. 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 for basketball, at the time among the largest campus facilities in the Northeast, supported the rise to national prominence of the men's basketball program. The team shifted to the Carrier Dome after the 1980 season. In the final men's basketball game played at Manley, Georgetown University snapped the Orangemen's 57 game home winning streak.

[edit] Archbold Stadium

Thanks to a $600,000 gift by Syracuse University trustee and Standard Oil President, John D. Archbold, what was publicized as the “Greatest Athletic Arena in America” opened in 1907. Designed to resemble the Roman Coliseum and to never become outdated, Archbold Stadium became a trademark of Syracuse football. The stadium formed a massive 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 Carrier 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 Carrier Dome, which opened in 1980.[1]

[edit] National Championships

  • 1908 - Rowing
  • 1913 - Rowing
  • 1916 - Rowing
  • 1918 - Men's Basketball
  • 1920 - Rowing
  • 1920 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 1922 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 1924 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 1925 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 1926 - Men's Basketball
  • 1951 - Men's Cross Country
  • 1959 - Rowing (World Championship)
  • 1959 - Football
  • 1978 - Rowing
  • 1983 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 1988 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 1989 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 1990 - Men's Lacrosse **
  • 1993 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 1995 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 2000 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 2002 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 2003 - Men's Basketball
  • 2004 - Men's Lacrosse
  • 2008 - Men's Lacrosse

** 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. (http://www.ncaasports.com/lacrosse/mens/history)

[edit] Notable athletes

[edit] Nicknames, mascots, and colors

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Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2007)
Logo version of Otto the Orange
Logo version of Otto the Orange

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, concise, and reflects the basis of the nickname as being the school color. 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.

[edit] Mascot

In 1931, a Native American warrior known as the "Saltine Warrior"photo 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 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 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, one of the first colleges to ban Native American motifs. The mascot briefly morphed into a Roman warrior, but was eventually replaced unofficially in 1982 by a giant, cartoon-style Orange.

Up until 1990, the mascot was officially known on and off campus as "The Orange." But the secret tradition by the Lambda Chi Alpha brothers was to name each costume. Hence, the first Orange was dubbed "Clyde" (1982–1988), and the second called "Woody" (1988–1990), and these names were known only to the fraternity and cheerleading squad. However, when the University opened up the mascot traditions to the entire student body in 1990, a third costume was produced and a new name was needed.

[edit] Otto the Orange

Main article: 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.[3] [4]

Otto the Orange was finally adopted by the University in 1995 as the University's official mascot, selected over a wolf and a lion also under consideration.

[edit] References

  1. ^ (Source: SU Athletics)

[edit] External links

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