Syracuse Orange: 'Cuse Athletics Fund raises record $50 million, an encouraging sign

The 'Cuse Athletics Fund ('CAF), which supports Syracuse Orange student-athletes and their sports, set a record by raising $50 million in the most recent year, per SU Athletics, a highly encouraging sign amid the evolving landscape in collegiate athletics due to name, image and likeness opportunities and other factors at play.

According to SU Athletics, for the second straight year, 'CAF set a new fundraising record in supporting Syracuse Orange sports, and this was also the fourth year in a row that the program has grown its dollars raised and the number of donors.

The $50 million raised came from 14,367 donors, the most ever at SU and totaled 3,000 more than the prior year, SU Athletics says.

"In today's ever-changing college athletics landscape, donor support is more important than ever. Our Orange Athletics family continues to be humbled by the many ways our community rallies behind our program," Syracuse Orange athletics director John Wildhack said in the cuse.com statement. "Your support provides the competitive advantage we need to succeed and excel."

The Syracuse Orange looks to remain competitive in the ACC and nationally in NIL.

'CAF derives its fundraising from several components, such as the Athletics Opportunity Fund, sport-specific fundraising via the Head Coaches' Funds, and commitments to the John A. Lally Athletics Complex through donors to the Legends Society.

Per SU Athletics, the Athletics Opportunity Fund boasted a 257 percent increase over the prior year. Donors to the Athletics Opportunity Fund, meanwhile, reached an all-time high of 2,408 in the fiscal year 2024, while The Legends Society reached 264 total commitments to support the John A. Lally Athletics Complex.

In the press statement, Wildhack noted support for 'CAF as well as NIL organizations that support Syracuse Orange sports and 'Cuse players in that arena.

As far as I can tell, there are three NIL-related organizations supporting the Syracuse Orange. They are Orange United, SU Football NIL and Athletes Who Care.

Last September, Orange United launched. At that time, it signed a deal with multi-media rights company LEARFIELD to be an official partner of, and the preferred collective for, SU Athletics.

Orange United supports all 'Cuse sports. This commercial NIL collective is managed by the Atlanta-based Student Athlete NIL (“SANIL”). Two months ago, I first reported that a deal was being finalized for Syracuse basketball to suit up at a Las Vegas tournament in 2025 that will provide lucrative NIL payouts to participating teams.

SANIL helped facilitate the deal on behalf of Orange United and Syracuse, SANIL founder Jason Belzer told me back in early May.

Wildhack, in the SU Athletics' announcement, said that donor and fan support of both 'CAF and these NIL organizations will help to ensure the Syracuse Orange's "competitive success" now and into the future.