Syracuse basketball eyes budget of $9M to $10M; GMac, new AD can get it done

Syracuse basketball is hoping to raise between $9 million and $10 million for its roster budget in the 2026-27 campaign. Even more than that would be nice.

Can new head coach Gerry McNamara reach that? I believe so, but only time will tell. Finances are pivotal these days in collegiate hoops, as programs need significant funds from season to season to retain existing players while attracting both college transfers and high school prospects to their rosters.

It's not entirely clear what Syracuse's budget was this past term, when the team went 15-17 overall and head coach Adrian Autry, unfortunately, was let go after a combined 49-48 record in his three stanzas at the Orange's helm.

I've opined on more than one occasion that money wasn't the issue for SU in the 2025-26 season. Players underperformed, and the coaching staff didn't get the job done.

New Syracuse basketball head coach Gerry McNamara should have a sufficient roster budget.

With McNamara, earlier this week, being named the next head coach of Syracuse men's basketball, that has appeared to re-energize the team, evidenced by the money it raised during SU's recent giving day.

McNamara will hold his first formal press conference on Monday. His assistant coaching staff should be announced soon, and that likely will include a new general manager. Then GMac and his staff will get to work putting their 2026-27 roster together.

Given that SU is a private school, a lot of the information out there regarding Syracuse basketball's roster budget is anecdotal, and you see all kinds of different numbers reported about what the Orange may have had in 2025-26.

Even though it's early on in his tenure as head coach, McNamara appears confident that the 'Cuse can be competitive within the Atlantic Coast Conference when it comes to finances. The team's roster budget will be derived from two primary components: direct revenue-sharing and third-party NIL deals.

CBS Sports recently noted that of the approximately $9 million in total funds that Syracuse basketball hopes to raise in 2026-27, at least $4.5 million will come from revenue-sharing. One thing that I've stressed for some time now is that SU's third-party NIL strategy isn't clear these days.

To be fair, Syracuse's new athletics director, Bryan Blair, only recently came on the board. The same is true of GMac. Blair has a reputation for being a strong fundraiser, which is encouraging. Syracuse.com reported on Friday that Syracuse basketball booster Vinny Lobdell is putting together a group that he's hopeful will raise between $4 million and $5 million for the Orange program.

Whether those funds would help get Syracuse basketball to a total of $9 million to $10 million - or well beyond that - remains to be seen. It's also not clear if Lobdell's group would commit that kind of money beyond 2026-27.

That's the challenge with today's climate in college basketball. These kinds of funds must be raised year after year. Currently, there is no official collective providing third-party NIL deals to Syracuse basketball, after Orange United closed up shop last fall.

There have been rumblings that, perhaps, SU Football NIL could extend beyond supporting Syracuse football players to other 'Cuse sports. Might billionaire businessman and philanthropist Adam Weitsman get involved again with Orange hoops? He supported GMac and Siena.

Via text message, I asked Weitsman earlier this week if he would be open to investing in Syracuse basketball if McNamara wanted him to; Weitsman responded, "Maybe." On March 24, Weitsman told The Times Union in part, "Wherever Gerry goes, I’m going to help Gerry."

It's also possible that another collective could surface to support 'Cuse hoops, but nothing is determined at this time. Remember, GMac and Blair both just got hired. There is a lot for SU Athletics to sort out.

I'll say this, though: McNamara should - I repeat, should - have ample funds to construct a quality 2026-27 roster.