Syracuse Orange: I have some name, image and likeness ideas for the 'Cuse

There has been a lot of discussion about the Syracuse Orange and NIL. My guy Neil even shared his take on one of the current NIL operations. I’d like to note that many great people are helping as much as they can and folks like the Lally family are the heartbeat of these programs.

But why stop there? Personally I’m not a fan of pay-to-play. I’m 100% behind paying a college athlete for their name rights, image usage and anything resembling their likeness as the idea intended. But since the NCAA chose to invest more in lobbying the government hoping to even prevent that, they lost and the floodgates opened with chaos and anarchy to a crazy level that might not be able to get a handle on it. So now sadly we will likely see players continue to demand 6-7 figures a year and Syracuse has to either compete or lose games and likely its fanbase if it doesn’t.

So I’m proposing that instead of simply asking fans for donations, why not make it more convenient for fans to contribute in ways that also benefit them? Maybe get businesses involved as well without asking too much more of them than what they might already be doing.

What do I mean? Here is just a list of examples of ways income could possibly be generated and money specifically earmarked for NIL programs.

Some NIL ideas for the Syracuse Orange.

• What about creating some delicious Tully's Orange Chicken or BBQ tenders? Dino Cuse tailgate plate? A Varsity NIL pizza?
• Maybe try some Byrne Dairy orange juice in a Syracuse collector container? Syracuse football is already incorporating orange juice into its routine so why not capitalize on that too?
• Start reselling Dome concession items in Syracuse collection cups and bowls and then consumers get a souvenir and a couple dollars from each sale goes towards the NIL collective.
• Affordable meals with players or alumni with speeches, autographs or auctions. I’ve seen a couple of these already out of my price range but maybe what about doing it with pizza and wings and players/alumni present to help those who can’t pay $500 each?
• Bring back Orange Crush limited edition Cuse cans or maybe Mountain Dew LiveWire since Pepsi is made locally in Clinton’s Ditch. Pepsi is made here and sold at the Dome so I’m assuming there is already some deal in place, so why not bring in a deal to help?
• Charge to watch practices occasionally and include food trucks or something similar. Obviously, not every practice but why not make a few public and invite food trucks or something, make it affordable and every dollar goes towards that program's NIL.
• Come up with fun clothing designs with original artwork or slogans that are fun and proceeds go towards that specifically. I know there are designs out there already but come up with some fun new ideas or maybe even a fan contest to design a new one that can be sold at a decent price and goes to NIL.
• Have a contest where the local school that raises the most money for a fundraiser gets a coach or player to come to their school for a pizza party. Maybe get with Chocolate Pizza Company, owned by a former Cuse player, and encourage schools to sell them with a dollar or two from each sale going towards NIL.
• Bring back Adam Weitsman! Unless someone can show me actual proof he did something criminal, he brought money and excitement to the programs and attended games. Without him, you likely didn’t get a few star players in the past here & to my knowledge he followed the rules and only wanted what was best for Jim Boeheim and Syracuse.
• Give anything and everything naming rights or exclusive deals including dorms, cafeterias, streets, vending machines, etc. Heck, I’m okay naming dorms and cafeterias after sponsors if it helps. Give me the National Grid South Campus or Sadler Hall brought to you by Apple.
• Do more hosting of bigger tailgate parties on the quad or even Skytop with food and quality entertainment.
• If you’re going to charge for parking, at least put a portion of the funds into an NIL account. Charging money to park my car might be “acceptable” for events but to me it’s ridiculous, but at least knowing that if I do, it goes to something like that eases a bit of the pain.
• Bring back 44’s (or something similarly named) but have it affiliated with SU Athletics and profits go towards NIL with themed items named after players.