Syracuse women's basketball GM Mykala Walker calls on businesses, alums for NIL help

Syracuse women's basketball is having a special 2025-26 season, with the Orange (21-5 overall, 11-4 in ACC) eyeing a trip to this spring's NCAA Tournament.

Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, a former All-American at the 'Cuse and an excellent recruiter, has called on millionaires and billionaires to provide financial assistance amid the landscape in college sports rapidly changing, fueled by schools now being able to pay their athletes directly, along with third-party name, image and likeness ("NIL") deals, whether through individuals, businesses or commercial collectives.

On Tuesday, in an interview on ESPN Radio Syracuse's "Orange Nation" program, Syracuse women's basketball general manager Mykala Walker echoed Legette-Jack's sentiments, particularly as it relates to third-party NIL opportunities.

"We've got to get some engagement from businesses and communities across the nation," Walker said. "Syracuse is one of the places that has some of the best and biggest alumni all over the country."

She notes that it's important for her program to be able to offer third-party NIL opportunities, "because some of the teams that we would have to compete with, they really have a huge head start in that space."

Walker added, "It's probably never going to be enough," and it's also "a huge part of how we're going to be able to construct the rosters going forward."

Syracuse women's basketball will go dancing this March.

Now, the financial components of roster construction, these days, is complex for college basketball programs. Schools are paying their players directly, and Syracuse Athletics has said that it's sharing the maximum amount allowed, roughly $20.5 million, in revenue-sharing during the 2025-26 sports season.

A year ago, in February of 2025, SU Athletics announced that it had launched a three-year, $50 million fundraising campaign to aid with the retention and attraction of top-flight athletes, including existing players, college transfers and high school prospects.

The third-party NIL arena, though, is a bit more convoluted and confusing. Many schools have commercial collectives that facilitate these efforts, and third-party NIL deals are important to supplement direct revenue-sharing, experts say.

Beyond football, however, it's unclear if there is a commercial collective in place to support Syracuse women's and men's basketball, the lacrosse programs and other sports. Orange United closed up shop last fall, and I've asked Syracuse Athletics officials multiple times to provide clarity on what SU's third-party NIL strategy entails, with the main response pointing me to the $50 million fundraising campaign.

I've had some background conversations regarding another entity that may have been providing third-party NIL support to Syracuse men's basketball over the past year or two, but I don't have much information at this point. Most people whom I've asked about it don't want to talk on the record.

Certainy, wealthy individuals, alumni and businesses could be donating to this SU Athletics' fundraising campaign. Third-party NIL deals could also be taking place beyond the Syracuse Athletics' umbrella, but in terms of a commercial collective being in operation for sports besides SU football, that's up in the air.

Experts have told me in the past that if Syracuse Athletics doesn't have a third-party collective in place for NIL deals in these other sports, to supplement direct revenue-sharing, that could be a longer-term issue for SU.

To be fair, Orange United not being in existence any longer doesn't automatically mean that 'Cuse sports can't be competitive in the ACC from a financial perspective. SU Athletics is allocating the maximum cap in revenue-sharing in 2025-26, but it's just tough to gauge how well Syracuse football and the SU basketball programs, among others, are faring in third-party NIL.

Candidly, if Legette-Jack and Walker are making these sorts of comments, then Syracuse's fundraising efforts still have work to do. Syracuse women's basketball is expected to hear its name called on Selection Sunday, and the team recently hosted a pair of five-star guards on visits, which is exciting.

But money - for better or for worse - is the name of the game in college sports these days. Syracuse women's basketball coaches and staff members recognize this. And they need your help.