College Team Guide

Syracuse Orange: History, National Titles & Facts

Syracuse won the 1959 football national championship and the 2003 NCAA men's basketball title. In 1961 Syracuse running back Ernie Davis became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.

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Quick facts

Football first season	1889
Basketball first season	1900–01
Home venue	JMA Wireless Dome, opened 1980 as the Carrier Dome
National titles	Football 1959; NCAA basketball 2003
Heisman winner	Ernie Davis (1961)
Conference	ACC since 2013; Big East before that

National championships

Syracuse has one football national title (1959) and one NCAA basketball title (2003). The Helms Athletic Foundation also retroactively named Syracuse basketball champion for 1917–18 and 1925–26.

1959 football: finished 11–0 and No. 1 in the AP and Coaches polls; beat Texas 23–14 in the Cotton Bowl
2003 NCAA basketball: beat Kansas 81–78
NCAA basketball runner-up: 1987 (lost 74–73 to Indiana) and 1996 (lost 76–67 to Kentucky)
Big East football titles: 1996, 1997, 1998, 2004, 2012
Big East basketball tournament titles: 1981, 1988, 1992, 2005, 2006

Program history

1889: Syracuse played its first football season.
1907: Archbold Stadium opened; it hosted football until 1978.
1959: Won the football national championship under coach Ben Schwartzwalder.
1961: Ernie Davis won the Heisman Trophy.
1976: Jim Boeheim became basketball coach; he held the job until 2023.
1980: The Carrier Dome opened, renamed the JMA Wireless Dome in 2022.
2013: Joined the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Program record holders

Basketball points	Lawrence Moten, 2,334
Basketball rebounds	Derrick Coleman, 1,537
Football career rushing leader	Joe Morris (1978–81)

Retired jerseys

5Donovan McNabb (football)
9Don McPherson (football)
39Larry Csonka (football)
44Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little (football; retired 2005)
47Joe Morris (football)
54Dwight Freeney (football)
72Tim Green (football)
88John Mackey (football)
1Hakim Warrick (basketball)
3Gerry McNamara (basketball)
4Rony Seikaly (basketball)
8Vic Hanson (basketball)
10Jim Lee (basketball)
15Carmelo Anthony (basketball)
17Billy Gabor (basketball)
19Wilmeth Sidat-Singh (basketball)
20Sherman Douglas (basketball)
21Lawrence Moten (basketball)
22Dave Bing and Dennis DuVal (basketball)
30Billy Owens (basketball)
31Dwayne "Pearl" Washington (basketball)
44Derrick Coleman and John Wallace (basketball)
45Rudy Hackett (basketball)
50Roosevelt Bouie (basketball)
55Louis Orr (basketball)

College Football and Basketball Hall of Famers

Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little, Larry Csonka, Tim Green, Don McPherson, Art Monk, Dwight Freeney, Marvin Harrison (elected 2026), Ben Schwartzwalder, Dick MacPherson, Vic Hanson, Jim Boeheim.

Biggest rivalries

Georgetown Hoyas: a basketball rivalry built in the Big East from 1979.
Penn State Nittany Lions: a long-running eastern football rivalry from the independent era.
Boston College Eagles: a football series between former Big East members that both later joined the ACC.

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Syracuse Orange FAQ

How many national championships has Syracuse won in football and basketball?

Two: the 1959 football national title and the 2003 NCAA men's basketball title.

Who won the Heisman Trophy for Syracuse?

Ernie Davis, in 1961. He was the first African American to win the award.

Why is No. 44 famous at Syracuse?

It was worn by running backs Jim Brown, Ernie Davis and Floyd Little. Syracuse retired the football number in a 2005 ceremony.

Who did Syracuse beat for the 2003 NCAA title?

Kansas, 81–78, in New Orleans.

What was the JMA Wireless Dome called before?

The Carrier Dome, from its opening in 1980 until 2022.

Sources

Facts checked September 23, 2026. Live figures above come from ESPN.

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