Syracuse football is working with one of the leaner roster budgets in the ACC, and that puts the Orange in a familiar kind of spot: trying to win while spending less than most of the league.
On Wednesday, The Athletic took a broad look at how Power Four schools are building rosters financially, focusing on what athletic departments are putting into the team rather than any outside money players might make on their own. At the top of the national spending list are Ohio State and Oregon, both just under $50 million, with Texas sitting in the $45-55 million range.
That spending picture lines up with where those programs have started the season. Ohio State opened at No.
1, Oregon at No. 2, and Texas was No. 4 when the Longhorns beat Ohio State in Week 2. Texas is now ranked No.
The ACC’s average school is spending somewhere between $21-25 million, but that number is skewed in both directions. Miami is pushing nearly $50 million a year, while Boston College is down in the $7-13 million range.
Syracuse lands near the bottom of the conference. In the 17-team ACC, the Orange are No. 12 in spending, ahead of only Pitt, Stanford, Wake Forest, Duke and Boston College. Syracuse’s roster budget sits between about $17 and $22 million.
The bigger question is whether a team can still be good at that level. The short answer is yes, but not without help.
The top spenders tend to show up in the rankings, with each of the 10 biggest spenders currently ranked. Oregon and Tennessee are the exceptions, sitting at 21 and 15, respectively.
Even in the ACC, there’s room to succeed without being near the top of the spending chart. SMU is ranked No. 16 and is only slightly ahead of Syracuse in spending, while Virginia is ranked No. 25 and is 10th in the league. Duke reached the ACC title game last season and ranked 16th in conference spending.
That kind of path, though, usually comes with a long checklist: elite player development, a favorable schedule and excellent facilities.
Syracuse, meanwhile, is 1-1 and coming off a tough loss to Cal on Saturday. Fran Brown’s team returns Thursday night against Pitt, and it will be the Orange’s first road game of the season.
In Other News...
Syracuse Loss Still Left Recruits Talking About What They Saw
Even in a 21-18 loss to California in Syracuses ACC opener, the visit list at the JMA Wireless Dome gave the Orange something to build on. More than a dozen recruits from the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes were on hand, getting a close look at the program as the night unfolded, and the setting itself clearly did some of the heavy lifting. Between the crowd energy, the way the staff stayed engaged and the teams ability to keep battling, it was the kind of game that can linger with a young prospect long after the final whistle.
For Syracuse, the encouraging part was not just that recruits showed up, but that several came away talking about what they saw on the field. Players and special teams moments stood out during the visit, and the Oranges resilience in a tight game seemed to register with the group in attendance. A loss is never the ideal showcase, but this one still offered a reminder that the right atmosphere and effort can leave an impression even when the result does not. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Faces A Brutal Pitt Test It Still Hasn't Solved
Syracuse heads into Thursday nights trip to Acrisure Stadium knowing the matchup has not been friendly ground in recent years. The Orange are set to face Pittsburgh at 7:30 p.m., and a panel of reporters and analysts spent this week circling the same issue from different angles: Syracuses offense has work to do, while Pitts defense has earned the kind of respect that makes for a difficult road assignment.
The predictions varied, including disagreement over the final score and whether Syracuse can stay within the spread, but the larger theme was consistent. This is the sort of game that forces the Orange to prove it can handle a physical opponent away from home, and until it shows more on offense, the questions around this one are likely to linger right up to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuses Biggest Gerry McNamara Question Is Starting To Come Into Focus
CBS Sports Insider Jon Rothstein spent a day around the Syracuse Orange and came away with a clearer picture of what new head coach Gerry McNamara may have to work with in 2026-27. His observations pointed to a roster that looks deeper and more balanced than it might have a few weeks ago, with several key pieces already emerging as likely starters and the teams exhibition opener against UConn on Oct. 13 looming as the first real checkpoint.
Still, there are a few moving parts left for McNamara to sort through, and one of the bigger ones is tied to Garwey Duals collarbone injury. Rothstein also flagged Sadiq White Jr.s improved three-point shooting as a development that could matter in shaping the rotation, giving Syracuse a little more flexibility as it works toward a lineup that fits the new coachs vision. [Read more 🡒]