Let’s get one thing out of the way up front – no Syracuse fans are happy with the outcome of the game. Other than that, however, I think Syracuse, the iSchool, and Orange fans from all points had a great time.
We all know that Syracuse and Seattle are a long way apart (though each city is within 2 degrees of the 45th parallel). That didn’t stop Orange fans from making the cross-country trip, and loving it. Sean Keeley, author of Syracuse sports blog Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician, had this to say about the fans who made the trip,
I met people who had come in from Syracuse, San Francisco, Ft. Wayne, Montana, New York City, Binghamton, Los Angeles and Portland just to name a few. [The game] was a great reminder of a) how great and supportive Syracuse fans really are and b) sports are the great common denominator.
Plus, it doesn’t hurt the have a destination like Seattle (sorry, Morgantown):
[S]eriously, I didn’t meet one person who wasn’t either considering a move to Seattle or loved the city in general.
Seattle did make sure to greet incoming SU fans properly:
iSchool alumni in the area were invited to a gather at a local restaurant Friday night before the game. We had a great turnout, with alums from 2010 all the way back to the mid-1960’s coming out to network with each other, get caught up on what the iSchool is up to, and support their alma mater.
We were even graced by a pre-game appearance by Coach Marrone:
Syracuse fans turned out in droves for the pre-game festivities, including Chancellor Cantor and recent NFL Hall of Fame inductee Floyd Little. The weather cooperated, and we had a great attendance for the game (over 62,000 fans – many of whom were wearing Orange):
The iSchool, in particular, was well-received. Many of the folks I spoke with are planning to turn out in December for our Social Media 101 event at the Downtown Seattle Public Library.
Syracuse has long been a flagship institution in the Northeast, but the message of Syracuse’s success is clearly spreading. It is an exciting time as Syracuse’s reputation continues to grow on the West Coast, and I look forward to using this space to keep you up do date on the changes and exciting opportunities.
Until then, Go Orange!
