In an interview with Central New York television personality Andrew Wenskoski, former Syracuse basketball Jim Boeheim estimated that the football program needs $20 million in NIL money to be competitive. He also said that he thought the men's basketball program needs $10 million.

Per Wenskoski on social media:

Jim Boeheim told us today that he believes Syracuse men's basketball needs a $10 million budget to be competitive in NIL

He did not say how much the team spent this season, but said they had more money than last year - when the budget was reportedly slightly over $2M

A whole new ballgame 

NIL and the transfer portal have completely changed the way that college athletics are played. On the positive side, it's never been easier for schools to acquire talent, and it's what's allowed traditionally bad programs like Indiana and Vanderbilt football to become relevant - and in short order. On the negative side, traditional powers who have been unable to properly adjust have been left behind in some respects. Conference re-alignment has also had something to do with the changing landscape. 

That's not to say that Syracuse has been left behind, but the basketball program has certainly seen some turmoil, having not made the NCAA Tournament since 2020-21. This season, the group is 6-4 and just suffered a 70-69 loss at home against Hofstra, something that had never happened before. 

More Syracuse stories

One good thing did come out of SU loss against Hofstra

Adrian Autry signing similar refrain after Hofstra loss

New Syracuse DC feels he's exactly where he needs to be

What does SU need, in addition to money?

Frankly? Time. But time isn't always present in today's college athletics world. On the basketball side, Syracuse is full of young players right now. Kiyan Anthony, Sadiq White and Tyler Betsey are all freshmen, and Donnie Freeman is a sophomore. If that group was able to stay together and grow, there's optimism that the Orange could be really good in the next two years, but with the NBA Draft and the transfer portal always staring back at head coach Adrian Autry, there's no guarantee that this group stays together.

And that's where NIL comes in: You either have to have enough money in order to buy your players' continued commitment - or to pay for new players that can come in instantly and contribute. 

Up next

Syracuse will take on Mercyhurst on Wednesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome. Our own Tom Goslowski will be covering the game and you can find him on social media @TomGozz. Tip-off time is set for 7 p.m. ET. 

Join the Conversation

Remember to join our SYRACUSE on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Orange fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!