Recently added to the Atlantic Coast Conference, Syracuse University has been around since 1870. Although, the roots of this school go all the way back to an 1832 Methodist Episcopal Church founded school, Genesee Wesleyan Seminary. The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary became Genesee College and there was much debate about moving the school. Instead of moving, it founded independently on March 24, 1870 and located in the University Hill neighborhood of Syracuse, New York. The campus is a beautiful mix of traditional Romanesque buildings and contemporary structures and over 20,000 students attend the university. Many people call it "'Cuse," or "SU." The color of the school is orange and Otto the Orange is the mascot. Twenty varsity teams participate in NCAA Division 1 and they are commonly referred to as The Orange. The college is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian university and its motto is "Suos Cultores Scientia Coronat," which means, "Knowledge crowns those who seek her." Students at Syracuse are encouraged to follow this motto, grab knowledge by the horns, and make every moment at the university count towards their future.

Syracuse has thirteen colleges and schools and has over 200 majors. The schools are the School of Architecture, the College of Arts and Sciences, the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, Education, Information Studies, the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the University College, and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Post Graduate courses can be taken and degrees can be obtained from the Graduate program, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and the College of Law.

At Syracuse University, all 50 states are represented in the student body! Also, students can be found from 124 different countries! Out of all the students, over half are women and a little under half are men. Minority students make up only 23 percent of the student body which includes African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and a few from a combination of races.

The main campus at Syracuse University is located in Central New York which is extremely close to key cities like New York City, Boston, Montreal, and Toronto. University Hill is east and southeast of downtown, and is also home to a large business district. SUNY Upstate Medical University, Crouse Memorial Hospital, Veterans Administration medical center and SUNY college of Environmental Science and Forestry are a few of the schools and businesses that are a part of the University Hill neighborhood. Other campuses are located in New York City, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Study abroad programs are offered in over 40 countries and there are eight Study Abroad Centers. The study abroad centers are located in Santiago, Chile, Beijing, Istanbul, Strasbourg, France, Florence, Italy, Madrid, Spain, Hong Kong, and London.

Athletics at Syracuse University are a very important part of student life! The sports teams are called "the Orange" but can also be called "Orangemen" and "Orangewomen." There are seven men's game day sports which include basketball, football, lacrosse, cross country, soccer, track and field, and rowing. The eleven women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, lacrosse, ice hockey, rowing, and volleyball. The first football game was played in 1884 against Medical College. Football games, basketball games, and lacrosse games are played in the Carrier Dome. In all of the Northeast, the Carrier Dome is the largest of its kind seating over 49,000 people. Football rivalries are Penn State, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia and the Syracuse Orange have played each of these teams over 50 times. The Orange have won national championships in rowing, men's lacrosse, men's basketball, football, and men's cross country. With the start of Syracuse being a part of the ACC, the competition will be fierce. The Syracuse Orange are going to need their fans behind them to support them in their new venture against new teams! SidelineSweetie.com has plenty of dresses in orange to help you dress for the next game day. Since blue and white are often paired with the orange on sports uniforms, you can also find printed orange, blue, and white dresses. Tailgate Couture by Shaye Blue is sure to have a dress in your school colors and for whatever the weather in New York throws you!! A fun fact is that the original school colors were rose pink and pea green!! YUCK! It was not until 1890 that the official school color became orange. Because of the color orange, the mascot, Otto the Orange was formed. Otto is fairly new to the university. Originally the mascot was a Saltine Warrior, which was a Native American warrior. Legend has it that the Saltine Warrior was used because a archeological dig was done on campus and the remains of a Native American warrior was found. This story was found to be false but the mascot stayed! In 1978, the Native American warrior mascot was banned and a roman warrior was adopted. It was not until 1982 that Otto the Orange became the unofficial mascot, but it was made official in 1995.

Currently, there are over 240,000 living alumni. All 50 states and over 160 countries are represented. Some notable alumni are Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, Dick Clark, Vanessa Williams, and Taye Diggs. There are several alumni who are NFL football players like Donovan McNabb, Dwight Freeney, Tim Green, Darryl Johnston, Jim Brown, Floyd Little, and Kyle Johnson. Other alumni include Heisman Trophy winners, Pulitzer prize winners, a commander of a space shuttle, musicians, a member of the Saudi royal family, broadcasters, NBA players, and the inventor of the first artificial heart that was used for implantation in humans! Clearly, Syracuse University is a place of high standards in education and athletics.