In the rafters of the Carrier Dome hang a collection of football and basketball jerseys that represent some of Syracuse University’s most revered athletes, including Larry Csonka, Donovan McNabb, and Carmelo Anthony. But one jersey’s presence dominates the Dome’s skyline because of its legacy and prominence to the school — 44.
Since 1954, nine SU football players have worn the number, and three earned All-American honors. Those three — Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, and Floyd Little — rank among the finest running backs to play college football. The university retired the historic number in 2005, but 44’s legacy remains synonymous with the spirit of Orange Nation and evidence of its importance continues to manifest across the campus. For example, 44’s, a rowdy bar formerly located on Marshall Street, earned its raucous reputation in the ‘90s thanks to its Split Day, a tradition in which students began waiting at 7 a.m. to enter the bar for a full day of drinking. Then there’s Club 44 at the Carrier Dome, which treats its members to premium, VIP service for all of the venue’s events. Each year SU’s Office of Student Activities hands out 44 Stars of Excellence Awards to students and registered student organizations for their citizenship, leadership, philanthropy, and creativity. Finally, the program for Chancellor Kent Syverud’s inauguration comprised of 44 pages.
So when we decided to create an ultimate bucket list for Syracuse University students, we couldn’t ignore 44. If it’s good enough for Ernie Davis and Jim Brown, it’s good enough for you.
In this app, we list, explain, and detail the places you should go before graduating from Syracuse University. Our trips encourage adventures as close as Hendricks Chapel and as far as Niagara Falls. We suggest you taste the sprinkle-coated ice cream from Gannon’s Isle and down a plastic cup filled with Red Death at Chuck’s. We urge you to sled to the bottom of Crouse Hill and summit the top of the Adirondacks’ 46 peaks. We chose these 44 trips because they span the range of student experiences — from weekly traditions such as Flip Night at Faegan’s and rivalry basketball game in the Dome to less-well-known destinations such as China Road, an authentic Chinese restaurant north of town, Lily Dale, a psychic village near Rochester, and the Finger Lakes Wine Trails.
Embrace the number 44, round up your friends, and start crossing things off this list. You’re not a student forever, but you are an Orange for life.