Syracuse to Honor 1996-98 BIG EAST Championship Teams

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Players from one of the most successful eras in Syracuse football history will reunite in Central New York the weekend of Sept. 14-16.

Members of the Orange's 1996, 1997 and 1998 BIG EAST championship teams are returning to Syracuse to celebrate their run of three straight conference titles, as well as the 20th anniversary of the 1998 squad that earned a berth in the Orange Bowl and finished No. 15 in the inaugural BCS standings. Alums of those teams will be recognized at the Carrier Dome during the second quarter of the Orange's ACC opener versus Florida State on Saturday, Sept. 15 and make appearances on the Quad before the game.

Among those expected to return for the celebration are NFL Pro Bowlers Donovan McNabb and Keith Bulluck, as well as Rob Konrad – the last player to wear the fabled No. 44 – and 1997 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Donovin Darius.

Led by head coach Paul Pasqualoni, Syracuse posted a 26-11 (.703) record from 1996-98. The Orange were 18-3 (.857) in conference play over that period, and all three teams finished in the top 25. Syracuse went 6-1 the BIG EAST to share the 1996 league crown with Miami (Fla.) and Virginia Tech before winning the conference championship outright the next two years with identical 6-1 marks.

McNabb quarterbacked the team all three seasons, and was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year after each one (he shared the award with Virginia Tech's Jim Druckenmiller in 1996). As a senior in 1998, McNabb, Konrad, defensive back Jason Poles and offensive lineman Scott Kiernan and captained an 8-4 Orange squad that defeated Michigan, Virginia Tech and Miami (Fla.) to earn an Orange Bowl berth opposite Florida.

In 1996, Syracuse began the campaign 0-2 before reeling off eight straight wins during the middle of the season. The team secured a bid to the Liberty Bowl and defeated Houston 30-17 to finish 9-3. Another eight-game winning streak the next season catapulted the Orange to its first outright BIG EAST title, a 1997 Fiesta Bowl bid, and a 9-4 record.

Overall, six different Syracuse players were rewarded with All-America honors during that three-year span, including first-team selections Kevin Abrams (1996), Darius (1997), Quinton Spotwood (1997) and Kevin Johnson (1998). Those teams also featured three future Pro Bowlers. In addition to McNabb and Bulluck, Dwight Freeney was a freshman on the 1998 team.

Twenty former Orange were drafted into the NFL off those squads, including first-round picks Tebucky Jones, Darius, McNabb, Bulluck, Will Allen and Freeney.

Season tickets start for Syracuse's six home games start at $125 and are on sale now online (Cuse.com/tickets), by phone (888-DOME-TIX) and at the Carrier Dome Box Office (Gate B). Single-game tickets to watch the Orange against Florida State start at $35

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Syracuse University Athletics

Syracuse to Honor 1996-98 BIG EAST Championship Teams

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