Syracuse Football Coach Sets Audacious NIL Goal for Next Season

Syracuse Orange football coach Fran Brown also said that, for the moment, his program ranks in the middle of his conference in ready money to pay players.

Matthew Postins | Mar 24, 2025

Sep 7, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown celebrates with his team after a win against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at the JMA Wireless Dome. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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Syracuse Orange

Syracuse Orange football coach Fran Brown did a magnificent job in his first season leading the football program, taking them to a double-digit win season and a bowl victory.

But year two is coming and he knows what he needs to compete — money. Last week, he expressed a goal for his program when it comes to name, image and likeness money.

He knows that the athletic program has already committed to sharing revenue at the highest level once the House vs. NCAA settlement is complete. That figure is tentatively set for $20.5 million.

Brown wants more when it comes to NIL and he’s not shy about expressing it.

He told Syracuse.com that he hopes that between the community and the program’s collectives that they’re able to raise anywhere from $6-8 million in additional money to help pay, retain and recruit players.

“SU Football NIL (collective) is going to help us be able to compete,” Brown said. “There will be people with a larger amount of money but by us doing this, we’re looking to raise $6 to $8 million, to go along with the revenue share. With that, and the way we recruit and the way that we play, we’ll be able to compete with anybody in the country.”

Brown also said that the collective is paying each of his players something, including walk-ons.

If the House settlement is approved, Syracuse will have to be at 105 scholarships, like every other FBS program that opts into revenue sharing. He’s also looking forward to the additional monetary support in revenue-sharing. He estimated that Syracuse is currently in the middle of the pack in the ACC when it comes to money to share. He believes the program will be the Top 25 percent of the conference.

Brown is one of the game’s rising stars in the coaching profession. The Camden, N.J. native played college football, spent some time with the Cincinnati Bengals and then worked his way up the ranks as an assistant coach with Temple and Baylor under Matt Rhule, along with Georgia under Kirby Smart. With Smart, he won a national title.

He took over at Syracuse last season and turned the Orange around, leading them to a 10-3 season and a trip to the Holiday Bowl and a season-ending Top 25 rankings.

Brown recently told reporters that he requires each of his players to put aside 40% of their NIL earning for the future, drawing on his experience growing up poor in Camden.

He said that had he been able to make money as a college football player that would have gone to help his mother support his siblings and pay bills. He doesn’t want his players to walk away from college without money to start their post-football life.

He also requires his players to take financial literacy courses.

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