Daryl Gross has actively marketed Syracuse as ‘New York’s College Team’ since he began his tenure as athletic director seven years ago.

Syracuse’s victory over Kansas State in the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium last December was a milestone for Gross in achieving his ultimate goal of dominating New York’s collegiate landscape.

With Syracuse set to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014, though, the program may not get a chance to play on that stage in the future. The Pinstripe Bowl is currently in the second year of a four-year contract with the Big East and Big 12. So when SU makes the move to the ACC in 2014, the Pinstripe Bowl’s contract will be open.

And Gross would like nothing more than for the ACC to explore a contract with the Pinstripe Bowl when its current deal expires to maintain Syracuse’s influence in New York and potentially compete against former Big East rivals.

‘Absolutely, absolutely. I would love that,’ Gross said. ‘I think that the Pinstripe Bowl folks would probably love to check out those types of relationships. There’s just good matchups. And heck, why can’t it be a Big East-ACC? Why can’t it be some of those types of things?’

Once its current deal with the Big East and Big 12 expires, the bowl could be open to new options. That is when Gross hopes the ACC slides into the Big 12’s potentially vacated spot.

Without the opportunity to play in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden every year once ACC play begins, Syracuse, which Gross called the ‘big boy’ in the state with potent football and basketball programs, will want to grasp onto any possible opportunities to compete in New York City.

Though the Pinstripe Bowl isn’t a top-tier bowl game, it has value for Syracuse in the form of increased media exposure, as it is broadcasted on national television.

But the ACC has not yet discussed its next bowl cycle, a conference official said. The conference is amid its October meetings, discussing topics such as when Syracuse and Pittsburgh will begin play in the ACC, what type of structure the conference will use — one division or two — and how its conference championships will be organized.

When the time comes to potentially pursue a spot in the Pinstripe Bowl, the ACC will have to factor in the incentives of rekindling what soon may become dormant Big East rivalries. The ACC will explore bowls that receive a majority vote from the 14 athletic directors, the ACC official said.

But that’s still three years away and the Pinstripe Bowl itself ultimately decides which conferences get bids.

A Pinstripe Bowl official declined to comment on the ACC’s potential interest and said the organization is focused solely on its current contract.

The Big East, however, is not necessarily buying into Gross’ vision of an ACC-Big East matchup in the Pinstripe Bowl.

‘Our teams already play ACC opponents in the Champs Sports Bowl and the Belk Bowl, so I’m not sure it would be prudent to add to that,’ a Big East spokesman said in an email to The Daily Orange.

With three years left on its existing bowl contracts, the spokesman said it’s ‘too early’ for the Big East to speculate about future bowl partners. But when the conference does look into future bowl games, the spokesman said the Big East will value ‘desirable destinations and top-level competition for our schools.’

Until then, Syracuse, which has already secured half of the six wins necessary to qualify for a bowl, has two more potential opportunities to play in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Playing in last year’s inaugural bowl game at Yankee Stadium held sentimental value for many of the players on the team.

For former Syracuse safety George Mayes, it was an opportunity to play in front of family — something he and the other 34 Syracuse players from New York and New Jersey weren’t often able to do at home games in the Carrier Dome last season.

In Mayes’ mind, the day that stands out isn’t Dec. 30, when the game was played. Rather, Mayes remembers four days earlier. If he could, Mayes would relive Dec. 26, 2010, every day.

On that Sunday, he and his family drove from their home in Roselle, N.J., to the Grand Hyatt New York, where the SU football team stayed during the days leading up to the Pinstripe Bowl.

Though it was only a half-hour drive, Mayes vividly remembers thinking back on memories at Syracuse with family and anticipating the culmination of his collegiate career in what would be his first and last bowl game. And there was no more fitting place to do so than close to home at Yankee Stadium.

By the time he took the field Thursday, Mayes was ecstatic.

‘It was unreal to be honest man,’ Mayes said. ‘ … It was probably one of the best days I’ve ever experienced in my life.’

Now, Mayes sympathizes for the current and future SU players who may never have the chance to partake in the homecoming of sorts he did.

Though he expects his alma mater to advance to Bowl Championship Series bowls in coming seasons, Mayes was looking forward to SU playing in the Pinstripe Bowl becoming a ‘big tradition’ for years to come.

The one Pinstripe Bowl the Orange did play in was about more than just the football program. It was about elevating SU’s campaign as ‘New York’s College Team.’

‘The fact that we’re New York’s College Team, I think it was big for the state,’ Mayes said. ‘I think it was big for the university for us to just represent and for the folks to remain loyal.’

[email protected]

—Sports Editor Michael Cohen and Asst. News Editor Jon Harris contributed reporting to this article.  

Published on October 5, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Stephen: [email protected] | @Stephen_Bailey1