Nothing about the way Syracuse celebrated Saturday’s win against Virginia was sanctioned. Fans spilled onto the court, parading 1,000-win signs and harmful words about the NCAA. The rest of the Carrier Dome joined in a standing ovation.

Jim Boeheim slowly navigated through the celebration, holding both hands in the air as he soaked in every bit of a deserved celebration. The 41-year head coach offered high-fives to low-hanging hands before entering a Carrier Dome tunnel, where he met Mike Hopkins with a hug.

This wasn’t about Boeheim’s official 899th win, or even Syracuse’s big upset. Saturday centered around a historic milestone, clear to all who looked away from the NCAA’s record book: 1,000 career wins.

“Whatever number it is I have, I’ve been a part of 1,000 wins here,” Boeheim told ESPN after the game. “We may not have that many on the record, but I’ve been here for 1,000 wins. That’s a lot of wins.”

Since SU is barred from acknowledging Boeheim’s unofficial accomplishment, there was no ceremony or announcement about what was unfolding after the Orange toppled No. 9 Virginia. Syracuse fans didn’t need one. The euphoria in the Carrier Dome was purely organic. Despite a mighty effort from the NCAA to knock Boeheim down the coaching ranks by vacating 101 wins, there was no getting in the way of Syracuse fans savoring an all-time moment with their all-time coach.

Saturday proved that the NCAA’s witch-hunt to make an example out of Boeheim and “lack of institutional control” was for naught. While SU deserved punishment for violating NCAA rules, stripping Boeheim of wins across five seasons did not strip anybody’s perception of reality. Taking an eraser to the record book might mean something to folks at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, but in Syracuse, it means absolutely nothing.

“I know how many wins I’ve had,” Boeheim said. “I’m very proud of that. Very proud.”

In an alternate universe the NCAA wants us to live in, Boeheim is one win away from achieving 900 career victories. He did it initially more than four years ago, reaffirming 899 wins as an alternative fact. Boeheim has dealt 1,000 losses to opponents, but has not accrued that many wins.

That’s the product of a years-long NCAA investigation that culminated in a 94-page infractions report released on March 6, 2015. Stemming from Boeheim’s overall “lack of institutional control,” Syracuse lost wins, scholarships and money.

What wasn’t explicitly mentioned is the gag order placed on Boeheim. He has no footing to publicly disagree with the NCAA’s punishments without facing repercussions. That’s led to an awkward mess of responses for nearly two years, the most tangible byproduct of the NCAA sanctions, and the only remnant of the sanctions on Saturday.

“I don’t really talk about that stuff,” Boeheim said when asked if there was extra satisfaction in reaching the 1,000-win plateau.

Jessica Sheldon | Staff Photographer

Boeheim’s been coerced into playing dumb, something he’s not particularly good at doing. Because the NCAA wants to pretend certain events never transpired, Boeheim has to do the same. That’s why he insisted the crowd was so instrumental in SU’s win over the Cavaliers, he had to take extra time to walk off the floor and salute them.

When asked why fans might have been cheering so long, even with some extra “oomph,” Boeheim claimed he wasn’t a mind reader. There’s no way of knowing how or why the cheers persisted as they did. Then came the topper. Hadn’t Boeheim seen the congratulatory signs held up in the crowd?

“I can’t see that far away,” the 72-year-old said.

Even Boeheim’s personal security guard, Department of Public Safety Sergeant Andy Clary, was in on the bit after he ushered Boeheim through the on-court circus.

“It was just like any other game,” Clary said, with a smile spreading across his face.

There’s hardly any blame to lay with Boeheim for his antics. He shouldn’t have to act sensibly when the governing body of his sport claims that 101 of his victories never existed.

“He did it,” Hopkins said with a quiet laugh. “He did it.”

Fortunately, in the 45-second ovation after the Orange’s biggest win of the season, needless NCAA politics didn’t matter. Neither did the infractions report or how he was going to dance around reporter’s questions.

What mattered is that the moment existed, however fleeting it might have been. Boeheim was free of the NCAA’s shackles. He absorbed every ounce of a deserved celebration, and a celebration that undermined everything the NCAA has tried to drag him down with.

“I’m proud of everything that’s happened here,” Boeheim said, “everything. I take responsibility and I take all that’s happened here is during my time. Obviously there’s good, bad, bad losses, bad decisions, bad things that happened.

“That’s life. That’s what life’s about. The key is do you get through it? Do you move on to the next stage? Are you able to do that? That’s all we try to do. Whatever happens, happens. Whatever the results are, you have to own it and you have to step up.”

The result on Saturday was clear. When Boeheim couldn’t step up to own 1,000 wins, Syracuse fans did it for him.

Published on February 5, 2017 at 10:50 pm