SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Cheers, handshakes and a crowd. Not a huge crowd, not a small crowd, but a crowd watching closely. The object of their gaze -- Coach Greg Robinson and his revamped team full of young recruits.

"He's worthy of another chance. So that's what I'm hoping for. That he'll take this opportunity and show that he can produce for the Syracuse team," said Manlius resident Fran Volinksi.

SU's athletic director says its takes time for a program to change. He says nobody wants to see a comeback more than the coaches.

"They want to win more than anybody. They want to win more than you, more than the community. These guys, this is what they do 24 hours a day," said SU Athletics Director Daryl Gross.

The point of an event like Fan Fest is to get the community excited about the upcoming season and that's what Daryl Gross and some fans are hoping will happen.

"You look at Norte Dame last year. They had the worst season in the history of the program and they were still sold out every game. So it's about just supporting the student athletes. This is our community. This is Syracuse. We need to get behind these kids," said Gross.

"I'm hoping that the town will support this team. I mean, they need support, because we all know their recent history and I honestly hope that the town will come together and support them," said Syracuse resident Tim Teneyck.

SU will play its first season game August 30th at Northwestern.