10/28/2026 4:01:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Legendary Syracuse University men's lacrosse player Oren Lyons '58 H'93 has been announced as being one of the winners for this year's ACC UNITE Award. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) office announced the honorees Wednesday afternoon.
Lyons, who was an All-American goalkeeper for Syracuse and played across the 1956, 1957, and 1958 seasons, was joined by the University of Pittsburgh's Penny Semaia as this year's ACC UNITE Award winners.
The ACC UNITE Award recognizes individuals who have had a significant impact in the area of unity. Each member may nominate up to two individuals per year. Nominees may be student-athletes, staff members, alumni or community members of the institution. The conference will select two honorees. The UNITE Award is an initiative of the ACC's UNITE Committee and is supported by all 18 member institutions.Â
Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation, is one of the world's foremost Indigenous leaders and a Syracuse lacrosse legend. An All-American goalkeeper, Lyons helped anchor the Orange's undefeated 1957 team alongside Jim Brown after learning the game—known as the "medicine game"—within the Onondaga Nation. He later founded the Haudenosaunee Nationals lacrosse program and remains its honorary chairman, helping establish the first sovereign Indigenous team to compete in international sport.
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Lyons' extraordinary lacrosse legacy includes induction into the Syracuse University Sports Hall of Fame, National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame and National Native American Hall of Fame. In 2023, he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame as a Builder for his role in founding the Haudenosaunee Nationals. He also helped bring the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship to the Onondaga Nation and Syracuse, returning the sport to the community where it originated. His legacy is further honored by a life-size statue on the Syracuse campus and the American Lacrosse Association championship trophy that bears his name.
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Beyond athletics, Lyons has devoted more than five decades to advancing Indigenous rights, environmental protection and greater understanding among peoples and nations. He served for more than 14 years on the United Nations Indigenous Peoples' Human Rights Commission, helped establish the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations and served as a distinguished Service Professor at SUNY Buffalo. An accomplished artist, author and advocate, Lyons has also played a key role in preserving and sharing Haudenosaunee history and culture. In 2025, Syracuse University Libraries received custodianship of the Oren Lyons Collection, creating a lasting resource to support Indigenous civil rights work, environmental advocacy, and future generations of scholars and students. Â
Lyons, who was an All-American goalkeeper for Syracuse and played across the 1956, 1957, and 1958 seasons, was joined by the University of Pittsburgh's Penny Semaia as this year's ACC UNITE Award winners.
The ACC UNITE Award recognizes individuals who have had a significant impact in the area of unity. Each member may nominate up to two individuals per year. Nominees may be student-athletes, staff members, alumni or community members of the institution. The conference will select two honorees. The UNITE Award is an initiative of the ACC's UNITE Committee and is supported by all 18 member institutions.Â
Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation, is one of the world's foremost Indigenous leaders and a Syracuse lacrosse legend. An All-American goalkeeper, Lyons helped anchor the Orange's undefeated 1957 team alongside Jim Brown after learning the game—known as the "medicine game"—within the Onondaga Nation. He later founded the Haudenosaunee Nationals lacrosse program and remains its honorary chairman, helping establish the first sovereign Indigenous team to compete in international sport.
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Lyons' extraordinary lacrosse legacy includes induction into the Syracuse University Sports Hall of Fame, National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame and National Native American Hall of Fame. In 2023, he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame as a Builder for his role in founding the Haudenosaunee Nationals. He also helped bring the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship to the Onondaga Nation and Syracuse, returning the sport to the community where it originated. His legacy is further honored by a life-size statue on the Syracuse campus and the American Lacrosse Association championship trophy that bears his name.
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Beyond athletics, Lyons has devoted more than five decades to advancing Indigenous rights, environmental protection and greater understanding among peoples and nations. He served for more than 14 years on the United Nations Indigenous Peoples' Human Rights Commission, helped establish the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations and served as a distinguished Service Professor at SUNY Buffalo. An accomplished artist, author and advocate, Lyons has also played a key role in preserving and sharing Haudenosaunee history and culture. In 2025, Syracuse University Libraries received custodianship of the Oren Lyons Collection, creating a lasting resource to support Indigenous civil rights work, environmental advocacy, and future generations of scholars and students. Â
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