It was by accident that most Syracuse University football fans first heard the news.

On July 15, 1988, at a Rotary Club speech at the Drumlins Country Club, Syracuse University athletic director Jake Crouthamel let it slip that SU's football rivalry with Penn State was possibly coming to an end.

Ever since 1922, for 66 years, except for 1943, the two Eastern football independents had played each other, alternating homefield between the two schools.

Syracuse University Athletic Director Jake Crouthamel, seen in 2003, was confident throughout the summer of 1988 that the rivalry between Syracuse and Penn State could be saved.

Now the rivalry between them was in jeopardy.

The schools had an agreement to play through 1990, but after that, Penn State had asked for more home games than Syracuse going forward.

Penn State said for "financial reasons" they had asked opposing schools to forego the traditional home-and-home schedule. Temple, Rutgers and Boston College had given them an additional home game to continue their series with the Nittany Lions.

A game at Beaver Stadium generated $1 million for the school, allowing the football program to support all the other athletic programs.

Syracuse was not as receptive.

"Unless there is an equitable schedule, we would not want to continue any relationship," said a "bothered" Crouthamel. "anything other than home and home is not acceptable."

Head coach Dick MacPherson agreed with his boss: "It's a great rivalry. I know they're trying to get more home games like every coach wants. I would understand that request, and I would understand if we didn't accept it."

The rivalry had long been a lopsided one. Penn State held a 38-23-5 all-time advantage and had won every game since 1970.

But that was until 1987, when the Orange thumped Penn State 48-21 at the Carrier Dome, on their way to an undefeated season.

The game was a winner at the Carrier Dome box office: just over 50,000 fans were at the Carrier Dome in 1987.

Crouthamel said in July that he thought Syracuse would be fine without the game but was optimistic the rivalry could be saved.

"I don't expect (dropping Penn State) would have any significant impact at all," he said. "But I'm not even considering that because I'm not that much of a pessimist."

In August, he made a counter-proposal to Penn State. He proposed eight games between the two schools over 10 years, four at Beaver Stadium and four at the Carrier Dome, allowing Penn State to schedule two different opponents at home in the two off years.

"They've painted a black-and-white picture. We've tried to paint a gray area," he said. "The key is to find a solution where one team is not disadvantaged."

Coach Mac was a little more condescending: "If they feel they need the extra dates, that poor public school up there in Pennsylvania, they can get a huge amount of money with the two bonus games."

"I think it's ridiculous," he added.

Penn State did not accept Crouthamel's offer.

Syracuse's Kevin Mitchell upends Penn State quarterback Tony Sacca after Sacca threw a pass Oct. 13, 1990. It would be the final football game between the schools until 2008.

On Aug. 9, the school announced they would be dropping Syracuse from its football schedule, in favor over "more intersectional contests." Games against BYU, Southern California and Miami were scheduled.

While Crouthamel was diplomatic, MacPherson was angry.

"There's more to it than what has already come out," said MacPherson. "I don't believe it has anything to do with scheduling more home games. Ask (Penn State head coach) Joe Paterno the reason Penn State isn't going to play Syracuse. See if you get the real answer."

(The quote may have referred to the rumor that Syracuse had placed the deciding vote to keep Penn State out of the original Big East conference in 1982.)

"I think they wanted to hurt us, and they did," he added, arguing that the move made it almost impossible for SU to find another high-caliber opponent once the series finished and would also hurt the Orange in recruiting.

Joe Paterno would officially state that Penn State made the change for financial reasons but also dropped hints that he had not forgotten the slight from the past.

He mentioned that Penn State had home-and-home games with Syracuse, Villanova and Pittsburgh in all sports when he arrived at the school in the 1950s.

"There wasn't a lot of moaning and gnashing of teeth when all of sudden those schools said they didn't think our relationship in basketball was very important."

Most SU fans agreed with a Herald-Journal editorial that hoped SU would "run up the score" over the final three meetings. (Syracuse won at Beaver Stadium in 1988, 24-10 but lost the final two meetings.)

In the end, the rivalry might have been nearing a natural end anyway.

The Big East football conference began in 1992, and Penn State began playing in the Big Ten in 1993.

The rivalry was resumed temporarily 10 years ago.

The schools played in 2008, 2009 and 2013, with the Nittany Lions winning all three.

Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle: Email | 315-427-3958.