Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman says promotion to the Premier League would vindicate their focus on youth.
The Black Cats are preparing for the Championship play-off final against Sheffield United at Wembley on Saturday (15:01 BST).
Of their starting XI in the second leg of the semi-final against Coventry City, just two players were aged over 25.
Five of the 20 players in the squad came through the club's academy, led by Dan Neil and Chris Rigg.
"The most satisfying thing would be achieving it, doing it the way we believe it should have been done," Speakman told BBC's Look North.