Biggest home sporting event in Syracuse history

[GoSU96]

Marsh mentioned it in a thread. Syracuse vs. Duke in the Dome is the biggest sporting event we have ever had in this city. Hotels have been sold out for months. People are flying in from all over. Ticket prices are insane. It's going to be one hell of a cocktail party.

Does anything compare? I think of Syracuse vs. Penn State in 1987. The Ewing games. Maybe Sherman's senior year game vs. G'town? But this transcends those games.

I expect the Dome to be as rowdy and loud since the days of Syracuse Starter jackets and those skin tight orange and blue rugby shirts everyone wore to the games. It almost seems like we are 'kinda' in the ACC. And we will fully indoctrinate ourselves Saturday night.

We had a #8 football team going against #1 Miami in '92. I'd say that was bigger.

PSU and WVU 87, a bunch early and mid 80 BE basketball games featuring GTown and StJohns were as big or bigger.

There was as huge amount of buzz for the Tennessee game in 98.

 

[The General]

Fun to reminisce about these games. What would the list be?

Football- Miami of Ohio opener, Nebraska '84, Penn St. '87, WVU '87, Miami '92, UT '98.

Basketball- '81 Big East Championship vs. Nova, UNC '84, BC '84, St. John's '85, G'town '85, G'town '89, Pitt '03, the Gerry game '06

Lax- Upenn '88 (Air Gait)

Obviously there have been dozens more great games but those seem to be the iconic ones. I'd love to hear any others that belong on this list. And anyone who attended all these gets iconic status as well. And has lead a full life.

 

[thebigeast44]

Nothing will ever compare to the basketball games during the 80's in terms of the games themselves - with great teams and players and younger season ticket holders leading to an amazing atmosphere in the Dome. The Duke game is certainly up there in terms of hype and demand for tickets. But similar to the Georgetown game last year, there may be thousands there just for the "event" who do not have a strong rooting interest and spend a good deal of time looking at their phone etc rather than paying attention to the game. Those types of things did not happen in the 80's and I have not heard a Dome crowd to match those since then. At least not on a consistent basis - sure it can get loud during certain parts of the game but the sustained buzz and loudness during games does not match those days. I'd love to be proven wrong Saturday.

I think the title of this thread should be most hyped game or something like that. As it is not near the top of biggest sporting events in Dome history in terms of the game itself and it's impact on our season. Numerous other games have meant more and looking at the football side of the equation, this game pales in comparison to the SU/WVU game back in 1987.

 

[690West]

There have been many more "meaningful" games at the Dome. But this is clearly near the top for "most-anticipated".

I love big events, just love 'em, and I'm excited for this game. But I find it a tiny bit uncomfortable too. I hate being the team that cares far more about a "rivalry" than the other side does. This feels a little like that.

Hopefully we pound the bejesus out of them so they develop an immediate loathing of us.

Exactly. It's not top 50 for meaningful games but it may be number 1 for biggest anticipated event

 

[mark79]

Still one of my top 5 Dome experiences ever. Walking into the Dome for the first time was dreamlike. One of those moments I will never forget. The roar when Joe Morris returned that kickoff for a TD was something I had never experienced before, but fortunately there have been many great moments since. The first basketball games were a little underwhelming. It was much quieter than Manley and you could often hear the transformer humming, but when Marty Headd scored a layup to beat Georgetown at the buzzer, the Dome came to life for hoops and it was off to the races.

Is your screen name hurleyforheisman referring to Billy Hurley? He was in my biology class back in the day. I want to say 1976 or 77 before the dome.

 

[Jeremy L.]

As a fan who has been a season ticket holder since 2003, the only game that can match my excitement is 34,616. I don't care how low Duke is rated. I hate Duke. I want to run Duke off the floor on Saturday. I want Duke fans to cry leaving the Carrier Dome. I want this win so badly just to show the ACC that it's our time. I'm so effin ready.

 

[OrangeDW]

So basically, if it didn't happen in the 80's it can't be that big. That's the gist I'm getting here.

We're 19-0 and #2 in the nation our freakin selves! Not the opponent, US. We're on a 5 year absolute ROLL, and the most successful and nationally hated program of the last 20 years is coming in for the first time ever. Enjoy the moment!

 

[Bayside44]

Big game verse big event to an extent...this one has been circled on people's calendar for a long time. Looking forward in a big way to being there.

 

[The General]

Exactly. It's not top 50 for meaningful games but it may be number 1 for biggest anticipated event

Thank you 690. You get the point. Event, not game. People will be tailgating early. In the Dome early. People are flying in from all over, dropping serious money on tickets. I'm sure DC will be there in a new suit as well as a host of others.

It's a celebration of Cuse hoops and our true indoctrination into the ACC. It ain't just about the game or who is ranked what on this one. Gonna be a big ass party, or "event" as they say.

 

[Townie72]

For those who were there, what was the first football game in the Carrier Dome like?

And first basketball game for that matter.

I was at the first football game in the Dome. It was like any other big football game.

Except that people were amazed that Syracuse --- the school and the City --- could ever pull anything like that off.

You had to have spent Saturdays in Archbold to grasp the amount of difference.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

For some reason, I remember the 34,616 Villanova game as having even more buzz that built up.
Maybe because it was really the first time that the Dome had "sold out" weeks in advance.
And it was a great matchup, of course.

Plus we were either number one or if we won we were going to be number one. Forget which one. It worked out perfectly.

 

[PASyrFan]

Syracuse teams have generally not played well whenever the Dome is nearing record attendance. I hope I'm wrong, but I think the Dukies come in next week & beat us. We have looked very average the past few games & Duke is starting to assert themselves. Duke has nothing to lose & there's tremendous pressure on our boys to win while the whole world will be watching. I'll be surprised if we win.

 

[The General]

7-6 in record breakers

 

[PASyrFan]

7-6 in record breakers

Exactly my point. 7-6 is disappointing in HOME games of this magnitude.

 

[HarrisonJBounel]

Exactly my point. 7-6 is disappointing in HOME games of this magnitude.

Yeah, but it's tough to get 35,000 for Colgate.

 

[The General]

7-2 in record breakers since '88. Dropped a bad one to G'town last year. The other we were dogs to Nova for the Gerry game. I think we are ok.

 

[mayselc]

I know it's not an SU event, but my first time in the Dome was the opening ceremonies of the 1981 National Sports Festival. That was pretty special.

Favorite SU event was Melo's last game in the Dome in '03, mostly since many people thought he would go pro, but also because we avenged a bad loss at Rutgers that year. Scalped really good seats under the basket, too.

 

[PASyrFan]

The best Dome event for me was when we beat Florida back in the early 90's, when Kirby Dar Dar took a reverse on the opening kickoff to the house. It was the loudest I've ever heard it. Florida was undefeated & ranked 2nd. We were a top 20 team, so we weren't chopped liver either. We won easily, something like 35-13!

 

[thebigeast44]

So basically, if it didn't happen in the 80's it can't be that big. That's the gist I'm getting here.

We're 19-0 and #2 in the nation our freakin selves! Not the opponent, US. We're on a 5 year absolute ROLL, and the most successful and nationally hated program of the last 20 years is coming in for the first time ever. Enjoy the moment!

I don't think anyone is saying that Orange - I'll be at the game and can't wait. But the 80's were different and a special time - anyone who went to the games in that era understands the posts people are making regarding it. That era is gone and can't be duplicated. But that doesn't mean Saturday night won't be special, as will many more days and nights to come. Let's Go Orange!

 

[itsbotime]

Biggest sporting event in the Dome's history? Hasn't the Dome hosted numerous NCAA regionals, etc?

Come on, 'Cuse...if the biggest sporting event in your history is an overrated top 20 team coming to play a conference game, I'm going to lose a lot of respect. Y'all have said it again and again-you had much better games at the Dome when you were in the Big East.

 

[DoubleDee]

Don't forget smokey.

I was 10 yrs old, row z top of the dome. Cigarettes galore.

I was at the last game at Archbold at 8, so going into that mammoth dome was something else for me.

 

[tptcuse]

Biggest sporting event in the Dome's history? Hasn't the Dome hosted numerous NCAA regionals, etc?

Come on, 'Cuse...if the biggest sporting event in your history is an overrated top 20 team coming to play a conference game, I'm going to lose a lot of respect. Y'all have said it again and again-you had much better games at the Dome when you were in the Big East.

It is the top two winningest coaches. It is the biggest game in the ACC this year, despite the ACC being down. We are 19-0 and ranked #2 in the country. It is the College GameDay event. There are no professional sports teams to speak of in Syracuse. People are understandably pumped for the event. Obviously we have had great games, but we don't know that they are great until after they are played. People are excited about the event, and the size of the crowd attests to that. As someone who grew up in Syracuse who has lived all over the place, I totally understand the hype.

 

[ROCuse]

Nothing will ever compare to the basketball games during the 80's in terms of the games themselves - with great teams and players and younger season ticket holders leading to an amazing atmosphere in the Dome...

Could you, or someone else, shed some light on the younger season ticket holders part? Is this a product of season ticket holders keeping their tickets and no new people coming in? Ticket prices going up?

Just curious!

 

[DoubleDee]

Has to be the Sugar Ray Leonard fight!!!


Just kidding of course, but still got the program!

 

[itsbotime]

It is the top two winningest coaches. It is the biggest game in the ACC this year, despite the ACC being down. We are 19-0 and ranked #2 in the country. It is the College GameDay event. There are no professional sports teams to speak of in Syracuse. People are understandably pumped for the event. Obviously we have had great games, but we don't know that they are great until after they are played. People are excited about the event, and the size of the crowd attests to that. As someone who grew up in Syracuse who has lived all over the place, I totally understand the hype.

Duke is ranked #18 at the moment. If it was a 1 vs 2 or top 5 matchup, I could see the hype, but it isn't. I think it will be a very entertaining game, for the reasons that you mentioned. But biggest home game in Syracuse history? Come on now.