Dome Atmosphere

[Tornado91]

I understand the reasoning behind scheduling big games at the meadowlands, but it will kill any attempt to bring fans back to the dome. Nothing on the road or on television can do for a program what a big- on campus- home win can. I was at the Michigan-Notre Dame game this weekend...that excitement will linger for weeks. I'm not comparing the dome to the big house, but the excitement of big time home wins can't be captured at a neutral site. Parties that spill from tailgates and fraternities and student houses to the dome and then back to the hill...students possibly storming the field (even if you hate that stuff)...all of that stuff is gone when you take away the biggest games. Big college football weekends transform campuses. Mediocre games don't. I'm not suggesting that the dome will ever be packed for rhody, but the most excitement we ever experienced as fans was at Nebraska, Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee (even when we lost nailbiters). And I can compare those directly to Wisconsin at the meadowlands- exciting, but not the same for me or for the program.

 

[Marsh01]

I think its time people srtarted to accept that there will never be a great atmosphere is the dome for football. I've accepted it. Sure there has been some nice moments but the heyday days of the past are not coming back. As long as hoops keep pouring them in...

 

[JJReddawg]

The Meadowlands games are big recruiting tools, playing big time opponents on the big stage. I'd prefer they set it up as a home-away-neutral, but those occurrences will be few and far between.

 

[Fjoinkay]

Michigan had more fans on one side of the field between the 50 and the end zone than SU pulled in for Rhody. I can understand the frustration about big games going to NYC, and it probably won't help much in Syracuse. But if SU wins those big games in NYC it helps the program, and right now I doubt whether SU can schedule those games against big schools without offering to play in NYC.

 

[SmilinBob]

The Meadowlands games are big recruiting tools, playing big time opponents on the big stage. I'd prefer they set it up as a home-away-neutral, but those occurrences will be few and far between.

I agree with you 100%. The only problem is when it's a west coast team like USC and having them travel 2 out of 3 times.

 

[dollarbill44]

right now I doubt whether SU can schedule those games against big schools without offering to play in NYC.

To me, this is the key point that a lot of people complaining about this issue are not acknowledging.

 

[Tornado91]

Michigan probably had more fans in the student section that SU had in the dome...that wasn't really the point. I'm just suggesting that taking the college away from college football takes away a lot of the excitement around the program. Maybe a few recruits, and a POSSIBLY a few extra fans (I doubt there will be more than 40k Syracuse fans for any game at the meadowlands- if I remember correctly, there were only around 60k total there for a top 10 Syracuse team vs Ron Dayne), maybe a little better to watch on tv, but I'm not convinced it's necessarily better for the program. If it is, why not play every home game there?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

The Meadowlands games are big recruiting tools, playing big time opponents on the big stage. I'd prefer they set it up as a home-away-neutral, but those occurrences will be few and far between.

Penn State is home - away - neutral.

There will be 10 more games at the Meadowlands after the PSU game. Hopefully they'll all be three game series as well.

 

[Moontan]

I think its time people srtarted to accept that there will never be a great atmosphere is the dome for football. I've accepted it.

I haven't.

Better results and a more attractive product will get the Dome full again. These things will take several consecutive solid recruiting classes. In short, it will take a few more years if HCDM is allowed to succeed. One has to be optimistic at this point that the program is moving in the right direction.

 

[Rocco]

When they showed the aerial view of Big House during the game, it gave me the chills and made me jealous as hell. That place was truly awesome with all of the yellow shirts in the crowd. Imagine being a visiting recruit at that place?

 

[Fjoinkay]

Michigan probably had more fans in the student section that SU had in the dome...that wasn't really the point. I'm just suggesting that taking the college away from college football takes away a lot of the excitement around the program. Maybe a few recruits, and a POSSIBLY a few extra fans (I doubt there will be more than 40k Syracuse fans for any game at the meadowlands- if I remember correctly, there were only around 60k total there for a top 10 Syracuse team vs Ron Dayne), maybe a little better to watch on tv, but I'm not convinced it's necessarily better for the program. If it is, why not play every home game there?

It's a process. Hopefully, SU can limit the number of games away from campus, but I do believe that if SU wants to schedule against the big schools right now it has to offer to play against them in NYC. Maybe with more success that will change. A lot of schools in better shape than SU right now play games in neutral sites against OOC teams, so SU is not alone in this. I just don't think SU is in a position right now to avoid playing a big game in NYC or elsewhere. The big State U. and ND will likely never have to face that reality, but just about everyone else does and especially smaller private schools.

 

[rrlbees]

To me, this is the key point that a lot of people complaining about this issue are not acknowledging.

Do you acknowledge that you can see in the future 10-15 years since these games go out that far and know that none of these teams would come to the Dome in 2020?

 

[dollarbill44]

When they showed the aerial view of Big House during the game, it gave me the chills and made me jealous as hell. That place was truly awesome with all of the yellow shirts in the crowd. Imagine being a visiting recruit at that place?

They show aerial shots of the Dome every game. It looked the same for the '98 Tenn game as it did URI on Sat. :noidea:

 

[rrlbees]

I think its time people started to accept that there will never be a great atmosphere in the dome for football. I've accepted it.

Me too pretty much. The University has decided they will gamble on more money in NYC at the expense of fans in the Dome. The tailgates have more atmosphere than the games. But I'll keep going.

 

[Tornado91]

Yeah, they had a 2013 5-star from Ohio commit immediately after the game. I've been to several games there and psu in addition to games at Alabama and LSU and this was - by far - the best sports experience for me as a fan.

I had Syracuse season tickets in the 90s. Comparisons to the above are not fair to any private school not in South Bend, but the Dome was, IMO, a great place to go for games. And Michigan fans remember the '99 (I think) trip to SU as one of their toughest road games, even though they won.

 

[Marsh01]

Me too pretty much. The University has decided they will gamble on more money in NYC at the expense of fans in the Dome. The tailgates have more atmosphere than the games. But I'll keep going.

That was my point. Love going still but people want it to be like other big time stadiums. Aint gonna happen. It just isnt. Now for hoops, we are as good as it gets and I would be so upset if that ever changed. But for football, it just is what it is.

 

[dollarbill44]

Do you acknowledge that you can see in the future 10-15 years since these games go out that far and know that none of these teams would come to the Dome in 2020?

No, but that's how far into the future teams are scheduling OOC games. You can't exactly go to the ND AD and say "we are going to really be packing them into the Dome in 12 years, I guarantee it!" It would sound a little like a used-car salesman.

 

[Marsh01]

Also whether people want to accept it or not this is a basketball town. Plain and simple. I love the football program just as much as the next guy but hoops rules in this town. You cant even argue that. When the football team is winning (back in the heyday) it was unbelievable and so much fun to be a part of. Hoops is like this every year. Even in the NIT years. It was much more frustrating in those years sure.

I also think knowing that we have a 100% chance to both compete and win a national championship in basketball helps where going into the season we know we have a 0% chance in football (because of the system).

 

[rrlbees]

No, but that's how far into the future teams are scheduling OOC games. You can't exactly go to the ND AD and say "we are going to really be packing them into the Dome in 12 years, I guarantee it!" It would sound a little like a used-car salesman.

Then don't schedule all the big OOC games that far out.

 

[Bayside44]

I think you can see that the arc off cash in college football is growing...it's about the payout. Neutral site / one off stadium games seem to be becoming more normal. We're not an outlier in that regard.

 

[MCuse44]

gamble is correct. these games are a put up or shut up moment for the Cuse alumni. If we do not draw well, which I have never seen in NYC beyond the small MSG,...the locals will be laughing.

Me too pretty much. The University has decided they will gamble on more money in NYC at the expense of fans in the Dome. The tailgates have more atmosphere than the games. But I'll keep going.

 

[Cusey]

I haven't.

Better results and a more attractive product will get the Dome full again. These things will take several consecutive solid recruiting classes. In short, it will take a few more years if HCDM is allowed to succeed. One has to be optimistic at this point that the program is moving in the right direction.

Agree. As long as I can see CONTINUED STEADY PROGRESS, even if things don't happen as quickly as we might like them, I'm okay with it. If the TREND stays up, I can also handle a few setbacks along the way. IMHO, to look at it any other way is not realistic and sets one's self up for disappointment. And I'll also admit that in my younger days, I wish I had subscribed to my own advice far more often. :noidea:

 

[Bayside44]

Is it a gamble if the payouts from the Meadowlands / event itself are guaranteed?

 

[Fjoinkay]

Then don't schedule all the big OOC games that far out.

I wonder sometimes why they schedule that far out. Those agreements that far out are just as likely not to happen as they are likely to happen, and if they do happen the particulars of the agreement are often changed or they are re-negotiated. My guess is that it's better to have the distant agreements than not to have them because it looks good even though those games may never be played. I hold out hope that one day soon SU will have more negotiating power, and some of those games are either played in the dome or they are dropped.

 

[rrlbees]

Penn State is home - away - neutral.

That arrangement nobody should have a problem with.