all the more reason to make the game experience more fun and make you miss less of what you enjoy at home.. highlights, scores, etc. and give you things you cant get at home, better half time shows, give aways, etc..
This is where the dome upgrade can help tremendously. I know that the possibility of losing tailgating space around the dome is bad for some fans, a lot of which visit this board (myself included). But I guess I envision an environment more like some of the newer sports complexes like PNC Park/Heinz Field or Great American Ballpark.
Mixed use buildings around the dome, with garage or below grade parking, would allow the university to get the highest and best use out of the land around the dome, while maintaining ample parking for game days. Ideally, if a hotel is part of the dome upgrade, underground or garage parking attached to the dome so you could park and get inside without even having to walk in the rain.
Wide concourses, various improved concessions, gathering areas, and flat panel TV's throughout the interior of the dome with the availability of other games (or scores at least) would encourage people to get there early and socialize. It also gives casual fans who may not be diehard Cuse fans other stuff to do inside the stadium. A blend of the "at-home" experience of multiple games and easily available good food/drinks, combined with the social part of in-person attendance is what will get fence sitters to come to games.
Is it the "traditional college experience?" No. But I think, based on my experience at numerous baseball and football stadiums in the last 10 years, it's what a lot of people want out of game day. It's about more than just the game. Maybe the game is a minor part of it for some of them. I've seen a lot of people at Heinz Field, PNC Park, Great American Ballpark, M&T Bank Stadium, etc. milling around the concourses eating Primanti Bros. or Boog's BBQ and watching the game on TV with a bunch of friends. To me, that's okay as long they are there and having fun. At least they chose to come to the stadium instead of sitting at home in front of their TV.
What most people over 40 consider the traditional gameday experience is probably over, other than at the football factories. SU is competing with pro sports and ESPN for entertainment dollars. There needs to be more to the experience to compete with every game being on TV. The opportunity to do that is in front of SU if they do it right. People make day trips to Destiny. Make the Dome more fun before, during, and after the game (even beyond winning football games), and more people will come on a regular basis.
