I was just wondering about this today. They say that Syracuse is just not a football town. They say fans will only show up if you win. I know comparing NFL to NCAA is apples to oranges, but if Syracuse isn't a football town, then how come just 2 hrs down the road, Buffalo is? Buffalo has been irrelevant for longer than Syracuse has, yet games always draw big crowds, and the event is a scene to behold. The tail-gating is second to none. They have a proper tail gating setup. One giant lot in close proximity to the stadium. I get that Buffalo is a larger area, and more people will show up naturally, however, Green Bay is smaller than Syracuse, and they fill their stadium. I think it really goes back to the gameday atmosphere. If people go to watch the Bills, and expect them to lose, they still have a great time before and after the game tail gating, and they come back every weekend to do it again. As much as I would hate seeing an off campus venue, perhaps that's the means to an end we need. Put it by the fairgrounds, and have one main lot that serves for parking and tailgating. Bars, and restraunts could spring up around it. I live in the Utica area, and that's what happened when the Commets moved in. What was once just a barren wasteland near the Aud, is now thriving, with new bars, and restaurants. We always seem to play our first home game during the state fair. How cool would it be to be playing in the shadow of that scene...a la The Cotton Bowl @ the Texas State Fair. Perhaps you could incorporate the first home game with the state fair. There are people there from all over the state, and country to see the stadium, and at least draw interest. Maybe free admission with the purchase of fair tickets, or vice versa.
