So the Dome's Shelf Life is now under Review:

[cpatrocks]

Why don't you say something to those fat guys? Too bad they push you around and squeeze you out of your seat. Grow some and say something, tough guy. Another with his internet muscles on.

Internet muscles? I was just making a point. For the money we shell out for tickets, we shouldnt have to ask people to move down...and if you've been put in that spot, you'd realize it's not always that simple to get 10 people to shift over a foot.

 

[Symphony Steve]

Wow.

I didn't think so.

I loved the look of Archbold at least from Irving or the Quad.

Yeah, for me, the place just looked--foreboding--from the outside. Not inviting at all. Of course, I walked past Archbold on the way to classes since I lived in Lawrinson.

Looked like a place where the people outside of it were supposed to stay out, and the people on the inside were supposed to stay inside.

Like a prison.

Of course, it was the height of the Vietnam War and the protests.

Maybe I was just paranoid.

 

[OttoForLife]

I don't really know if the Dome needs to be replaced anytime soon. But the fact is it will someday need to be put down.

As we've seen with just a mere IPF, funds are not exactly flowing like win for this type of stuff in Syracuse, NY. A new stadium, whenever and where ever, will surely take a ton of time to plan and finance. I'm glad Gross is starting that process now (or recently, as the case may be).

 

[OttoMets]

Its not that the dome is too old or falling apart but rather the University wants the land the dome is located on for academic buildings. Its been mentioned on this board plenty of times. ...

It has been mentioned on here, but that doesn't make it so.

The university is tied to fairly strict FAR restrictions. The Dome isn't a very intense use; multi-story academic buildings would be.

There are dozens of acres in two other sub-districts on campus that have development capacity and are approved for new construction. That's where academic and residential construction is going to take place in the short- and intermediate-term future.

 

[cusefan88]

I'd be happy if they put backs on the benches in the upper deck. Also would be nice if they put Orange padding on the benches as well. Cheap, easy, more comfortable. Plus empty seats won't look bad because it's Orange instead of silver showing.

 

[OrangePA]

Yeah, for me, the place just looked--foreboding--from the outside. Not inviting at all. Of course, I walked past Archbold on the way to classes since I lived in Lawrinson.

Looked like a place where the people outside of it were supposed to stay out, and the people on the inside were supposed to stay inside.

Like a prison.

Of course, it was the height of the Vietnam War and the protests.

Maybe I was just paranoid.

The old west archway entrance to Archbold was beautiful - at least I thought it was as a kid.

I remember when I went to my first game at age 9 - in October, 1968.

We walked from the Quad into the northeast gate.

And I walked over and realized - wow - the field is way below the entrance level of the stadium!

I looked down and saw the blue jerseys and orange pants and helmets and the green grass.

It just knocked me out.

It was sunny and beautiful. (I think that was one of the last times that I attended a game after that where the weather was actually nice - I can think of maybe three or four games after over the next eleven years when it was warm and sunny).

But the first experience for me at Archbold - SU v. Pitt - 1968 - was a great moment in my life - it was what brings me to this sight every day.

 

[OrangePA]

By the time I was there in the early 70's the capacity was 19,000 because the fire department had roped off the unsafe parts of it as an alternative to condemning the whole place.

It was actually 27,000 by 1974.

Soon after Maloney arrived they removed the green wood bleachers that circled the field.

Those bleachers accounted for a lot of seats.

I always suspected that Maloney insisted that the bleachers be removed - as a way of pushing for a new stadium.

I thought reducing capacity was a mistake - without those green bleachers it made the place stark.

 

[DoubleDee]

Old discussion, but I'll jump in. Personally, I'd paint all the floors (easier than the benches) orange and call it a day. Then, in a minimum of 10 years, I'd start talking new stadium.

Put the new stadium in South Campus. Maybe partner with Drumlins (who owns that?) and create a really nice wooded park/parking area for tailgating.

My priority would be that it's attractive. Has stellar (potential) for tailgating. And has the best and most unique conversion from football to basketball seating (moveable seating from all directions?) in the country.

SU owns Drumlins.

 

[SWC75]

It was actually 27,000 by 1974.

Soon after Maloney arrived they removed the green wood bleachers that circled the field.

Those bleachers accounted for a lot of seats.

I always suspected that Maloney insisted that the bleachers be removed - as a way of pushing for a new stadium.

I thought reducing capacity was a mistake - without those green bleachers it made the place stark.

I remember roped off areas in the concrete section as well. There was a difference between listed capacity and actual capacity.

 

[SWC75]

The old west archway entrance to Archbold was beautiful - at least I thought it was as a kid.

I remember when I went to my first game at age 9 - in October, 1968.

We walked from the Quad into the northeast gate.

And I walked over and realized - wow - the field is way below the entrance level of the stadium!

I looked down and saw the blue jerseys and orange pants and helmets and the green grass.

It just knocked me out.

It was sunny and beautiful. (I think that was one of the last times that I attended a game after that where the weather was actually nice - I can think of maybe three or four games after over the next eleven years that where it was warm and sunny.

But the first experience for me at Archbold - SU v. Pitt - 1968 - was a great moment in my life - it was what brings me to this sight every day.

My first game was in 1964, just before my 11th birthday. What I remember was the bright orange color of the SU uniforms. All' I'd ever seen was black and white, usually in grainy highlight films. I also remember the fall foliage that could be seen on the distant hills. But I also remember it snowed and we wound up a human snow bank by game's end.

 

[All4SU]

I believe SU football and basketball HAVE to be played on campus.
I believe the dome still has a number of good years left in it.
I agree with JB that if you build another basketball only facility, you have lost the recruiting edge that the big crowds at the dome offer.
I believe there is no way to put a basketball arena inside a football stadium and have "great seats."
I believe SU will move to build a new football stadium on south campus in the next ten years.
I have no idea what they will do/ construct for basketball, but I believe it will also be on south campus, either as part of the new football facility, or adjacent to same.
I believe SU will do everything possible to make a retractable roof a reality.
I believe SU is eyeing the real estate currently occupied by the dome, and recognizing the incredible value it has for expansion on the main campus.
I have faith that if The Good Doctor is still driving the bus when the new facilities are built, that they will be awe-inspiring.
I believe SU is entering the next Golden Age of SU sports.

 

[Madbiker]

It has to be more economical to have one multi purpose facility that houses both football and basketball than to build two separate facilities. Losing the Dome for basketball and replacing it with an "ordinary" basketball arena would be terrible for our brand. I would think the Carrier Dome should have another 15-20 years of life with some renovations. When it's time for a replacement, I hope it's another on-campus Dome (retractable if possible) that also is designed for basketball and continues to hold 30,000+ for hoops. That is key to our competitive advantage and brand image. How the University could possibly fund such a thing is debatable.

 

['72 Orange]

The old west archway entrance to Archbold was beautiful - at least I thought it was as a kid.

I remember when I went to my first game at age 9 - in October, 1968.

We walked from the Quad into the northeast gate.

And I walked over and realized - wow - the field is way below the entrance level of the stadium!

I looked down and saw the blue jerseys and orange pants and helmets and the green grass.

It just knocked me out.

It was sunny and beautiful. (I think that was one of the last times that I attended a game after that where the weather was actually nice - I can think of maybe three or four games after over the next eleven years that where it was warm and sunny.

But the first experience for me at Archbold - SU v. Pitt - 1968 - was a great moment in my life - it was what brings me to this sight every day.

I was also at that game in my freshman year. The team looked great destroying Pitt by a 50-17 margin I think. Someone ran an interception back for a TD - Ensley I think. I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday but certain sports events from 45 years ago just stick with you. SMH

 

[omniorange]

I believe SU football and basketball HAVE to be played on campus.
I believe the dome still has a number of good years left in it.
I agree with JB that if you build another basketball only facility, you have lost the recruiting edge that the big crowds at the dome offer.
I believe there is no way to put a basketball arena inside a football stadium and have "great seats."
I believe SU will move to build a new football stadium on south campus in the next ten years.
I have no idea what they will do/ construct for basketball, but I believe it will also be on south campus, either as part of the new football facility, or adjacent to same.
I believe SU will do everything possible to make a retractable roof a reality.
I believe SU is eyeing the real estate currently occupied by the dome, and recognizing the incredible value it has for expansion on the main campus.
I have faith that if The Good Doctor is still driving the bus when the new facilities are built, that they will be awe-inspiring.
I believe SU is entering the next Golden Age of SU sports.

A nice 24K basketball arena with a new football stadium that can house the two or three really big event bb games would work nicely for me.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[RF2044]

A nice 24K basketball arena with a new football stadium that can house the two or three really big event bb games would work nicely for me.

Cheers,
Neil

Not for me. The Dome is a unique on campus sports facility. Replacing it with a smaller venue won't yield the same differentiation.

The Dome, for all of its spartan lack of utility, is a huge part of our brand.

 

[Toga]

The old west archway entrance to Archbold was beautiful - at least I thought it was as a kid.

I remember when I went to my first game at age 9 - in October, 1968.

We walked from the Quad into the northeast gate.

And I walked over and realized - wow - the field is way below the entrance level of the stadium!

I looked down and saw the blue jerseys and orange pants and helmets and the green grass.

It just knocked me out.

It was sunny and beautiful. (I think that was one of the last times that I attended a game after that where the weather was actually nice - I can think of maybe three or four games after over the next eleven years that where it was warm and sunny.

But the first experience for me at Archbold - SU v. Pitt - 1968 - was a great moment in my life - it was what brings me to this sight every day.

Exactly. Walking into the stadium for the first time on a sunny day and seeing that green field was magnificent to this little kid.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

I believe SU football and basketball HAVE to be played on campus.
I believe the dome still has a number of good years left in it.
I agree with JB that if you build another basketball only facility, you have lost the recruiting edge that the big crowds at the dome offer.
I believe there is no way to put a basketball arena inside a football stadium and have "great seats."
I believe SU will move to build a new football stadium on south campus in the next ten years.
I have no idea what they will do/ construct for basketball, but I believe it will also be on south campus, either as part of the new football facility, or adjacent to same.
I believe SU will do everything possible to make a retractable roof a reality.
I believe SU is eyeing the real estate currently occupied by the dome, and recognizing the incredible value it has for expansion on the main campus.
I have faith that if The Good Doctor is still driving the bus when the new facilities are built, that they will be awe-inspiring.
I believe SU is entering the next Golden Age of SU sports.

Well, I believe in the soul. The c@c%, the pu$$y, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing AstroTurf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.

 

[OrangePA]

I was also at that game in my freshman year. The team looked great destroying Pitt by a 50-17 margin I think. Someone ran an interception back for a TD - Ensley I think. I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday but certain sports events from 45 years ago just stick with you. SMH

That's exactly right.

The score was 50-17.

Cliff Ensley returned an INT and a punt for TDs that day.

He became my favorite player.

I have since become friendly with him. When we were at the Meadowlands last fall for the USC game Cliff was there wearing his No. 15 jersey - the same jersey he wore against Pitt that day.

Wow.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Wow, I didn't realize that my last post was my 1,000. And to think, I totally copied it. Oh well, at least it was from a great movie!

 

[Sully]

In order to fill the seats it's all about the game day experience. The tailgating is all spread out and isn't going to change in the short term so we have to make the best of that. But the DOME experience can be made better even from a short term perspective without breaking the bank or closing the doors for a season. Let's make it so we don't have to fight for a seat or thru a crowd to get to the bathroom or the concession stands.

Replace the seating or at least the premium level seating with seats that have backs. Then revise the rest of the bench seat layout and numbering to allow for a bit more comfort on game day. We as a society are "larger" than ever and there's nothing worse than fighting with the fans on either side of you just to get a cheek on the bench let alone any elbow room to hoist a draft beer.

The concourses are the other complaint that gets a lot of attention. Trying to get out of your seat, hit the head and grab something from concessions during halftime is nearly impossible because of the crowds. What's gonna happen if we do get another 10,000 fans into the place? No the concourses can't realistically be expanded within the footprint of the existing dome. So ... expand the footprint. It might be possible to build a two story, horseshoe shaped addition outside of the existing footprint. If the addition was 20-25' wide it would about double the width of the concourse walkways and you could make the bathrooms and concessions that are now on the outside wall accessible from both sides and throw in a few extras for good measure. Plus if done the right way would add some visual interest to the outside of the Dome.

 

[SUFaninNJ]

In order to fill the seats it's all about winning.

Fixed

 

[hoopsupstate]

They need to build on at the west end of the Dome. There is a lot of room to the edge of the street and you could go several floors high. One of the big complaints about the NCAA tournament is that there isn't enough room for the media. It would be large enough to expand the locker rooms, have a huge open lobby area and put in several eating establishments, as well as a huge Club .44. All it is now is a grassy hill that looks nice. It's a very valuable piece of property that the University already owns. You could create a huge, expansive lobby area that would be quite a show place.

 

[OttoMets]

They need to build on at the west end of the Dome. There is a lot of room to the edge of the street and you could go several floors high. One of the big complaints about the NCAA tournament is that there isn't enough room for the media. It would be large enough to expand the locker rooms, have a huge open lobby area and put in several eating establishments, as well as a huge Club .44. All it is now is a grassy hill that looks nice [used to be covered with mature trees but now is barren and ugly]. It's a very valuable piece of property that the University already owns. You could create a huge, expansive lobby area that would be quite a show place.

Fixed that.

But you're right; that's the most realistic and cost-effective renovation option. It would solve most problems with the facility and would create new revenue streams.

 

[nzm136]

The issue with the Dome (and why this is brought up even though it's not old by most standards) is how it was built. The Dome was built in an architectural dark age, with a design that won't last the test of time. It's a concrete sarcophagus. Unlike something like the Horseshoe, it is not amenable to renovations to expand, remodel, or anything like that. It is quite literally designed to be destroyed or kept as is. Thus, while something like Bryant Denny or the Shoe can be upgraded to be more modern over time, you can't really upgrade or renovate the Dome in the same way. You can't expand the concourses, you can't replace the roof, you can't do a lot of things other than room remodels, new seats, and things like that. This is why the new stadium talk constantly comes up, because it's the only logical next step. Most importantly with a new stadium, it needs to be built to allow renovation and redesign, rather than a more fixed design like the Carrier Dome.

Oh, and a new stadium could have a new sponsor.

1. The roof doesn't need replacing. If it was retractable, it would only be open for about 2 football games/yr and a handful of lax games.
2. A lot of the reason why it's built that was is because of the space around the dome. They could have built it with expansion in mind, but unless someone is willing to tear down buildings, expansion wouldn't happen.
3. Benches allow Syracuse to pack the dome. That might not matter for football until we get good, but it matters a LOT for basketball because of the setup. If we can't squeeze people into that endzone, we lose any hope of creating a decent basketball environment.
4. If your beef is with the exterior, then that can be fixed. There's no reason why the exterior can't be changed. The school could just built around the existing structure. That is surprisingly common as it is neither hard to do, nor expensive.

My biggest beef is that I think that we need to improve the food in the dome and improve the area around the Dome (the stairs that face Sadler) and the parking lot next to where they are building the new law school. We should also paint the bleachers orange.

 

[All4SU]

1. The roof doesn't need replacing. If it was retractable, it would only be open for about 2 football games/yr and a handful of lax games.
2. A lot of the reason why it's built that was is because of the space around the dome. They could have built it with expansion in mind, but unless someone is willing to tear down buildings, expansion wouldn't happen.
3. Benches allow Syracuse to pack the dome. That might not matter for football until we get good, but it matters a LOT for basketball because of the setup. If we can't squeeze people into that endzone, we lose any hope of creating a decent basketball environment.
4. If your beef is with the exterior, then that can be fixed. There's no reason why the exterior can't be changed. The school could just built around the existing structure. That is surprisingly common as it is neither hard to do, nor expensive.

My biggest beef is that I think that we need to improve the food in the dome and improve the area around the Dome (the stairs that face Sadler and the parking lot next to where they are building the new law school. We should also paint the bleachers orange.

Really? The food? That's your biggest complaint? Who goes to the Dome to eat? Food at the Dome is like food at the circus. It's just something to do while you watch the elephants and tigers.