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

[Btstimpy]

so says ESPNinsider (paraphrased to be legal):

The Carrier Dome is one of college athletics' special venues. Others argue it's antiquated and needs replaced or upgraded. Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross appears to fall in this category.

"I think Central New York deserves an unbelievable place," Gross told Donna Ditota of Syracuse.com. "You've got all these great new stadiums in New York City and then you start coming upstate and the next biggest thing you run into is the Dome. And so there will be a day one day for folks up here to be able to enjoy and take advantage of those kinds of amenities. That's part of our thinking. And I'm a big dreamer, anyway."

College football's arms race isn't decided simply by what happens on the field. Facilities are a huge part of the recruiting process to lure top prospects. .

The school hasn't approved a new football stadium, but buzz is building on campus.

"SU's South Campus, where the university owns vast tracts of land, could be a likely resting place for a new facility," Ditota wrote. "Gross has not confirmed where the university might build.. But he said SU will 'think big' about a potential new facility."

The money Syracuse will now receive as a member of the ACC could be the first step in the eventual demise of the Carrier Dome.

So what is your opinion on this...???

As an outsider from another ACC school welcoming Syracuse into the ACC, I think I'd rather see Syracuse invest in adding varsity baseball than a new football stadium. Syracuse is know for the Carrier Dome for football and basketball. I wonder if it can be renovated somehow and kept. I imagine luxury boxes is what they are considering.

Baseball is a growing TV sport in the spring for the ACC, and I would think Syracuse would want to be part of that. You might have to add a women's sport too. For instance invest in an Aquatic Center and bring back women's swimming. Eventually consider men's. Or add women's golf. The ACC is a great league for both of these. I think that the cost for new venues for each of these is far less than a new football stadium.

You'll have to see what the new life in the ACC will do for the Athletic budget to see if there would be room for any of this.

 

[BlackKnight76]

I believe Gross brought up women's golf and fencing recently, so expect those two to offset whatever the men's sport add is (hockey or baseball)

 

[nzm136]

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.

I really don't have a ...beef... with the Dome. Honestly, though. I've been to SEC games and B1G games, and the Dome is comparable. I'm pretty sure that Vandy still even has bleachers. Our (indoor) weather is perfect, our stadium is unique, and every seat in the house is excellent. IMO, the dome even looks really, really nice from the inside. What more could anyone want? Food, paint here and there, and cosmetic alterations on the outside.

I would say install Wi-Fi, but Stanford did that an the only thing that accomplished is that fans started playing (even) less attention to the team.

 

[nzm136]

I do think that we need to work on game atmosphere. We need a player walk or busses (like PSU does), a scurvy-awareness campaign, or something.

 

[Btstimpy]

I believe Gross brought up women's golf and fencing recently, so expect those two to offset whatever the men's sport add is (hockey or baseball)

Ok. Those would work. One advantage to baseball is that the NCAA limits the scholarships to 11.7. The teams all have to split scholarships among the team members in order to have enough players. So most college baseball players are paying a good percentage of their own way. The max on a team is 27. Women's Fencing is 5 and Women's golf is 6 for 11 combined. Hockey is 18.

If you do the math with Baseball at 11.7 and Women's fencing and golf at a combined 11, that combination could work. Today the ACC doesn't have fencing, but with Notre Dame, Boston College, North Carolina, and Duke all having teams I imagine there could be a push to add fencing to the ACC sponsored championships.

 

[All4SU]

I really don't have a ...beef... with the Dome. Honestly, though. I've been to SEC games and B1G games, and the Dome is comparable. I'm pretty sure that Vandy still even has bleachers. Our (indoor) weather is perfect, our stadium is unique, and every seat in the house is excellent. IMO, the dome even looks really, really nice from the inside. What more could anyone want? Food, paint here and there, and cosmetic alterations on the outside.

I would say install Wi-Fi, but Stanford did that an the only thing that accomplished is that fans started playing (even) less attention to the team.

There's something about the color on TV in a broadcast from the Dome. Wen they installed the new field turf, the contrast changed, and it looks kind of dark on the field. Not sure what they can do to change that.

 

[CaliCuse]

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.

I have no idea how much it would cost for a retractible roof but it might be worth it for the fans.and city. I hope I'm around to see it.

 

[CaliCuse]

There's something about the color on TV in a broadcast from the Dome. Wen they installed the new field turf, the contrast changed, and it looks kind of dark on the field. Not sure what they can do to change that.

I never have noticed a part of any broadcast that was poor in color or contrast. I have decent enough televisions in quality and reception that maybe offsets the issue at least from my point of view:noidea: .

 

[cpatrocks]

There's something about the color on TV in a broadcast from the Dome. Wen they installed the new field turf, the contrast changed, and it looks kind of dark on the field. Not sure what they can do to change that.

I haven't noticed that - but the lighting changes drastically when the ads on the new Ribbon board change

 

[Moontan]

There's something about the color on TV in a broadcast from the Dome. Wen they installed the new field turf, the contrast changed, and it looks kind of dark on the field. Not sure what they can do to change that.

The TV appearance differs greatly between the C-level (ESPN regional or ESPN-U) productions and B-level (ESPN-2) productions. The 2011 WVU game looked great. Hopefully we'll get more B-level, or even A-level (ESPN or ABC) production level broadcasts from the Dome in the upcoming seasons.

 

[mayselc]

I think that replacing the 100- and 200-level benches with orange stadium seating and adding the orange padded seats to the entire 300-level would be a good compromise. We would probably only lose 2-3k in capacity (from 49,000 to about 46,000) and would make the place look so much better on game day and when it's empty.

As for a new stadium, keep in mind that just the new roof in 1999 cost $14 million! I don't see how you could build even a facility comparable to the Dome for under $75 million. And for what is being discussed (retractable roof, 60,000 capacity, luxury suites, etc), that cost would have to be in the $200 million range.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

As for a new stadium, keep in mind that just the new roof in 1999 cost $14 million! I don't see how you could build even a facility comparable to the Dome for under $75 million. And for what is being discussed (retractable roof, 60,000 capacity, luxury suites, etc), that cost would have to be in the $200 million range.

:rolling:

Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy cost $720 million ... almost a decade ago.

$200 mil doesn't even get you a basketball arena anymore (Yum! Center in Louisville cost over $230 mil).

 

[mayselc]

:rolling:

Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy cost $720 million ... almost a decade ago.

$200 mil doesn't even get you a basketball arena anymore (Yum! Center in Louisville cost over $230 mil).

That makes this an even more ridiculous argument. The entire Syracuse endowment is only $940 million. I don't think that spending 2/3's of it on one facility would go over well with the Trustees.

Just spend another $20 million on a major renovation to add a brick facade and interior improvements and be thankful that we don't have to build a new facility.

 

[nzm136]

The TV appearance differs greatly between the C-level (ESPN regional or ESPN-U) productions and B-level (ESPN-2) productions. The 2011 WVU game looked great. Hopefully we'll get more B-level, or even A-level (ESPN or ABC) production level broadcasts from the Dome in the upcoming seasons.

Time Warner events looks like they were filmed with a home recorder from 1997. No matter what happens, the contrast/TV appearance for those events can't get worse.

 

[BlackKnight76]

They could do some thing like the atrium they added to Lambeau, on the quad side perhaps. Brick facade and add in a HoF thing like they have in Melo, maybe a restaurant/bar...could be cool

 

[Orange Eagles]

Most college stadiums have benches. Beaver Stadium @ Penn State is all benches.

Anyone know if they are replacing the field turf this summer in advance of the ACC move? I remember reading back when it was installed that there was not paint on the field for lines and logos, but rather colored field turf fibers. If that is true, it might be hard to get rid of the Big Wast logo and add the ACC logo on the field without it looking crappy (anyone remember 2004 when the "men" of Orangemen was painted green)?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Most college stadiums have benches. Beaver Stadium @ Penn State is all benches.

Anyone know if they are replacing the field turf this summer in advance of the ACC move? I remember reading back when it was installed that there was not paint on the field for lines and logos, but rather colored field turf fibers. If that is true, it might be hard to get rid of the Big Wast logo and add the ACC logo on the field without it looking crappy (anyone remember 2004 when the "men" of Orangemen was painted green)?

 

[JoeSU]

All that I ask is that they replace the benches with stadium seating. /quote] that are painted orange

 

[Eric15]

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

Cool - so that's probably in the area of $600-700 million for both stadiums. No biggie. Anything else you'd like?

 

[Eric15]

Question: is it possible that we could program the site whereas any time anyone types the words "retractable roof" it immediately auto-corrects to "unrealistically ridiculous."

 

[All4SU]

Question: is it possible that we could program the site whereas any time anyone types the words "retractable roof" it immediately auto-corrects to "unrealistically ridiculous."

Only if we also can program it to do the same when someone types "PSU to the ACC."

 

[Moontan]

he entire Syracuse endowment is only $940 million.

The card I received last year says different:

 

[TexanMark]

Question: is it possible that we could program the site whereas any time anyone types the words "retractable roof" it immediately auto-corrects to "unrealistically ridiculous."

Syracuse is in NY State...unrealistically ridiculous is doable as long as you grease the palms of Silver and a few others in Albany.

 

[Bayside44]

Syracuse is in NY State...unrealistically ridiculous is doable as long as you grease the palms of Silver and a few others in Albany.

Yeah, that's the same outfit that couldn't get a minor league ballpark built in the general proximity of people. There ain't no billion dollars in the state budget for what this would cost. Right now Shelly is protecting every ass grabbing member of his caucus.

 

[OrangePA]

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.

Yeah, I agree that food is probably not a huge issue.

If it were, the 44 Club would likely be a bit more popular.

As long as there are Coneys I'm fine!