Syracuse students split on benefits of Dome improvements

The JMA Wireless Dome… the quintessential Central New York sporting venue and the historic home of Syracuse Athletics.

Syracuse’s iconic “Carrier Dome” (now officially known as the JMA Wireless Dome) was completed in 1980 and stands today as a gathering place for the entire Syracuse community. 

A name change is not the only new feature of the iconic ”Dome.” In recent years, the stadium has also undergone significant renovations in an attempt to keep it modern and top-of-the-line.

Recent efforts have included adjustments to the roofing, an increase in internet connectivity and a new jumbotron. Most recently, in the summer of 2024, the stadium removed its old metal benches previously used as seating in exchange for new navy blue plastic seats.

This change resulted in a decrease in capacity, an increase in individual seating space and the relocation of the football student section to behind the end zone. 

Given these changes, we at Orange Pulse wanted to know what the Syracuse student body makes of the renovated Dome. 

For starters, 38 of 54 respondents had even entered the JMA Wireless Dome this year, signifying that a majority of the student body is interested in attending events in the stadium.

Students who cheer from their TV

Of the 16 respondents who indicated they had not visited the JMA Wireless Dome this year, there were consistent trends in the reasoning and logic as to why.

The first, and perhaps the most obvious, is that students are too busy with other commitments, obligations and interests. Eight of the 16 respondents indicated that they are too occupied to have time to visit this year. 

Seven of 16 respondents simply indicated that they have a low interest in sports. This could in part, be inspired by the recent struggles of the SU programs.  Syracuse senior Ethan Fass explained that poor results on the playing field hurt his friend groups’ attendance rates. 

“Most of my memories watching football at the Dome end with us losing in a not-so-crowded stadium,” Fass said. “Even if the place is packed, I think the precedent of us usually losing pushes me away.” 

Despite Thanksgiving Break for students, the Dome was still packed this past weekend, with around 80% of the stadium filled in the home win over #6 Miami.

Another primary reason why students haven’t visited the Dome this year was ticket accessibility and pricing, with eight of the 16 respondents indicating that this pushed them away from visiting the JMA Wireless Dome. 

A season pass for basketball or football this year would cost a student around $200, whereas single-game passes typically start at $15 but can range to higher prices.

These prices could certainly disincentivize college students, who are already strapped for cash, from attending games. 

Despite clear reasons for his lack of attendance, Fass added that “part of me regrets not going to the Dome this year.”

Dome regulars

Of students who have visited the Dome this season, many seem to find the seating renovations to be an improvement. Roughly 76% of students agree that the new seats in the Dome are an improvement. Furthermore, 32 of these 38 students find the new seats to be more comfortable. 

Despite positive sentiments surrounding the new seats themselves, students are still divided about the relocation of the student section. 40%  of respondents labeled the relocation as “good,” while 37% saw it as “bad.”

A contributing factor to these metrics is the atmosphere of the student section. 50% of the 38 respondents noted that the atmosphere of the student section was better with the old setup, while the other 50% said either they preferred the new setup, they noticed no difference, or that it was too early to tell. 

Senior Dillon Brendle said, “I don’t think the atmosphere has changed much between previous years and the games I went to this year.”

Another contributing factor may be the view provided by the new section. 45% of respondents noted that the view was better from the old position, while 36.8% detailed that the line of sight is better now. This issue could be caused by students being behind the goalposts and further away from the field when behind the endzone. 

Brendle personally disagreed with this sentiment, explaining that for football, the “relocation behind the endzone gives students a better view of the game, especially when teams are driving towards them.” He explained that this is because “you can see [more clearly] how plays develop.”

Other poll respondents mentioned their dissatisfaction with the expensive yet low-quality food and drink options, outdated bathrooms and the low-quality sound system.

With its prevalence on campus, a steady flow of SU students heading to the JMA Wireless Dome can always be expected, but it seems that SU could put slightly more effort into making its product more appetizing, which could have a sizable impact on attendance.

Improvements to speaker systems, bathrooms and food pricing and quality look to be some of the more feasible problems to solve. Other issues like the student section atmosphere and ticket accessibility will need more work.

Although the impacts of these changes may be difficult to gauge entirely now, what we do know is that the majority of students are currently still attending games in the Dome and most of those students approve of the renovations. 2

However, some Dome visitors and non-visitors still point out some issues that could be addressed to make the JMA Wireless Dome an even more appetizing visit for SU Students.