Thousands of freshmen packed the Carrier Dome on Thursday for the annual Orientation event, Home To The Dome. Not only did the first-year students learn the cheers, listen the marching band and watch the cheerleaders, but they were also one of the first to witness the new Carrier Dome video boards and LED ribbon in action.
While the boards weren’t utilized much, it quickly became clear how much of an impact they would have on game day.
As students started to trickle through the doors, “Welcome to the Carrier Dome” revolved around the stadium’s interior. When the students took their seats, “Go ‘Cuse” appeared for the rest of the event.
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The video boards are even bigger than they seem in pictures. But size isn’t even the most impressive aspect. What impressed me most about the new Dome additions was the clarity.
Once football starts, we’ll be able to see the sweat dripping off Ryan Nassib’s brow. We’ll be able to see every detail of Doug Marrone’s visor. We’ll be able to see the laces on the football, all up on that video board.
The new additions will excite people. The LED ribbon will cue the fans to get wild. One slide features various football players pumping up the crowd. It’s one thing when various fans are trying to get the crowd pumped, but when the players are doing it up on screen it’s entirely different.
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The biggest impact the renovations have will be on the coordination of the cheers. No longer will the student section be chanting one thing and the rest of the crowd chanting something else. Clear and concise cheering will make the loud house a terrifying play to play.
The Carrier Dome was once an elite stadium, but in recent years it has become outdated. SU took a huge step in making the Dome elite again with these video boards. The country will get a look at the new renovations when the Orange takes on Northwestern on September first on ESPN2.
The possibilities are endless with these new screens. Unlike before, there are very few limitations for what can appear at any given moment. I can’t even imagine what is being designed for the season opener, but when those video boards start lighting up, the crowd will go nuts.
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