I recently was part of a conversation regarding college basketball venues. The general consensus among my peers seemed to indicate that arenas like Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium and Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse were the best arenas. They’re cozy, loud, and full of antiquated history.
The Syracuse Orange waste no time in kicking off its inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference campaign when the No. 3-ranked Clemson Tigers visit the Carrier Dome on Saturday afternoon.
When a capacity crowd in the Dome erupts in unison for the home team, the Teflon supported roof takes over and does its job of keeping that noise confined.
Over the last 20 years or so, whenever we’ve heard the topic of moving the basketball court for one big Syracuse game into the middle of the Dome (usually discussed for a Georgetown game in the old Big East days), we’ve always thought of the landmark 1968 UCLA-Houston game played at the Astrodome.
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.
About to embark on its 33rd year of operation, the Carrier Dome is undoubtedly the signature structure on the Syracuse skyline when the city is seen from afar.
The there were 45,265 people at the Carrier Dome on Friday to see Syracuse upset No. 11 West Virginia, 49-23, the largest crowd since Doug Marrone’s debut with the Orange on September 5, 2009 against Minnesota.
I’ve seen the (wishful) crystal ball of SU’s home basketball facility one day down the road when the 32-year-old Carrier Dome becomes obsolete and outdated.