Carrier Dome Experience

Official Review by Jameson Fleming, Guest Reviewer

While driving on I-81 north on the road to Syracuse, you eventually go around a bend and over a hill and suddenly the city of Syracuse greets your eye for the first time. And during that first glimpse of the Salt City, the Carrier Dome emerges from the hills of Onondaga County, towering above the city on the Syracuse University hill. It's a welcomed site for alumni and diehard fans as in a few short miles you'll be exiting I-81 to find a parking spot around campus and begin a day of tailgating and football.

On this crisp October Saturday morning, alumni steadily crowded the campus and the surrounding area for Homecoming weekend. Alumni quickly pack the quad and Marshall Street, a street right off campus containing a variety of restaurants, bars, and apparel shops. On M-Street, as students affectionately call the strip, some soon-to-be Carrier Dome patrons grab a last pregame beer at one of the several bars; others find comfort in a slice of Varsity Pizza. The quad becomes one large "pregame party" as the school calls it. There, advertisers hand out every conceivable orange colored knick-knack that might make your game experience better. Discarded orange colored seat cushions, pom-poms, and roll-up banners will litter the Dome and the quad following the game.

Before every game, the Pride of the Orange Marching Band performs on the steps of Hendricks Chapel just a few feet away from the closest entrance of the Carrier Dome. When the band is done, it's time to get into the Carrier Dome to enjoy the game.

The quality of the product inside the Carrier Dome can vary dramatically. During the Greg Robinson era, the football was terrible, students were non-existent, and the crowd was quite complacent. Things have begun to change inside the Dome as the football team is getting better; the students are starting to show up; and the crowd finally provides a home-field advantage.

Food & Beverage    4

This score would be a five if there wasn't an extra category (explanation for that in a bit). The food in the Carrier Dome isn't much different than what you would normally find in any other stadium. The prices are fair (a slice of pizza runs you three dollars, same for a soda), and you also get a pretty large portion. The sausages are large, as are the Dome Dogs, a Carrier Dome staple. There's a bistro located on the southwest corner of the dome which provides healthier, more expensive options. In the southeast corner, a Burger King where you'll find expensive fast-food that's mass produced.

Atmosphere    3

The crowd inside the Carrier Dome tends to be small, leaves early, and does not always get into the game. When a rival or a ranked foe enters the Dome, the crowd will get into a game, but at the first sign of trouble, the fans seem to get real quiet, real quick. Things are improving as the team improves as attendance is up in 2010 and frequently surpassing the 40,000 mark for each conference game. The Carrier Dome can become deafly loud at times when all 40,000 people get on their feet. It is called the Loud House for a reason.

Neighborhood    4

The stadium is right on campus, so there isn't much of a neighborhood, but the stadium being on campus makes up for that. The Carrier Dome is almost completely surrounded by the campus with only the north side bordered by parking lots and a neighborhood. The campus itself is beautiful and provides for a great backdrop and scenery as you walk to the stadium. Marshall Street is just a short walk away giving you pre- and postgame entertainment options.

Restaurants and Bars (All located within a 10 minute walk of the Carrier Dome except Dinosaur Barbeque):

Dinosaur Barbeque- The first thing anyone who has ever been to Syracuse asks a current student at SU is "Have you ever been to Dinosaur Barbeque?" The answer better be yes. Getting into Dinosaur BBQ on game-day is tough. The wait will likely be well over an hour, but if you have the time, wait it out. You will never, ever regret it. Dinosaur BBQ is also located about 15 minutes away from the stadium in the downtown area.

Varsity Pizza- The best pizza on the SU hill, but also serves breakfast and various grilled entrees. The line for pizza is usually long before a game, but it moves very quickly. Following victories, the football team gathers in Varsity to flip the opponent's banner to signify a win.

Pita El Saha- The award winning pita place on campus.

Faegans- A restaurant featuring wide variety of beer and great food. Faegans is the most expensive place to eat on campus, but it's worth it.

Chucks Café- A bar featuring the cheapest alcohol and outstanding cheap food. It's located in an alleyway behind Marshall Street.

Funk'n Waffles- Need breakfast? Here's the place you want to go. They have a wide variety of waffles and other breakfast foods that will fill you up.

Acropolis Pizza House- Wide variety of entrees, but try the buffalo chicken pizza. You won't regret it.

Fans    2

You can't go more than about three minutes without somebody in your row getting up to go get food, beer, or to the bathroom. The fans are knowledgeable, but as mentioned above, you won't find many people getting the crowd going. Those who do are usually ignored. The student section is rarely full, but the students who do show are usually very rowdy.

Access    3

There are parking lots right next to the stadium and parking is widely available downtown, but that's a 20 minute walk away. The school also uses parking lots near the South Campus, but those lots are a bus ride away. The Manley Field House and South Campus lots are your best bet for parking despite the bus ride. There's plenty of room to tailgate and the buses run frequently and don't take away much from the game-day experience.

Return on Investment    4

There's really not a bad seat in the Carrier Dome, and Syracuse University has been running many ticket specials throughout the past two seasons. You can grab cheap tickets, sit in the rafters, and still have a great vantage point of the game. With the team playing much better, you're definitely getting to see decent football for low costs.

Extras    2

The Carrier Dome is the only on-campus arena in the country that the NCAA has allowed alcohol sales. Being able to buy beer in the Carrier Dome might be the top reason people kept coming to games even when the team was terrible. You can drown your sorrows with a $6 alcoholic beverage when things get rough.

*Photos courtesy of the Syracuse athletic department