NBT Bank Stadium - Syracuse Mets
Updated: Sep 15
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
NBT Bank Stadium 1 Tex Simone Dr Syracuse, NY 13208
Year Opened: 1997
Capacity: 10,812
Last Stand of the Mets
Among Minor League Baseball fans, a water-cooler topic of discussion is always branding. A debate rages as to the benefits of the Minor League team adopting the branding of the Major League affiliate. After moving to Syracuse from Jersey City in 1934, the team adopted the Syracuse Chiefs as an identity. This lasted through several affiliations until 1997, when, as an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, Syracuse adopted the moniker SkyChiefs to avoid the Native American reference and capitalize on the SkyDome phenomenon in Toronto.
In 2007, the team returned to the nom de guerre Chiefs for the rest of their Toronto affiliation and the entirety of their Washington Nationals affiliation. In 2019, the team was purchased by the New York Mets to be their Triple-A affiliate. It was also announced that they would now be known as the Syracuse Mets. The bland branding was panned in Minor League Baseball circles. In 2026, the team announced that they would be retiring the Mets branding and moving to a new, fresh identity for the 2028 season. As of this writing, the branding announcement has not yet been completed. Syracuse is currently owned by Diamond Baseball Holdings.
Home for the Mets is NBT Bank Stadium. The stadium, originally known as P&C Stadium, replaced the venerable MacArthur Stadium, which was home to Syracuse baseball for over 60 years. The stadium is owned by Onondaga County and opened in 1997. Naming rights are held by NBT Bank.
Food & Beverage 3
NBT Bank Stadium has decent concession options. All of the expected items can be found at a number of concession stands in the main concourse. Some stands of note include Chick-fil-A and local favorite, Perry’s Ice Cream. Some items of interest that are a bit more unique include the Buffalo Chicken Pierogi and local favourite, salt potatoes.
NBT Bank Stadium has a good selection of beers headlined by local legend, Utica Club, which is also cheaper than other options. Saranac, Labatt’s Blue, Coors Light and Heineken are also available. Coca-Cola products are the soft drink of choice in Syracuse.
Atmosphere 3
NBT Bank Stadium has an attractive exterior that is dominated by brown brick with light accents. There are plenty of Syracuse Mets markings on the exterior. The home plate gate is the most popular to enter and has a large rotunda which is enclosed to look like a rampart.
Inside the stadium, the concourses are fairly spacious and open so that fans won’t miss any of the action on the field. They are more functional than decorative, and items that were once a staple have now been moved. Up the stairs, the portraits of Jackie Robinson, Hank Sauer and Tex Simone have been replaced with Mets logos. The Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame, which was once in the concourse, has been moved to the Metropolitan Club on the first base side. The concourses do not complete a 360-degree path
NBT Bank Stadium has plenty of traditional seating with a split lower level and an upper deck on either end of the suites and press area. There is berm seating on the lower-level corners and the 315 Bullpen Bar is above the left field wall. The Salt City Deck is found on the right field side. A good videoboard is beyond left centerfield with a huge map of New York State behind it. Probably the two most notable items within view from seats behind the plate are the old-school derrick light stands and the view of the school bus parking lot beyond right field. The retired numbers for the team and any sort of championship notations are not readily visible.
The game-day production at a Syracuse Mets game is good, but not overly noteworthy. The in-game host is good, and Scooch the mascot takes part in various promotions and fan interactions. When the Mets hit a home run, the video board shows an orange colored apple, similar to the home run apple found at Citi Field in New York.
Neighborhood 3
NBT Bank Stadium is located in the Northside neighborhood of Syracuse. Although the ballpark is fairly isolated, there are some options for pre- or post-game food and drink within a very short drive. Some options include J.R. Diner, Ichiban Japanese Steakhouse, Maplewood Bar & Grill, Tully’s Good Times, Aloha Krab Cajun Seafood, Riley’s, Change of Pace, and Dinosaur BBQ.
Ultimately, Syracuse is a college town, and the Orange rule the sports landscape. The most popular sports at Syracuse are basketball, football, and lacrosse. The Syracuse Crunch of the AHL also play in town.
Other tourist options in Syracuse include Erie Canal Museum, Rosamond Gifford Zoo, Museum of Science & Technology, WonderWorks Destiny and the Salt Museum.
For fans wishing to stay near the ballpark, Homewood Suites and Embassy Suites are both very close.
Fans 3
The Syracuse Mets have fairly mediocre support for the International League. At the time of writing, the 2026 season, the Mets averaged over 4,100 fans per game. The previous season, they averaged over 4,500 fans. This ranked the team 16th and 15th, respectively, in the 20-team International League. The game that was reviewed did have a giveaway and a hot dog special and attracted over 7,300 fans. There is definitely room for growth in this category, and the ability to attract crowds is there.
Access 4
NBT Bank Stadium is located in the Northside neighborhood of Syracuse on Tex Simone Drive. It is immediately east of Interstate 81 and therefore enjoys close access to the highway. There is plenty of on-site parking available at a reasonable price. For fans wishing to take public transit to the game, the bus and train stations are very close to the park. There are bus stops on Tex Simone Drive. Fans should consult the Centro website for fares, schedules, and maps.
Getting around the stadium is not too difficult once that initial set of stairs has been traversed. For fans with ambulatory issues, park employees were available to direct fans to the closest entrance to the elevators. The concourse does not offer a full 360-degree path around the park. The washroom facilities are adequate for the venue.
Security protocols for professional sports are constantly evolving. Stadium Journey highly recommends consulting the Syracuse Mets website before heading out to get the most up-to-date security procedures, including prohibited items and bag policies.
Return on Investment 4
Syracuse Mets tickets start at $18 for upper-deck seats and go up to $25 for dugout box seats. Friday and Saturday games cost a few extra dollars, and seniors and kids receive a $4 discount. Parking will cost about $7, and concession prices are what one would expect. The product on the field is decent, and fans will enjoy themselves at a Mets game.
Extras 3
An extra mark for the broadcast royalty of Marv Albert, Sean McDonough, and Matt Vasgersian, who all honed their craft in Syracuse for a time.
An extra mark for Syracuse legend Tex Simone, who started on the grounds crew at MacArthur Stadium in 1961 and moved up to General Manager of the Chiefs for nearly 30 years.
An extra mark for Syracuse moving on from the Mets branding.
Final Thoughts
What the future holds for the new branding of the Syracuse Mets remains a mystery. That being said, it is definitely a positive for Syracuse baseball to have its own identity and some fresh branding at NBT Bank Stadium. In the meantime, it is still a decent experience that fans should not sleep on.
