Monday brought massive news to Syracuse fans as it was announced that Syracuse University will spend over $200 million renovating the Carrier Dome and Archbold Gymnasium. The biggest of these upgrades is a new $105 million fixed roof for the famous on-campus venue.
While there is no timetable for the renovations and it may be years before the Carrier Dome looks any different than it does today, this is still huge news for Syracuse fans. This obviously puts to rest any speculation that the University would build a brand-new facility (whether it was on or off campus). Syracuse football and basketball will continue to play in the middle of campus for many years to come.
Syracuse’s Chief Facility Director Pete Sala answered many of fans’ questions about the new upgrades. There is no doubt that the Dome will look quite different at some point in the near future and this will only help Syracuse athletics. Arguably the most important thing that Sala stressed is that the University will do everything they can to avoid moving basketball and football games away from the Dome during renovations.
The Carrier Dome is an incredible recruiting tool for Syracuse. It is a unique building in its location (right in the middle of campus) and when it comes to basketball, its sheer size. However, there is no doubt that many schools that Syracuse is directly competing with for recruits have much more beautiful and state-of-the-art facilities. The Dome, to put it bluntly, is outdated. The building is somewhat decrepit, the locker rooms are small and, especially for football it lacks the “wow” factor.
The Carmelo K. Anthony Center and the new Ensley Athletic Center are beautiful buildings that can impress a recruit. The Dome, less so. It is impossible to know at this stage what the new-look building will mean for recruiting, or even what it will look like, but there is no doubt that this face-lift will help. By deciding to renovate the current building, Syracuse is preserving the wonders of the Dome in its size and location and adding a more modern twist to an older, famous building.
