As a junior at Syracuse, I consider myself very lucky to have been through some of the biggest moments in recent athletics history. From the 6-0 start my freshman year, rushing the field against NC State, (I’d do it again in that moment), to the retirement of Jim Boeheim and the firing of Dino Babers, it’s been a historic few years on the hill.
Yesterday was different, though. From the moment I walked onto the quad and headed towards the entrance, I felt an energy that I hadn’t felt before for an SU football game. The people were buzzing, and it was a long wait to get into the Dome from the student entrance. I arrived more than 30 minutes before the game and couldn’t get into the lower bowl—that’s never been the case before. When I walked in, it was almost impossible to move. I know how much the small concourse frustrates people, however, that packed feeling is something that I love. There was a feeling that it really mattered.
The fans felt about as excited for the game yesterday than the sell-outs against NC State and Notre Dame two years ago. The fans in the concourses were extremely knowledgeable as well, talking about what receivers would step up and how they thought the game would go. I never thought that there would be an energy like that for a game against Ohio. Once I got into the stands and saw the pom-poms, I was intrigued to see how that would go. Fran Brown was trying to bring the SEC/Big 10 big game atmosphere to the Dome and it worked. The students around me were all into the game, waving their pom poms and getting loud. I didn’t mind the new student section at all. There are no bad seats in the Dome so behind the endzone really isn’t an issue.
It made me so excited for the rest of the season moving forward. I can’t wait for next Saturday against Georgia Tech to see what that atmosphere will be like against another ACC team!
