SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – A Syracuse University landmark has reopened to students for the first time in over a year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Carrier Dome saw fans for the first time on Mar. 6 since the pandemic halted sports and on-campus instruction in Mar. 2020.
The SU community received a University-wide email from Vice Chancellor Michael Haynie and Athletic Director John Wildhack which said up to 900 students were allowed to attend the SU men’s lacrosse game against Vermont.
Now, in addition to entering the Dome for weekly COVID-19 testing, students are able to cheer on spring sports like lacrosse.
After months of advocacy efforts, student organizations like Otto’s Army call the news a “major win.”
“it feels really good because we’ve put a lot of work in,” Jonathan Danilich said, president of Otto’s Army.
Danilich and his team had been working with the SU Administration and athletics department to find a way for students to get back into the Dome after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced large sports venues were allowed to reopen on Feb. 23.
The agreement for SU to pilot the reopening plan came nearly two weeks after the Feb. 23 approved reopening date, when testing procedures for fans were approved by the New York State Department of Health. However, it was a very frustrating two weeks for many Syracuse students, especially seniors.
“I haven’t left and I get tested every week and I can’t even go to a basketball game, I don’t understand how that’s happening,” SU senior Jason Resnick said. “If Cuomo gives the ok, how does the Department of Health not give the ok? I was a little frustrated with the dissidence that this was creating,” he added.
Resnick was so frustrated that he decided to write a letter to the editor at Syracuse.com to voice his disappointment. The article was published on Mar. 1.
Seeing sports venues in New York with similar and less capacity reopen to fans like Madison Square Garden and The Barclay’s Center, also added to Resnick’s frustration.
“They just opened up for 2,000 fans in Madison Square Garden and New York City is like the COVID capital of the world, it’s not as bad in Syracuse,” said Resnick.
Both Madison Square Garden (MSG) and the Barclay’s Center reopened to a limited number of fans on Feb. 23. MSG can hold just over 20,000 fans and The Barclay’s Center can hold 17,732 for basketball games.
The Carrier Dome can hold 33,000 fans for basketball (comfortably). But that capacity is far below the 35,642-attendance record from Feb. 23, 2019.
The Dome certainly won’t be seeing those attendance numbers again anytime soon. For now, it’s a couple hundred students at a time as the University continues to monitor the pilot plan.
Students like Danilich have their fingers crossed that the plan continues to be successful and that they can cheer on spring sports.
“It’s been a long time coming and we’ve put a lot of work in, and it feels good,” Danilich said.
