SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Syracuse University announced the athletics department will vacate the Carrier Dome beginning March 1, 2020 so construction can begin to replace the roof of the Dome, Athletic Director John Wildhack said on ESPN Radio Tuesday.
The renovations could force the men’s and women’s basketball teams to end their seasons with road games, eliminate the ability of the women’s basketball team to host a NCAA Women’s Tournament game and the ability of the university to host commencement services in the Dome and change the course of the men’s and women’s lacrosse seasons.
“That would necessitate both (lacrosse) programs looking to play games outside next year,” Wildhack said.
The timelines for how long the Dome would be unusable and for how long the renovations will take remain unclear, but a March 1 departure would jeopardize over a month of the lacrosse season in the Dome.
The original plan for improvements included a new roof, a vertically hung scoreboard and new sound and lighting systems expected to be completed by 2020. Additionally, by 2022 the plan was to have upgraded restrooms and concession spaces as well as air conditioning. However, it is unclear if these specific renovations and their timelines still remain.
The university is working to put together a more concrete schedule at which point they will share their plans with the Central New York community, according to Vice President of University Communications Sarah Scalese in a statement obtained by Syracuse.com.
