The Carrier Dome is a 51,000-seat sports stadium on the campus of Syracuse University. Since opening on September 20, 1980, the Dome has hosted a wide variety of events. It serves as the home of the SU Orangemen football, basketball, lacrosse and soccer teams. The "Dome" has also been host to numerous rounds of NCAA championships. The Olympic figure-skating travel exhibition has also appeared in the Dome twice.
The Dome has also been a tour stop for such artists as Frank Sinatra, U2, Genesis, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, the Who and many others.
With thirty thousand cubic yards of concrete and 880 tons of steel went into the building of the fifth largest domed stadium in the United States. The roof is a "soft" roof and is kept in place by a constant air pressure generated by a series of large fans. The project called on the talents of more than 80 companies, and cost $26.85 million.
The Dome was constructed between April, 1979 and September, 1980.
Total construction costs were $28 million, including a $2.75 million naming gift from the Carrier Corporation.
The full Dome seats more than 49,500, including all of its levels and private boxes. Seating capacity for basketball is about 33,000 and for concerts about 39,000, including as many as 8,500 temporary seats on the floor.
The Carrier Dome covers 7.7 acres and has 527,320 square feet of floor space. It is 570 feet long and 497 feet wide; the top of the Dome is 165 feet above the playing surface.
The Dome roof weighs 220 tons. It is constructed of 287,000 square feet of Teflon-coated Fiberglass and 14 three-inch thick steel bridge cables. Sixteen five-foot diameter fans located in the walls provide the air pressure to keep the double-layered roof inflated. When necessary, the fans circulate air heated to 145 degrees Fahrenheit to melt snow on contact with the roof.
The playing surface -- 405 feet long by 215 feet wide -- is rubberized and includes all markings for an eight-lane, 200-meter running track. For football and other field events, the floor is covered with 83,655 square feet of 1/2-inch AstroTurf over a 5/8-inch foam pad. The 26 rolls of AstroTurf are installed by a machine called a Grasshopper and are held together by zippers. For basketball, a 225-section wood floor is assembled in the west end of the building.
Source: Syracuse University
THE ULTIMATE SPORTS ROAD TRIP
By: Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell
October 9, 2004 - Talk Syracuse football, or Syracuse basketball, and you come up with images of programs that compete and win, year in and year out. And nowhere is this more evident than in the Carrier Dome, which serves as both football and basketball venues for their teams. Across one end zone are NCAA/NIT banners, marking the team's appearances in the Big Dance going all the way back to 1956, and of course, highlighted by their stunning 2003 championship. Then across the sidelines are post season bowl banners, and it seems that the Orange have appeared in a bowl game in quite a few years of their existence.
The Carrier Dome dominates the Syracuse skyline, and one can't help but see the building when driving along any of the interstates that bisect the city. The stadium sits right on the middle of the SU campus, just about two miles south of downtown, a pretty campus with tree lined paths and a mix of traditional older buildings and ultra moden newer ones.
Parking here can be a chore, as on campus parking is scarce and precious spaces are allocated to staff, VIPs and season ticket holders. So have a strategy when coming here. The best bet is to catch the Syracuse Express, a shuttle train which runs from Armory Square in downtown Syracuse and deposits you three blocks from the stadium's doors. Round trip is $4 and the service is quick and reliable.
Also there is Skytop, where you park your car and shuttle buses take you to a spot just steps from the Dome. For hoops fans, parking is provided at Manley Fieldhouse and buses shuttle fans to and from the game.
Opened in 1980, the Dome itself is a pretty ordinary building - grey concrete facades and a white teflon canvas air supported roof, there are entrances on all sides of the building. An adjoining square serves as a central meeting spot, with pregame food, games for the kids and entertainment courtesy of the SU marching band. With 50,000(33,000 for hoops) seats on two decks, the stadium is small, intimate, and being an indoor facility, can get pretty loud when the place is full, all adding to an electric atmosphere.
For our day at the Dome, we witnessed an exciting game between national powerhouse Florida State and the homestanding Orange. Syracuse surprised all by jumping out to a 10-3 halftime lead and tried to hold off the mighty Seminoles as they made a second half charge. Much to the chagrin of the home folks, the 'Noles rallied to win by a 17-13 margin fending off a late SU drive in which a pass was intercepted in the end zone in the final seconds.
August 20, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Syracuse University will play some of its home games in 2012, 2014 and 2016 at the
new Giants/Jets stadium in the Meadowlands. Last month, the new Yankee Stadium was
announced as the site for three college football games, including Rutgers-Army in 2011. That is
considered an Army home game.
