About the Dome - Syracuse University Athletics

The JMA Wireless Dome is a 42,784-seat stadium located on the campus of Syracuse University. It is the only domed stadium in the Northeast and is the largest structure of its kind on a college campus in the country.

Since its opening on September 20, 1980, the facility has hosted a wide variety of events. The JMA Dome serves as the home of SU football, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's lacrosse. It has hosted numerous rounds of NCAA championships in basketball, lacrosse and track and field and hosts regional and state scholastic competitions in football, as well as NBA pre-season games.

In addition to sporting events, the Dome has staged Olympic champion ice skating shows as well as concerts featuring P!nk, Elton John, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rod Stewart, U2, Genesis, The Rolling Stones, Garth Brooks, The Who, Neil Diamond, Pink Floyd, Luke Bryan, Zac Brown, Kanye West, Travis Scott, Chainsmokers, Khalid and many others. The annual celebration honoring the life of Martin Luther King Jr. is also hosted in the Dome annually.

Syracuse University students begin their academic careers with the annual Syracuse Welcome activities in the Dome each Fall Semester and culminate with the traditional Commencement ceremony in the Spring.

Design and Construction
The JMA Wireless Dome was constructed between April 1979 and September 1980 at a total construction cost of $26.85 million. Known as the Carrier Dome until 2022, its original air-supported roof was 165 feet above the playing surface and covered 7.7 acres. The roof was a Teflon-coated, fiberglass fabric made up of 64 roof panels held together by a latticework of 14 bridge cables, some over 700 feet long and weighing seven tons. 16-five foot diameter fans, each capable of moving 95,000 cubic feet of air per minute, provided a total operating capacity of over one million cubic feet of air per minute. The air was directed upward through the Dome's 36 exterior concrete columns to keep the stadium's 220-ton roof inflated. Prior to the start of a snow storm, air heated to 160 degrees was pumped into the air space between the two layers of the Dome's roof to help melt snow before it accumulated. Runoff water was captured in the roof's compression ring where 36 drain pipes directed it down through the walls and into the city's sewer system.

On March 16, 2020, the roof was deflated for the final time and removed to make way for the construction of a new fixed roof structure. This multi-year enhancement project provides a new stadium experience including the new roof, centerhung scoreboard, enhanced sound and lighting systems. Additional enhancements include accessibility improvements, locker room upgrades, additional restrooms, concession stand advancements and air conditioning.

Future phases of improvements include introducing an on-site and publicly accessible event facility, designed to expand visitor access to pre- and post-event activities and concessions; and upgrading the Dome’s digital infrastructure to support fan access to free, modern, and high-speed wireless environment while visiting the Dome.

Seating
The full Dome consists of over 41,000 chairback seats, 1,366 theater seats (in the 40 private box suites) and approximately 200 seats for media in the press box, located on the south side of the second level. The north and south bleacher stands have platforms for wheelchair patrons that are utilized for both football and basketball viewing. The entire east end zone at the lower level concourse and platforms on the upper concourse are accessible for wheelchairs in the football configuration. For concerts, up to 7,000 temporary seats can be put on the Dome floor. Entry to the Dome is gained through one of 32 revolving doors. An additional 62 "out only" crash doors are used to help crowd flow after games, giving the stadium a total of 94 exit doors. Gates A and C on the lower level as well as G, M and N on the upper level are accessible for patrons utilizing wheelchairs and people with mobility limitations.

Club 44
The 3,000 square foot venue is located on the concourse level overlooking the West end zone and boasts an intimate, club-lounge setting. Club 44 is a versatile space suitable for a variety of functions, including A/V capabilities and private restrooms. The lounge features a host of specialty drink and food options, making it a perfect location for parties and meetings.

Flooring
In the Summer of 2020, the field turf was replaced with a new Classic HD Turf System, which features a patented 3-layer infill. This process provides the perfect combination of durability and softness. The turf covers the entire 82,000 square feet (215 feet wide by 405 feet long) arena floor.

On Oct. 10, 2009 the Dome turf was officially named "Ernie Davis Legends Field," in a tribute to Syracuse's 1961 Heisman Trophy-winning back who was immortalized in the Universal Pictures film "The Express," which premiered in Syracuse on Sept. 12, 2008. The naming was made possible by a generous gift from Sam and Carol Nappi.

A Signature Systems OmniDeck flooring system is used to cover the field in the basketball configuration and for concerts and various events.

Jim Boeheim Court is a 60-foot by 112-foot hardwood basketball floor used for Syracuse University home basketball games and is assembled in the west end zone.

Scoreboard and Video Screens
The Dome's Daktronics, Inc. scoreboard and video systems were updated in 2020. In addition to displaying live game feeds, the system is capable of displaying a combination of statistics, out-of-town scores, player photos and various graphic animations. The two main video boards measure 21 feet high by 40 feet wide and are located above the stadium's west and east end zones. A supplemental scoreboard is located in the northwest corner of the stadium. A 360 degree LED ribbon board, that is 1600 linear ft. by 30 inches high, wraps the upper seating level with additional ribbon boards above each endzone. A new centerhung video and scoreboard was installed in 2020 as part of the roof replacement project and features four sides that are each 62' wide by 20 feet high.