With the Syracuse University basketball season getting underway, along with some major concert announcements, the JMA Wireless Dome will be seeing a lot of excitement.
The university announced it would be transforming the venue, improving comfort. Upgraded chairbacks will be installed and the dome's bench seating will be replaced.
Syracuse University Athletic Director John Wildhack said those seating changes will have an effect on the capacity and seating map within the dome.
"There will be a reduction, rather minimal reduction, for football and for basketball because the chair backs that we install are wider than the bench seats that we had," Wildhack said. "Therefore, they'll be much more comfortable."
Wildhack says they plan to provide affected season ticket holders with alternative seating options that the university hopes will be desirable to them. The new seating is planned to be installed in the summer of 2024. The enhancements to the dome are part of a focus on the fan experience for Syracuse sporting events and 3rd party events like concerts.
Pete Sala, vice president, chief campus facilities officer and managing director of the JMA Dome, said previous enhancements like air conditioning upgrades have made the facility more desirable.
"I've been working with Live Nation for a couple of years to get them back into the building," Sala said. "I think the success, the unbelievable success of the last two, Paul McCartney concert and the Elton John concert, have definitely caught their eye and brought them back to the table and we've been in some pretty good discussions on actually three or four concerts."
Wildhack said he's thankful for the community events and when concerts or games at the dome sell out, it helps drive the local economy.
"The JMA Wireless Dome is, again, we see it as it's a community asset and the two concert announcements validates the investment," Wildhack said. "We've got a great naming rights partner in JMA. They've been absolutely fantastic to work with and again. We're thankful for local, state and county officials for their support. This puts Central New York on the map, and it's something that that I think people should take great pride in."
