Football

Syracuse football finishes 2016 with 2nd-worst attendance in Carrier Dome history

Daily Orange File Photo

Syracuse's attendance has been dismal the last two years. During one game last year, three fans were the only ones in a section of bleachers.

By Matthew GutierrezSenior Staff Writer

Despite a new head coach, hurry-up offense and a victory over a Top 25 team, Syracuse football attendance finished the 2016 season second-worst in Carrier Dome history.

Figures improved 2 percent over last season, the worst in Dome history, which dates to 1980. Through three games, the Carrier Dome average had been on track for a record low. But after SU beat then-No. 17 Virginia Tech, Syracuse saw its most-attended game of the year, 34,842, against North Carolina State. Attendance for SU’s last three games of 2016 checked in 4 percent higher than it did the same period last year.

National Division I FBS attendance has fallen in six of the last seven years after peaking in 2008.

Last year, when the Orange sprung to its first 3-0 start in more than 20 years — SU finished 4-8 — attendance dropped 21 percent, the largest decline among Power 5 schools over the year.

Schools calculate attendance different from one another. At Syracuse, it’s a paid number, including SU employees on site. Season ticket holders who do not attend are counted toward the total. What’s not counted are large groups that do not show up.



To increase attendance among students, SU Athletics plans to unveil a new student ticket model in the coming months. Other efforts to get fans through the Carrier Dome turnstiles include themed games, such as Medical Appreciation Night, Homecoming and Military Appreciation Day. SU has amped up promotions during timeouts and halftime to keep fans engaged, especially as games grow longer in length.

This summer, Syracuse upgraded Carrier Dome Wi-Fi speeds and ran its “No Huddle Tour” in Rochester, Buffalo and Binghamton, New York, for the first time since 2010, emphasizing “New York’s College Team.” Fans can meet players and coaches at the events. Still, Syracuse’s 2016 home football attendance finished second-worst over the last three and a half decades.

Syracuse men’s basketball attendance, by contrast, consistently places among the top of the nation. Last year, SU slotted in second behind only Kentucky. Syracuse has placed fourth or better each season since the Carrier Dome opened in 1980.





Top Stories