Syracuse University Athletics considered Saturday’s football game in New Jersey against the University of Southern California a “home” game, making the Carrier Dome host of just five of the team’s 12 football games this season.

It’s the lowest home-game total since 2004, and the shortage is not sitting well with the SU community.

“We hear that our fans don’t want to travel out of town,” said Bill Nester, a co-owner and manager of Manny’s, a long-time Marshall Street T-shirt business.

Saturday’s game in MetLife Stadium, which ABC broadcast and more than 200 accredited media outlets covered, resulted in large, national media exposure for SU’s football program.

But Marshall Street businesses pay the price of this exposure. For Manny’s, a college-gear business that thrives off out-of-towners coming in for game days, home games at the Dome bring in crowds — about ten times as many customers as usual.

Though there was a bit of a rush at Manny’s the day before the USC game, it wasn’t the same as the “good days,” Nester said.

“We just wish the games would stay here,” he said. “They have a great facility here, they spend a lot of money on the Dome and it’s good for the fans, too.”

Sue Edson, assistant director of athletic communications at SU, told The Post-Standard in a Sept. 8 article that the MetLife home game is a chance for SU’s football team to play in an NFL stadium, which helps with future recruiting.

She also said more games would be played in the Dome if not for last-minute scheduling conflicts, such as Texas Christian University joining the Big 12 rather than the Big East, and West Virginia University leaving the Big East this summer, according to the article.

But it’s tough on the student fans.

Kayla Bill, a sophomore health and exercise science major who considers herself a big SU football fan, traveled down to New Jersey for Saturday’s game. She said the game was certainly a different experience, as she had never been to a football game in a stadium that large.

But she also said traveling that far for a home game was tiring, and that she isn’t sure she could regularly make the trip.

“That will depend on how far and how much money I would have to spend because of college student syndrome,” she said.

SU has a large fan base in New York City, and the SU community had the opportunity to experience a home game in the New York metro area, and then enjoy the city for the weekend.

But for some SU alumni residing in New York, SU football and the New York City experience shouldn’t mix.

“I’d rather have it here in Syracuse,” said Matthew Lum, a 2012 graduate visiting campus for the weekend. “People travel up here just for that reason.”

Nicole Roberts, also a 2012 graduate residing in New York City, doesn’t think it’s fair to the students, either.

Said Roberts: “When I go to a Syracuse football game, I want to be in the Dome.”

—Asst. News Editor Casey Fabris contributed reporting to this article

 

Published on September 10, 2012 at 1:05 am

Contact Marwa: meltagou@syr.edu | @marwaeltagouri