Our Facilities - Syracuse University Athletics

OUR FACILITIES

Thirty years after its much anticipated opening, the JMA Wireless Dome remains a viable athletics venue and remains the home of Syracuse University Football. The addition of FieldTurf in 2005 provided a greatly enhanced playing surface. Naming the playing surface Ernie Davis Legends Field only strengthened the program’s link to its heritage. Discussions are on-going about short-term improvements to enhance the visual appeal and game-day atmosphere, including high definition video boards and LED monitors, ribbon boards, a new sound system and a visual makeover.

Two FieldTurf outdoor practice fields were also installed in 2005 to provide the team with a playing surface that remains constant for both games and practices. The following year, the Orange moved into a bright new weight training facility, that provides nearly 12,000 square feet of professional strength and fitness equipment. All of these improvements were made possible by the contributions of people who are not only passionate about the program, but have a clear vision of Syracuse’s place in the competitive college football landscape.

The completion of the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center in 2009 gave Syracuse the opportunity to convert the Manley Field House arena into an 80-yard indoor practice facility for all sports, complete with a resurfaced track. Football, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, field hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, track and cross country, tennis, volleyball and ice hockey use the facility. It is used non-stop from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. on a regular basis during the cold weather months. While these facilities have certainly been steps in the right direction, the urgent need for a full-field indoor football facility is paramount.

ANTWON BAILEY/ORANGE FOOTBALL

“Having the indoor facility at Manley has done something for us that can’t be measured. We were never able to do seven-onseven and run indoors. It allows us to be more active and do
team bonding activities. It helps us both on and off the field. But, we have 100 plus players on this team, so we’re limited with space in Manley. It’s like a basketball team practicing on
a half court. Having a full-time, full-field indoor facility would be a huge benefit and make us competitive with the rest of the BCS schools. In Syracuse, there’s snow on the ground in
winter, so we can’t go outside to work on timing, cutting and pass patterns. Without a full-field indoor facility, we’re already behind the curve when Spring practice starts.”

RYAN NASSIB/ORANGE FOOTBALL

"The Manley indoor facility has done wonders for us, especially in the off-season. The facility has given us the opportunity to come out and do football-specific drills and agilities on the same surface we play and practice on, which is extremely important. It’s especially beneficial to the quarterbacks and receivers, as we can work on routes, timing, footwork and catching balls. The Manley renovation is really a big step forward, but since the space is also utilized by lacrosse, soccer, track, softball and other sports, we don’t have full access to it. A full-field would help us even more to work on deep patterns and plays that require a full-field. It also provides more room for all of the individual positions. Right now, we’re cramped so there’s some bumping into each other, but a full-field creates plenty of room for each individual position to fully utilize the space it needs. We have a great weight room and outdoor practice fields, but in this climate, a full-time indoor facility is essential. We’re grateful for whatever we can get to help us compete at a higher level and continue to build on the success we established last season.”