Carrier Dome The Carrier Dome is a 49 , 262 - seat domed sports stadium located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University Hill neighborhood of Syracuse , New York , USA . It is home to the Syracuse Orange football , basketball and lacrosse teams . New York high school football state championships as well as the annual New York State Field Band Conference championships are held in the stadium , as are occasional concerts . Description . The Carrier Dome is the largest domed stadium of any college campus and the largest domed stadium in the Northeastern United States . Also , it is the largest on - campus basketball arena in the nation , with a listed capacity of 33 , 000 , however this limit has been easily exceeded several times . Consequently , Syracuse University ' s Men ' s Basketball per - game and single - season attendance numbers are usually annual contenders for the top rank in the nation . Lacrosse crowds are not as large , but the venue allows Syracuse ' s lacrosse teams to play home games throughout the February – May regular season . The Dome has thus seen many of NCAA basketball ' s largest crowds . On February 23 , 2013 , a new on - campus basketball attendance record was set , at 35 , 012 as the Orange were defeated by the Georgetown Hoyas 57 - 46 , ending the Orange ' s home win - streak at 38 games . The previous attendance record to fall was also at The Dome , on February 27 , 2010 , when 34 , 616 came to see the Orange rout the Villanova Wildcats 95 - 77 . On March 19 , 2007 , a new NIT attendance record was set , at 26 , 752 , in the second - round men ' s basketball game against the San Diego State University Aztecs . Artists that have performed at the stadium include Elton John , Billy Joel , Bruce Springsteen , Rod Stewart , U2 , Genesis , The Rolling Stones , The Police , Frank Sinatra , Garth Brooks , The Who , Neil Diamond , Kid Cudi , Grateful Dead , Kid Rock , Paul McCartney , Kenny Chesney , Ludacris , Rick Ross , Meek Mill , Taylor Swift , Pink Floyd , and Drake , among others . Billy Joel played a special sold - out concert on March 25 , 2006 , to help mark the Carrier Dome ' s 25th anniversary . All tickets were sold for $ 39 . 50 , the same price as his last solo appearance in Syracuse in 1998 . Each October , the dome hosts the New York State Field Band Conference marching band championships . It also hosts the New York State High School Football Championships each November . A Billy Graham crusade took place at the Carrier Dome in 1989 . Monster Jam played a sold out show to nearly 40 , 000 fans on March 10 , 2012 . History . Toward the end of the 1970s , Syracuse University was under pressure to improve its football facilities in order to remain a Division I - A football school . Its small concrete stadium , Archbold Stadium , was 70 years old and not up to the standards of other schools . The stadium could not be expanded ; earlier in the decade it had been reduced from 40 , 000 seats to 26 , 000 due to fire codes . Therefore Syracuse University decided to build a new stadium on the site of Archbold , which , appropriately for Syracuse ' s often cold weather was to have a domed Teflon - coated , fiberglass inflatable roof . When it opened in September 1980 , it was made clear just how loud it was inside ; that night the dome ' s famous nickname , " the Loud House " , was coined . The inflatable roof causes the sound produced to echo many times , exponentially increasing the loudness produced inside . It would also serve as the home for the men ' s basketball team , as a replacement for Manley Field House . The Carrier Dome was constructed between April 1979 and September 1980 . The total construction cost was $ 26 . 85 million , including a $ 2 . 75 million naming gift from the Carrier Corporation . Hueber , Hunt and Nichols , Inc . was the general contractor . It was speculated at the time that political considerations helped this project advance . The State of New York provided a $ 15 million grant in 1978 for the Dome ' s construction . At the time Democratic incumbent Governor Hugh Carey was thought to have trouble in his re - election campaign with upstate voters . He visited the site of the old Archbold stadium and was sold by local officials and SU brass on the utility of a Dome . Carey won re - election to a second term following the approval of state funds , although the extent to which it helped him may never be known . The Dome has been upgraded several times throughout the past 25 years . Most recently the University installed a LED video display system with 2 video boards ( 15 ' x 25 ' ) that are located on the east end and northwest corners of the 3rd level , along with 58 color TVs for the back rows of the 2nd and 1st levels . The inflatable roof was also replaced in 1999 at a cost of $ 14 million . The Dome has also been the site of a tragic accident . In June 1999 , worker Bryan Bowman was killed when he fell through the Dome roof to the bleachers 60 feet below . He had been working with a crew from Birdair Incorporated , to replace the roof . The next month an electrician fell down a 50 - foot shaft while installing cables for a new speaker system . He survived with injuries to his leg , arm , back and ribs . FieldTurf was installed at the beginning of the 2005 football season , replacing the outdated AstroTurf . Additionally , the Dome also received orange paint and banners between its decks , and its corridors were lined with historic photographs . In the 2009 football season the field turf was dedicated to Ernie Davis , the first African American Heisman Trophy winner . The field now reads " Ernie Davis Legends Field " between the 45 yard lines on the home side . Davis ' s number forty - four was also placed along that yard line . The dedication took place at the Syracuse vs . West Virginia game October 10 , 2009 . In 2006 – 07 , the women ' s basketball team began playing home games in the Dome . The 1981 Big East Conference men ' s basketball tournament was held there , as were the 1988 and 1991 Division I NCAA Men ' s Lacrosse Championship s . The Men ' s NCAA Basketball Tournament East Regional semi - finals & finals have been held at the Dome six times ( 1983 , 1997 , 2000 , 2002 , 2005 , and 2010 ) . The Dome is served by CENTRO buses . Shuttle buses transport fans to and from remote parking lots . Despite carrying the name Carrier ( an HVAC manufacturer ) , there is no air conditioning in the dome . The need for it is presumed low , as the facility is primarily used during the academic year ( August – May ) , during most of which the outside temperatures rarely go far above room temperature , although it can get very hot in August and September . However , the temperatures greatly rise when filled to capacity even in November .