WYSR reported last night that Syracuse Orange ticket sales are up 5% this season compared to last year. There's a lot of obvious reasons for that, including the fact that the Orange are the No. 1 team in the nation and weather has been a bit nicer.
However, it's a note at the end of their piece that really caught my eye:
Nearly 30,000 tickets have already sold for their game against UConn in February, which has the potential to be a sell-out and to break their record set back in 2010 , when the Orange took on Villanova.
Goodness gravy.
The Carrier Dome capped attendance at 34,616 when the Villanova Wildcats came to town two years ago, breaking the record. SU fell just short of the record last season when the Wildcats returned to play in front of 33,736 fans. Short of moving the court to the middle of the Dome, it was hard to think of how they could improve. And yet, you just knew we'd always find a way to break the record again.
Not only does a new attendance record tell a great story, but it's also a fantastic excuse to make a new t-shirt. And if there's anything Syracuse University loves to do, it's make t-shirts.
While selling a few more nosebleeds should so the trick, moving the bleachers back slightly is the smarter move, putting more Orange fans close to the court and charging a crapton for the opportunity.
Students...prep your sleeping gear. It's off to Boeheimberg with you soon enough.
The 2010 record-breaker was featured as part of the ESPN's GameDay. Ironically, Syracuse's February 25th road game against UConn will also be a GameDay special. This February 11th home game, which starts at 1pm on a Saturday, will be broadcast on CBS.