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While the Carrier Dome is “home” for Syracuse Orange fans, there are still quite a few more stadiums around college football and college basketball to visit. Some of them are essential pilgrimages, while others, maybe not so much.
Here, we’re focusing on the former group. Obviously it’s a bit easier to legitimize going to the ones that Syracuse actually plays games in. But for those like myself, that aren’t super close to SU or their conference-mates in the ACC, sometimes other options are worth considering too.
For me, I’d love to just see “every” college football stadium, but if I’m narrowing things down to a handful of the ones I HAVE TO watch a game at (that I haven’t already):
- Kyle Field (Texas A&M)
- Michigan Stadium (Michigan)
- Ohio Stadium (Ohio State)
- Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin)
- Albertsons Stadium (Boise State)
- Clemson Memorial Stadium (Clemson)
- Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Florida)
Some other West Coast locales are easier for me to get to, and may not be worth the full weekend treatment that these would be. But these are the stadiums/experiences I’d definitely want to check out at some point. The Clemson one’s the most feasible to fit Syracuse into. Wisconsin would’ve happened in 2020 had that series not been cancelled (which was for the best, really).
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On the basketball side of things, the list looks like this:
- Rupp Arena (Kentucky)
- Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke)
- Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas)
- Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (Indiana)
- Dean E. Smith Center (North Carolina)
I’ve been to Cameron and the Dean Dome, just not for basketball games. But definitely want to try to make it to both for a matchup with the Orange at some point. KU, Kentucky and IU just seem like historic and cool venues that are worth visiting for a game, too. There just aren’t a ton of those in college basketball, and SU’s arguably the best the sport has to offer. So while they may seem quaint in comparison (at least I feel that way at Pauley Pavilion), there’s still value in seeing those environments.
Share your own thoughts below. Which college football and basketball stadiums are on your bucket list? (h/t Red Cup Rebellion for posting this idea themselves a couple days ago)