Syracuse Orange: Get your phone ready when entering the Carrier Dome
By Neil Adler
The Syracuse Orange, amid the pandemic, is moving toward mobile ticketing for various ‘Cuse sports, including football and hoops.
Saving those printed Syracuse Orange sports tickets as collector’s items or keepsakes will become a thing of the past due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The Syracuse University athletics department has announced that it will use mobile ticketing as the sole option for Orange football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s lacrosse, starting with the upcoming 2020 football campaign.
Of course, all of this assumes that football and other ‘Cuse athletics contests will even get played this fall or winter. There are a lot of unfortunate signs that fall sports, such as football, may not occur because of the pandemic.
Should football transpire – and Syracuse’s home opener against Colgate on Saturday, Sept. 19, is already off the table following a recent Patriot League decision to halt fall sports – Orange athletics administrators are already preparing for reduced attendance at the Dome.
Personally, I find it hard to believe that at this juncture, given the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases around the country, fans will end up attending ‘Cuse football encounters this fall. But that’s pure speculation on my part.
Here’s why Syracuse Orange sports officials are transitioning toward mobile ticketing as the only option for ‘Cuse games.
Syracuse athletics officials say that they are implementing mobile ticketing “in an effort to be prepared to manage any future schedule changes and work toward a contactless environment.”
University administrators also note that mobile ticketing will provide better convenience and efficiency by promoting faster movement through the Dome’s entrances, as well as improving security against counterfeit or stolen tickets.
"“Digital or mobile ticketing is a trend we are seeing across the nation and will likely become standard operating procedure across all venues going forward,” the press release on cuse.com says."
The statement adds that 25 percent of Orange football tickets and 30 percent of men’s basketball tickets got redeemed via a mobile option last year.
For fans who may not have a smartphone, they can call 888-DOME-TIX to discuss their options, but printed tickets are no longer available.