Syracuse Orange athletics director Bryan Blair wants more fans in the stands. When Syracuse football roared back to stun then-No. 19 SMU this past Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome, 30-27, the university announced a crowd of 33,396. That represents tickets sold, which is an important distinction from how many fans were actually at this Atlantic Coast Conference clash.
Speaking at head coach Fran Brown's weekly press conference on Monday, Blair said that Syracuse football deserves better, especially after two straight thrilling wins. The 'Cuse (4-4 overall, 2-4 in ACC) knocked off North Carolina in Chapel Hill by one point in overtime two Saturdays ago, and then SU followed that up with a triumph over a ranked Mustangs group (6-2 overall, 4-2 in ACC).
This Saturday afternoon, Syracuse football will host Clemson (5-3 overall, 3-2 in ACC). "We’re gonna try to do everything we can to facilitate a packed Dome," Blair said. "Because, frankly, that’s what our football program deserves."
I get that sort of sentiment. But there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Number one, it was Halloween last Saturday. Yes, the game was in the afternoon, but it was still a holiday. Secondly, while Brown guided the Orange to a 10-3 record in his first season at the helm in 2024, the 'Cuse was 3-9 overall in 2025. What's more, by and large, SU has been a so-so football program in recent years.
SU athletics director Bryan Blair is supporting Syracuse football, as he should.
On Saturday, for the Clemson game, the ACC Network's pregame show, "ACC Huddle," will be on site at the Dome, according to social media posts. That's encouraging.
ACC HUDDLE IS HEADING TO SYRACUSE 🍊 @CuseFootball pic.twitter.com/ofaO2Fwxr0
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) November 1, 2026
Brown said he wasn't disappointed with last Saturday's attendance. "I think the crowd was there due to the fact of what we’ve done in the past. I feel like that’s part of life," Brown said.
Even with a relatively smallish crowd, it got loud at the Dome, without question. Said Blair: "You felt tentacles of what it can feel like when that place is rocking. You felt that deafening noise. You saw an opponent scrambling to get signals in. We need people not just to show up and attend the game; we need people to show up and be a part of the game. Create that atmosphere that makes this the hardest place to play in the entire country."
Winning cures all woes. That's a common idiom in sports. If Syracuse football keeps winning, that should lead to bigger crowds on the Hill.
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