New signage has been installed inside the JMA Wireless Dome promoting its namesake. Fans will get their first chance to experience new updates to the Dome on Saturday when Syracuse football hosts Louisville.

Syracuse, N.Y. — Since Syracuse University wrapped its academic year in May, a team of 20 electricians have installed 4 million feet of new fiber-optic cable and 392 antennas inside the JMA Wireless Dome.

Despite what SU Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala described as an “unbelievable amount of work,” there is still more to be done.

The new 5G wireless, one of several upgrades to the Dome announced in May when it transitioned namesakes, will not be ready when Syracuse football hosts Louisville for its season opener Saturday.

In fact, Sala estimated the new cellular connectivity won’t be 100% until the 2023 football season kicks off. The Dome’s old wireless is still operational and will be used this season.

“Working with JMA, our partners, it’s a big, big, big project,” he said. “I’m really happy with where our team is right now with the project and where we are overall in the schedule.”

That means fans will once again battle slow buffering and sending speeds while inside or around the Dome. Sala encouraged fans to have their mobile tickets downloaded and easily accessible before they arrive at the gates.

Fans will notice new signage Saturday throughout the Dome’s bowl area advertising its new namesake.

A JMA Wireless logo has been installed in the southeast corner of the bowl above sections 331-334. Logos have also been added above and inside the center-hung video board.

“What we like to talk about with our fans is that when you come to a game, you get the best of both worlds,” SU Deputy Athletic Director Andrew Goodrich said. “You get to be here, be loud, have an effect ... but also you wanna watch those replays like you do at home.

“We know a lot of people have big TVs at home. You do not have a bigger TV than we have.”

New lighting has also been added inside the Dome that allows for enhanced effects including the capacity to change colors. Goodrich said this will create opportunities to “celebrate great moments” at SU football games this fall.

While SU hasn’t previously been strict with its clear-bag policy, that changes this season as the university continues to improve safety protocols at athletic events.

“We’re really asking people not to bring a bag to the stadium,” Sala said.

If fans have to bring bags, they must fall within one of these four categories: a 12-inch-by-6-inch-by-12-inch clear tote, one-gallon clear plastic storage bag, 4.5″ x 6.5″ clutch or small purse or a diaper bag.

Only one bag is allowed per fan.

There will also be increased security in and around the Dome, with a Syracuse police officer stationed at each entrance, in light of continued mass shooting events in New York and across the country.

Grab-and-go coolers in the hallways will replace human vendors, commonly referred to as “hawkers,” helping alleviate large, standing crowds throughout the facility. These stations, as with all vendors inside the Dome, will be cashless.

At and around the Dome’s 14 actual concession stands, new televisions have been installed so fans can continue watching the game even while not at their seats.

“You do not have to worry about missing a single play when you go up to grab a Dome Dog,” Goodrich said.

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