SYRACUSE -- The lines of students started forming early Monday morning. Standing in the cold outside the Carrier Dome Box Office, Syracuse University fans were cashing in on free tickets to participate in the live telecast of ESPN's College GameDay show.
They were waiting for their chance to get on TV and share the SU basketball mania with the rest of the country. "I've been looking forward to this game for a long time," said junior Eliot Bugda. "The game's been sold out for two weeks now. When I heard College GameDay was coming here, I knew I had to get a ticket."
From the Carrier Dome to the Schine Student Center Box Office, students were pouring in all morning. The ticket will guarantee them a spot on ESPN's hour-long program the morning of the Villanova game later this month. The much-anticipated game has been sold out for weeks. Tens of thousands will cheer on their favorite team as they face off against Villanova. So for students who don't have tickets, this is their only shot at spreading the SU excitement.
It's the big buzz on campus. Big East basketball is what everyone's talking about these days and they're hoping yesterday's loss to Louisville was just a bump in the road on SU's path to victory. "I feel like we didn't come to play that well," said freshman Amadou Guey. "Louisville was more aggressive than we were throughout the whole game." "Everyone's saying it's better that they lost it now than later on in the season," Eliot Bugda said. "So it's not that big of a deal. I think we're still going to be highly-ranked up." It's been quite a season so far. SU is now 24 and 2, which is one of the best start's ever. It's bringing basketball fans together to show their support for a team they hope can go all the way. "It affects the campus positively I think. But I hope this can continue because it's a fun ride," Guey said.
Students with a ticket should enter the Dome through Gate E (with a valid SU ID) beginning at 8:00 a.m. on February 27. A limited number of free general admission tickets for the public from Syracuse University will be available at the Carrier Dome Box Office beginning February 16 at 9:00 a.m. Each person can pick up a maximum of four tickets.
Fans with general admission tickets should enter the Dome through Gates A, B, C, J, K, L and M beginning at 9:30 a.m. on February 27. Free parking will be available in the stadium west lots on Raynor, Stadium and Henry Streets. Tickets for the SU game against Villanova will not be accepted for entry to the Dome for the ESPN GameDay show. GameDay tickets are only valid for the GameDay show at 11:00 a.m.
