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UPDATED: March 3, 2021 at 11:14 a.m.

The Carrier Dome will reopen to fans for the first time in almost a year for Saturday’s men’s lacrosse game against Vermont, Syracuse University officials announced Thursday. 

SU will allow 900 student fans as a “pilot” run for the game, Vice Chancellor Mike Haynie and Director of Athletics John Wildhack said in a campus-wide email. Student season ticket holders have priority for the game and will be required to take two COVID-19 tests: one test 24 hours prior to the game and one rapid test upon arriving at the Dome the day of.

Students are required to wear masks and sit in the lower level of the stadium in pods of at most four people, with 9 feet of distance between each pod. Concessions stands won’t open, but water will be available at no charge.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo ruled Feb. 10 that stadiums and arenas in the state could reopen at 10% of their maximum capacity as early as Feb. 23 after receiving approval from local and state health officials. SU had home basketball games against UNC and Clemson after that date, but New York state officials still hadn’t approved its testing plan despite conducting a site visit.

Now, state officials and the university have a plan set to bring spectators back into the Dome — which just underwent an $118-million renovation project — for the first time since the women’s basketball season-finale against Boston College on March 1.

“The reopening of the Syracuse University stadium to fans represents one step toward a return to normalcy,” Wildhack and Haynie said in the email.

This post has been updated with additional reporting.

Published on March 4, 2021 at 11:03 am

Contact Andrew: arcrane@syr.edu | @CraneAndrew