Syracuse AD John Wildhack said the school is "looking at a variety of options" for its planned renovation of the Carrier Dome and is "deep in the due diligence phase," according to Chris Carlson of the Syracuse POST-STANDARD. Wildhack, answering fan questions during an event last week, said, "It's an incredibly complex project and what makes it that way is it's home to five of our sports. ... and other university functions. We don't want to disrupt any of the seasons for any of those five sports. We're looking at a variety of models. ... As far as what kind of roof it is, I'm going to leave that to the construction experts." On the possibility of seat backs replacing traditional bench seating, Wildhack said, "I know it's a priority for our fans based on the feedback I've received. Along with air conditioning. ... Fan amenities are a cornerstone of what we need to do when we renovate the Dome. ... Every meeting I've been in that's been the discussion, how do we upgrade the fan experience?" Meanwhile, Wildhack addressed the possibility of leaving Nike when SU's apparel contract expires, noting that Syracuse has "received interest from companies like Under Armour and Adidas." Wildhack said, "We've got a couple years left on our Nike deal. My philosophy is you always give your incumbent the first opportunity if they've been a good partner to you and Nike has. ... We've done some research about our brand, the Syracuse brand. It's more than just a regional brand. It's more than a state brand. We are a national brand." Nike has "frustrated some fans by selling SU's football jerseys only in navy, rather than the orange version that many prefer." A basketball uniform pairing an orange jersey with blue shorts met with "negative reviews" (SYRACUSE.com, 6/30).
