SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team started its 2025-26 campaign with a 4-0 record, but the stands told a different story. The game against Monmouth University tipped off at 9 p.m., which kept some students from attending.
“It’s such a bummer, three-point deficit at halftime. It just really sucks I had to leave that game.”
-Connor Sisson
The Orange came off their 2024-25 season averaging 18,888 fans per game, the fourth lowest in JMA Wireless Dome history. The attendance so far this year, according to the cuse.com basketball calendar page, averaged 18,851 fans per game.
SU student Ava Keller could not make the game, blaming the late start time during a busy week of school. She suggested having earlier start times for home matchups.
“They should probably start on weekdays, around 5 or 6,” Keller said.
SU sports fan Connor Sisson tried to watch as much basketball as he could, but with the late start time and an 8 a.m. class the next day, he was disappointed he had to leave at halftime despite it being a three-point game.
“It’s such a bummer, three-point deficit at halftime. It just really sucks I had to leave that game,” Sisson said.
While ACC rivals such as Duke continued to sell out Cameron Indoor Arena despite playing lower-level teams, the JMA Wireless Dome remained half-empty. The smaller arena’s atmosphere made every game feel significant, compared to Syracuse’s larger venue.
Longtime basketball fan and former coach Tony Rodriguez believed the late start times and level of competition should not affect attendance, noting that dedicated fans would still find a way to attend.
“I think regardless of if it’s high stakes or not, if you are a true sports fanatic or a fan of a team, you want to watch as much as possible,” Rodriguez said.
SU has three remaining home games with 9 p.m. start times. As conference play approaches, including matchups against Florida State and Virginia Tech, fan attendance could factor into the team’s home-court advantage.