Over the past two years, the University’s athletic dining program has undergone a remarkable transformation under the leadership of chef Jeff Dover, who has worked to establish a standard of nutritional excellence for the Division I student-athletes.

The program was rolled out in stages, expanding alongside the construction at the John A. Lally Athletics Complex. The Fallon Family Dining Center in the complex’s Football Performance Center first opened in the spring 2025 semester for use by the football team. In the fall semester, the Magee One Team Dining Center opened, thanks to a $2 million gift from Ed Magee ’70, G ’72 to honor his father,  effectively doubling the size of the dining program. Dover and his team now serve hundreds of student-athletes every week.

“The new dining facilities at the John A. Lally Athletics Complex, in both the Football Performance Center and Magee One Team Dining Center, showcase our continued strategic investment to help our student-athletes compete at the highest level,” says director of athletics John Wildhack ’80.

“Nutrition is a cornerstone of athletic performance, and we’ve seen firsthand how this facility has impacted our teams. Working with our nutrition staff and chef Dover, we’ve created a space where our student-athletes can fuel their bodies properly and build the kind of team culture that leads to success.”

When he was hired, Dover knew he could play a vital role in the success of student-athletes on the playing field. He works closely with team nutritionists and strength and conditioning coaches to provide food for fuel, recovery and everything in between.

“I tend to focus on the macro nutrition,” Dover says. “Whereas the performance nutritionist has to focus on the micro nutrition: hydration, vitamins and minerals, refueling and recovery.”

The transition to coach Fran Brown’s tenure in early 2024 brought fresh dynamics to the program. Dover’s team served their first meals to Brown’s squad on Jan. 17, 2024, and quickly adapted to the new coaching staff’s preferences through player surveys and constant communication.

“Coach Brown is hands-on, very involved with our nutrition program. You can tell that the details matter to him,” Dover says, emphasizing the value of direct feedback from both players and coaches.

Mixing Up the Menu to Avoid the Mundane

The menu ranges from comfort food favorites like homemade biscuits with gravy and baked French toast to upscale options on special nights. Monday nights will often feature comfort standards like burgers, hot dogs and fried fish, while Wednesdays often include player-favorite varieties of chicken wings.

The key, Dover stresses, is variety over the 15-week semester to keep meals from becoming mundane. Keeping it fresh for the juniors and seniors, players new to the program and staff requires frequent communication and input. He says that the players won’t hesitate to let his staff know if they’re getting tired of something on the menu.

“This team and the coaching staff let you know, no questions asked,” Dover says with a smile. “I couldn’t ask for a better dynamic between my staff, particularly the supervisors and the coaching staff. It’s very familial.”

This fall, when construction ended and the Magee One Team dining area opened, the athletic dining culinary team knew that their scope of responsibilities was going to expand. They’re now providing breakfast Monday through Friday, catering departure meals for teams preparing for away games and providing pregame meals for same-day competition in Syracuse seven days a week.

Dover’s ultimate goal is ambitious: to make Syracuse’s athletic dining program the standard of excellence that other Division I programs seek to emulate. With a motivated staff that arrives as early as 4 a.m., a collaborative relationship with coaches and their staffs and leadership from both the Athletic Department and Auxiliary Services, the foundation appears solid.

“This [experience] has been really gratifying for both myself and my staff,” Dover says. “We love these teams. You know, a lot of my staff don’t know the first thing about sports, but they really like providing these meals for the players and the coaching staff. It’s a point of pride.”