Otto helps usher in the JMA Wireless Dome era.
Home to countless athletic competitions, five Orange teams, some of the most memorable moments in collegiate sports history and cherished University traditions.
Host to Commencement, iconic performers, family-friendly entertainment, high school athletic events and graduations for local districts, and even serving as a temporary classroom and testing center amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The University’s on-campus stadium may be “just a building”—but for the hundreds of thousands of students, athletes, fans, alumni and employees who have played, performed, cheered, made friends and made history under its roof, it is part of the fabric of this University and the Syracuse community at large.
Last week, the University announced that JMA Wireless, a global leader in the wireless industry and 5G technology headquartered in Syracuse, has entered a 10-year naming rights partnership, ending the 40-year legacy of the Carrier Dome name and ushering in the JMA Wireless Dome era (or JMA Dome for short).
Chancellor Kent Syverud, JMA Wireless Founder and CEO John Mezzalingua, Director of Athletics John Wildhack, Women’s Basketball Coach Felisha Legette-Jack and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala spoke at a press event May 19 about the continuing transformation of the JMA Dome, the exhilarating partnership between two organizations committed to the Central New York region, and how it will always be “Dome Sweet Dome.”
Left to right: Director of Athletics John Wildhack, JMA Wireless Founder and CEO John Mezzalingua, Women’s Basketball Coach Felisha Legette-Jack, Chancellor Kent Syverud and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala
Here are five takeaways from the event.
As the company that was recently tapped to help prepare SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and host of Super Bowl LVI, with 5G technology, JMA has outfitted venues with some of the most advanced technology available. According to Mezzalingua, “There’s a revolution brewing in sports and 5G is at the heart of it.” Connectivity enhancements within the JMA Dome will help optimize performance (e.g., augmented reality sensors; advanced coaching tools; and ultra-fast communication between players and coaches) and create an elite fan experience that seamlessly integrates the in-person experience with fans’ digital worlds. “This partnership will give the JMA Dome the first and most advanced 5G network of any collegiate stadium in the world,” Mezzalingua said. “It will not only transform the experiences of fans, players and coaches, but it has the potential to supercharge the competitiveness of Syracuse University and create excellence at the level that we all expect.”
“This announcement, combined with the upcoming renovations to the JMA Dome, sends a very clear message about the future,” Wildhack said. “Syracuse University is committed to its athletics program. We are committed to providing the best experience, competitively and academically, for our student-athletes to compete successfully in the ACC and on a national level.” Or as Coach Legette-Jack put it, “We’re coming and we’re putting you on notice right now, we’re ready to go!”
In addition to being the venue for hundreds of athletic competitions, the JMA Dome will continue to be a hub of activity and catalyst for economic impact for the greater Syracuse community. Chancellor Syverud shared that the Dome brings upwards of 935,000 visitors and more than $240 million in economic activity to the Central New York region each year. “We think these improvements will make it one of the most attractive venues in the world for large crowds to attend, not just for sporting events but for many types of competitions and concerts,” Chancellor Syverud said. “I’ve learned to be very careful in making predictions, but we expect the economic impact to the region to grow significantly with these enhancements.”
The University has long prioritized a mutually beneficial relationship with the City of Syracuse and its surrounding areas—and JMA Wireless is also firmly rooted in Syracuse, founded locally by Central New York native Mezzalingua a decade ago. Earlier this year, the company opened its new campus and the first U.S.-owned 5G manufacturing facility on the city’s South Side. “We hope to see this as just the beginning of a revitalization of Central New York as a national tech hub,” said Mezzalingua. Chancellor Syverud thanked the people of Syracuse and Central New York, saying, “Our communities have never been more intertwined and aligned than they are right now. The JMA Dome is as much a part of Syracuse and Central New York as it is a part of our campus.
“I’ve seen everything that’s happened in this Dome, big and small, exciting, heartbreaking, thrilling, historic,” said Sala. “When we first opened the doors of this building in 1980, I don’t think any of us imagined how special, how sacred, how iconic this venue would become.” Whether you’re there to watch one of your favorite musicians bring down the house, sway and sing the alma mater with friends at Commencement, or cheer on the football team alongside 35,000 of your closest friends, the JMA Dome will continue to deliver those uniquely Orange experiences—now with a new name, a transformative partner, and more power, speed and connectivity than ever before.
