A sign reading “Shuttles to Manley and Skytop Parking” covers up a Jim Brown “Greatest Player Ever” poster.

Black bridges protrude horizontally from the court on either side of the Carrier Dome.

“The biggest thing is primarily the set-up of the building,” event staff supervisor Mark Barbuto said. “The building is entirely different.”

But the NCAA has its stipulations, and the Dome has four different fan bases to cater to in one day. The venue has been transformed from the inside, both procedurally and structurally, for this weekend’s NCAA Tournament East Regional.

It won’t be a regular SU game for ushers, media or fans either, as the Carrier Dome experience will cater to a more national audience rather than a Syracuse-centric one for this weekend’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.

“Things get to be ingrained in what we do and very easy for us to do that with our staff,” Barbuto said. “But we have these types of events, you know, it’s a totally different situation.”

The biggest visual differences in the Dome this weekend will be enforced by the entity that has already been involved with Syracuse as of late, the NCAA.

Jim Brown will be covered up, United Way of Central New York logos are hidden, and the permanent static signs along the electronic video board circling the Dome – normally filled with SU sponsors – show, “Welcome to the 2015 NCAA Tournament East Regional.”

“Every bit of corporate signage inside the Dome had to be covered up with pipe and drape,” said Michael Veley, the Carrier Dome PA announcer and East Regional director in 2005 and 2010.

The Dome sells only Pepsi, but will have to pour it in Coca-Cola cups since Coke is an official corporate sponsor of the NCAA. Instead of the standard Gatorade for SU games, Powerade — a Coca-Cola product — was behind the benches during Thursday’s open practices. And even water is poured in “NCAA” cups so not to show brands like Aquafina, Veley said.

SU Athletics personnel also wore all-blue NCAA shirts at Thursday’s open practices instead of ones with SU’s orange and navy blue. On the court, a royal blue circle with “NCAA” in white lettering is in the middle. “Syracuse” and “Carrier Dome” are on either baseline in blue lettering.

From a structural standpoint, the Dome will look different, too.

There’s no floor access to fans because of NCAA rules, said interim director of athletics Pete Sala. Instead, patrons seated in sections 122-125 — the portable bleachers across from the teams’ benches — will have to walk along a black bridge coming out of either section 101 or 116 to get to their seats.

What’s normally the Toyota Fun Zone — where fans can mingle and play games behind the bleachers — is now strictly a media area. A handful of sections are curtained off, making room for media trucks, a buffet for press members to eat at and even state-of-the-art portable restrooms.

The most significant difference from a procedural standpoint, Barbuto said, is for the ushers — half of whom remain from the 2010 East Regional at the Dome, by his estimation. Fan bases from Louisville, Michigan State, Oklahoma and North Carolina State will be largely unfamiliar with how to navigate the facility.

The flow of fans entering certain gates will be different than a normal Syracuse game, Barbuto said. Since not all stadiums have revolving doors, the Dome staff will open the crash doors that spit out powerful gusts of wind when opened. And once inside, fans may not be familiar with the quickest way to find their seats.

“We’ve got to basically start from scratch with a lot of patrons that are visiting this weekend,” Barbuto said. “We just have to make sure everyone understands that people are here for the first time.”

And despite the fact it won’t have the feel or look of a typical Syracuse game, it’s all a result of the necessary steps taken to host one of the biggest sporting spectacles in the world.

-Asst. news editor Sara Swann contributed reporting to this article.

Published on March 26, 2015 at 10:07 pm

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman