All Syracuse students who attend the next three home football games will be eligible to win prizes, including an Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Apple Watch.

The effort is part of SU’s plan to bolster student attendance and increase student engagement, said Anthony Di Fino, SU’s associate athletics director of business development. He said he has seen students leave their seats at halftime and not return to the student section. Through an online survey conducted by Syracuse athletics, SU wants to discover what will improve the Carrier Dome environment during games and what improvements could keep students in their seats for the second half.

“We’d like to encourage students to stay as long as possible,” Di Fino said. “The students drive the energy in the whole stadium. We want to reward those who will engage with us the entire game.”

The survey was released Wednesday evening and will be available online until Nov. 11. To be eligible for the prizes, students must fill out a form at Gate E of the Carrier Dome, the entrance for students, and stay until the end of the third quarter. You don’t have to fill out the online survey to be in contention for the prizes

The survey is five questions and the first of what could become a series of feedback forums with students. Di Fino said longer surveys, including focus groups, will follow.

The questions center on factors that are most influential to student enjoyment (WiFi, seating, time of game), why students leave before the end of the game, what would motivate students to stay through the entire game and what would make for tangible improvements to the student experience (better seating area, reduced cost of tickets).

At the Pittsburgh (Oct. 7), Clemson (Oct. 13) and Wake Forest (Nov. 11) games, one of each prize will be awarded. Winners will be announced at the end of the third quarter.

The prize giveaway and survey comes during the first season of SU’s student season pass, unveiled in April. The pass was SU’s first adjustment on how students get tickets in at least 10 years, and an additional points system is set to launch later this semester, Di Fino said.

NCAA college football attendance has fallen seven of the last eight years. Through three home games, overall reported attendance this season has averaged 30,999 fans per game at the Carrier Dome.

Syracuse kicks off against Pitt on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

Published on October 5, 2017 at 12:56 am

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21