Boeheimburg (WSYR-TV) - The community of hearty student basketball fans gathered outside Syracuse University's Carrier Dome continue their wait for Saturday's showdown with Villanova. Thursday they were allowed to move their encampment, called Boeheimburg, inside the shelter of the Dome.
The students that make up the student section, called
Otto's Army, camped out in shifts to secure for themselves the best seats in the student section. The seats are awarded on a first come, first served basis, and students began to arrive Monday for the game that could possibly set a new attendance record.
"Actually, Kris Joseph came and visited us last night when we were sleeping outside - which was really nice," said SU Frehsman Shay Frey. "He came into our tent and hung out and was joking around."
The camp sight outside the student's gate, nicknamed Boeheimburg, is recognized by the location-based social network
Foursquare. Students bring tents, sleeping bags and laptops to their shifts holding a place in line. Each student is allowed to represent a few of their peers in the queue so that no one has to skip classes.
Now that they've been allowed inside, the students populate the hallway that wraps the exterior of the Dome. Their population at any given time averages around 100.
"Passing time outside the Dome was rough, because it was so cold. You just kind of sit on your laptop, listen to music or watch some television on your computer," said SU Freshman Ben Glidden. "Now that we're inside the Dome we can watch some Lacrosse practice, walk around and talk to other people. It's really nice."
The students who met Joseph outside the Dome say he told them he is expecting to play against Villanova, one week after suffering a head injury against Cincinnati. Assistant Coach Rob Murphy fell short of that assessment, saying Joseph is still experiencing some light headaches and his status remains day-to-day.
