Have you ever sat down inside the Dome and focused your attention on the numerous retired jerseys hanging in the rafters? Well, right below those coveted banners is another one that reads “311 Heaven.” The sign is actually the only one allowed inside the JMA these days and it serves as a landmark for a group of fans that has attended SU Football and Basketball games for a very long time.
“We’ve been going since 1980,” said Steve Maley.
Maley is one of the core members of the group that spans over 40 years.
“It’s a social thing, in the City of Syracuse what else are you supposed to do in the winter?” said Maley.
The Salt City eats, sleeps, and breathes Syracuse Hoops once the winter rolls around. So Maley along with others travel to Syracuse from places like Rochester, Cazenovia, and other Central New York cities to watch Jim Boeheim and company take the floor. What’s funny is that the group of 12-16 SU fans didn't sit in section 311 full-time at the beginning.
“Originally our football seats were at the opposite end, 328 top row,” said Jack Davis, a founding father of the posse. “Our basketball seats have always been 311 there up in the middle. After a couple years of that, we decided we’re just going to meet up at 311 Heaven because it’s the top row where we stand, we never sit, we stand, and it just became very, very popular.
Just like that, one of the funnest sections in the Dome was born. Oh, and yes you read that correctly, it’s standing room only up in the Syracuse fandom heaven. That’s because things can get a little crowded during the games.
“The reason we’re up there is because in that row there’s a big landing behind us and we used to invite other people, oh you got bad tickets come on up!” said Maley.
Those invitations to join in on the fun weren’t just extended to Orange Nation.
“Jack had a habit of inviting some of the opposition fans up just to have fun,” Maley said. “He was a great one for socializing with the fans and inviting the opposition, Come on up, we got extra room at the top, you might have to buy us a beer but come on up.”
Oh and this section can drink a lot of beer, and I mean a lot. Davis told me the record for a single-game is six-and-a-half trays, which equates to 130 beers.
So it’s safe to say it’s a bit of a party up in the Loud House heavens. That banner that’s stuck to the cement and sharing eye candy with the likes of Louis Orr and Roosevelt Bouie has a cool story too.
The banner which reads “311 Heaven” has gone through four different facelifts. The first couple renditions were made out of computer paper but then it received a major renovation.
“When the guys from Rochester joined us, one of the guys' brothers made those signs over in Rochester,” Davis said. “So he made us the sign and ever since we’ve had that same sign, so 12-14 years we’ve had that sign and it’s 18 feet long.”
The banner is the only one of its kind allowed inside the Dome nowadays. It’s stored inside the usher’s room in between every SU Football and Basketball game. If you look really closely at the display during a basketball game, or catch a glance of it on a television cutaway during a broadcast, you might be able to pick out some number 3’s and letter d’s. That’s another fun tradition section 311 has.
“Well the d’s are the dunks and so every time they dunk the ball it has to be a legitimate dunk,” said Davis. “Three’s are for three’s, when they started in the Matt Roe days.”
Davis sticks the velcro 3’s onto the sign after every SU three-point shot falls. Meanwhile, Maley plops the d’s up there whenever a ‘Cuse player attacks the rack. The two get into a friendly competition during the game to see who can stick more things onto the 311 Heaven sign. You can probably guess who does most of the winning in that department.
“I’ve won a few games on the d-end but not too often,” Maley said.
On top of the fun little traditions they have up in section 311, the people in the group have developed and nurtured a relationship with one another. A relationship centered around Syracuse spotting events but one that has transcended well beyond the friendly confines of the Dome.
“You’ve been to weddings, and you’ve been to funerals, and you’ve been to graduations with these folks,” Maley said.” It’s like we’ve become family.”
A family, one that’s seen the best moments in Syracuse Athletics history. Of course there’s so many to pick from but Davis and Maley agreed upon one memory in particular as their favorite.
“The Pearl shot was a biggie,” said Davis.
“When Pearl hit that shot and ran off the court, it was astounding,” Maley said.
311 Heaven has seen the highs and the lows of the Orange, they’ve all done it together high atop the gridiron and the hardwood. They plan to continue that tradition for as long as they can.
“It’s been a significant part of our lives for 40-some years,” Maley said. “And it will continue on as long as we’re able I suppose. I don’t know, I might retire once Boeheim retires.”
So the next time you find yourself in the Dome, take a gander up to the heavens and rest your eyes on the group of screaming, SU loving, beer-drinking fans and hey maybe take a trip up those stairs and pay them a visit. You’ve got Steve Maley’s invitation.
“Just fun, just fun, come up and join us.”