It’s the ultimate contradiction: in a place where mobs of grown men urinate into troughs, others experience the lavish treatment of royalty.

At every Syracuse football and basketball game, a couple hundred privileged Orange fans party it up in the Carrier Dome’s 38 luxury suites. The suites are fully equipped, fully customized and, of course, fully expensive.

But for Marty Wells, owner of private suite No. 201, the price (up to $48,000 a year) is worth it. On Sunday, while Wells treated family and friends to the rich and famous lifestyle and, yes, a basketball game, one thing became readily apparent — no Syracuse loss can be too discouraging when you’re chomping on a shrimp platter.

Wells’ suite is the Carrier Dome’s equivalent of a pimped-out Escalade. Unlike in most other stadiums and arenas, a Carrier Dome box owner can furnish and decorate his or her suite as desired. All boxes feature three rows of six seats each, but owners can opt for an additional six seats to be placed in the back, an option Wells selected.

‘Compared to the other suites I’ve been in,’ Wells said, ‘the biggest advantage is that you can have 24 seats in here. It’s much more spacious and comfortable. You see fewer amenities, but that’s worth sacrificing for comfort.’

If comfort is the goal, then Dave Smith, co-owner of suite No. 217, certainly succeeds. Although Smith and his two young children chose to watch Pittsburgh’s 75-63 victory from their plush, blue-cushioned seats, others in the box opted for a spot on Smith’s beige couch, which angles toward the television.

‘The atmosphere is very comfortable,’ Smith said. ‘True, you are a little removed, but it’s all a matter of personal taste. It’s perfect for business clients, but everyone in the family enjoys coming here too.’

Who wouldn’t? The luxury boxes may seem drab to students and fans who gaze from below, but a visit inside reveals a different picture. Yes, the visible section looks like everything else in the Dome — dark, bland and at least a decade behind the times — but the simplistic front is compensated by about 150 square feet of open space in the back.

Pat and Chris Barrett, who occupied suite No. 205 on Sunday, used most of that extra room for food and beverages. To the right of the suite entrance was a bar counter adorned with a platter of cold cuts, cheeses, spreads and dips.

Call it the Land of Plenty.

A group of guys with enough polo shirts to open their own Ralph Lauren factory outlet feast on enough food for a Siragusa family reunion and enough Labatt 12-packs to get a brontosaurus hammered.

There’s just one downside. (Or maybe 48,000.)

Annual, high-end prices for one luxury suite jumped last season from $30,000 to the current mark of $48,000. Prices decrease if the suites, which are available to owners for both basketball and football games, are not within sightlines of the Dome’s court. Twenty-four of 38 suites have a good view for basketball, Carrier Dome manager Pat Campbell said.

Predictably, the decision to raise prices generated many complaints from suite owners, including Smith. ‘It comes down to the fact that they know if they raise prices, we’re still going to be here to pay them,’ he said.

Revenue from luxury suites is used for the school’s athletic scholarships, said Paul Norcross, SU’s Senior Director of Development for Athletics, who studied Dome box prices and amenities compared to other big-name schools (such as Michigan and Tennessee) around the country.

‘If you look at everything,’ Norcross said, ‘we’re still at the low end.’

But as Smith reclines into his chair and cups his hands behind his head, he knows one thing — life at the low end ain’t so bad.

No. 10 Kentucky (-3.5) at No. 21 Georgia

No TV, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Does anybody remember telling Bulldog center Steve Thomas that his team was going to have to fight its way into the NCAA Tournament? It looks as if Thomas didn’t quite understand.

In UGA’s recent game against Auburn, Thomas chased opponent Kyle Davis to the sideline after the Tiger big man punched him in the back of the head. Thomas will return from his one-game suspension for the SEC showdown with Kentucky, a game that figures to be, well, a dogfight.

These two teams are within one game of each other, trailing only Florida for the East Division lead. Kentucky needs a win to avoid a sweep in the season series.

Pick: Kentucky, 76-72

St. Joseph’s (+1.5) at Xavier

ESPN2, Saturday, 8 p.m.

Being the best team in the A-10 is like being the bulkiest person at Calista Flockhart stunt-double tryouts.

Nonetheless, St. Joe’s and Xavier are still battling it out for conference supremacy. The Hawks, despite a disappointing 15-8 record, still own a 9-2 conference mark and the always-explosive combination of Marvin O’Connor and Jameer Nelson.

The Musketeers, owners of an impressive 17-4 record, still can’t eclipse that pesky ‘also receiving votes’ status and jump into the Top 25. A win might give them the push they need.

Pick: Xavier, 74-67

Pepperdine (+7.5) at No. 8 Gonzaga

ESPN2, Saturday, 10 p.m.

For all the hype and respect Gonzaga garnered over the past three seasons, it still trails one team in the West Coast Conference: Pepperdine. The Zags, with a 9-1 WCC record, hope to hand the Waves their first conference loss and gain a tie for first place.

Of course, Pepperdine has plenty to gain as well. Unlike Gonzaga, it is hardly a lock for the NCAA Tournament. ESPN currently projects Gonzaga as a four seed and Pepperdine as a nine seed. But a string of losses could roll the Waves into the precarious bubble status.

Pick: Gonzaga, 81-80

No. 1 Duke (-4.5) at No. 3 Maryland

CBS, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Ever seen Cole Field House?

It’s a Student Activities Center.

Imagine walking into Schine, passing through a double doorway and then peering in amazement as the floor drops off into a mystique-filled, creaky basketball court.

The Maryland arena, in its last season before being replaced by the Comcast Center, accommodates 14,500. But it’s certain to feel like a whole lot more when the Blue Devils square off with the Terps in what has recently become college basketball’s preeminent rivalry.

Since Monday, Maryland students have camped out in front of Cole waiting for tickets to the big game. Hardly luxurious. But worth it.

Pick: Maryland, 92-89

Syracuse (+5.5) at Notre Dame

ABC, Sunday, 3:30 p.m.

On Jan. 20, Syracuse ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll.

Today, it may be closer to the eighth-best team in the Big East. With five games remaining on its schedule, Syracuse likely needs three more victories so it isn’t watching the NCAA Tournament selection show holding its breath.

The Irish and Orangemen share a tight spot in the crowded waiting room for postseason berths. Notre Dame, which squares off against Rutgers tonight, currently holds a half-game lead over SU.

It’s a matchup of teams traveling in different directions. At the moment, they just happen to be crossing paths in the standings.

Pick: Notre Dame, 72-59

Published on February 13, 2002 at 12:00 pm