UPDATED: Nov. 30, 2017 at 6:01 p.m.

On Saturday, across from the post-game interview stage in the depths of the Carrier Dome, four tables formed an “L” shape. Laptops are opened in front of most chairs. Video equipment cases and book bags lined a curtain divider a few feet away. A clump of wires connected electronics to a router. Camera lens caps sat next to empty bottles of ginger ale. A flat-screen television showed Syracuse’s season-ending, 42-14 loss against Boston College.

BC’s Jeff Smith turned a jet-sweep into a 64-yard touchdown with seven minutes left in the first half. At a table in front of the TV, four people sat in Syracuse branded clothes. Their eyes fixated on laptop screens. Someone looked up and saw the teams line up for the ensuing kickoff. It took him a second to realize SU’s deficit was now doubled.

“As you can see,” Tyler Cady said, after unmuting the game, “We generally have no idea what the score is.”

Underneath the Dome’s student section, SU and it’s new “brain trust” was busy competing with other Atlantic Coast Conference schools in a social media recruiting battle. Throughout the ACC, football programs have implemented social media teams dedicated to recruiting with graphics and videos. Since it’s the last game of the year, the photos and videos will have to last the offseason. Members of SU’s team spends games between the field and the photo workroom, dubbed the “war room.”

“This room didn’t exist four years ago,” Cady, assistant director of athletic communications, said. “This is what we wanted to do for a long time.”

The group has a meeting to brainstorm video ideas the Monday before each game. That’s why for a 12:30 p.m. kickoff, Cady arrived at the Dome four hours early and recorded footage of the lockers of SU’s seniors.

Minutes before kickoff, Cady stood with his gimbal by the opening of the tunnel that the Orange run out of. White smoke billowed, Lil Wayne’s “Duffle Bag Boy” pulsed through the stadium’s speakers. Before the players charged the field, Cady worked his way into a thicket of blue jerseys.

The marching band started the fight song and the team charged. In the scrum, a blast from a smoke machine hit Cady in the back. It hurt, but he kept recording. After the tunnel cleared, Cady made his way through a set of double doors and into the war room.

“That’s how you know it’s going to be a great day,” he joked before posting the video on Twitter.

One student intern edited Cady’s earlier recording into a Senior Day video using Adobe Premiere, the team’s preferred software. A larger workforce allows for content to be distributed during the game, when it’s most prominent.

“That’s the big thing: Speed and efficiency,” Dave Gunn, SU’s digital media managing editor, said. “You got to get this content out when people care about it.”

Other staff members are dispersed around the field. One videographer is planted in the Syracuse coaches box and records player reactions. Two others are stationed on each sideline and follow the plays. Another is located in the end zone and captures crowd reactions.

After a touchdown or the end of the quarter, a runner will get two new SD cards and bring them to the videographers. When they return to the war room, they download the material on the old cards and place them in a plastic box on top of a post-it note with the photographer’s name. Shots of specific players are organized by name and quarter number.

“Every team has their own system,” Cady said. “Even on the road, we like to stay close to the field.”

Due to many interns being on Thanksgiving break, the usual staff of 18 was down to 11. Syracuse’s high number of interns gives it a leg up on the competition. In comparison, Georgia Tech’s “Branding and Ideation” team has only six staff members, Simit Shah, GT’s team leader, said.

Three years ago, SU’s digital team was just Gunn. At the time, Syracuse did not post photos during the game. Against BC, a student intern was in charge of running the team’s Snapchat.

Competitors have begun to take notice. Cady said that SU’s content has gained recognition since the upset of then-No. 2 Clemson on Oct. 13. Jonathan Gantt, CU’s director of new media, has been impressed by the Orange’s visual representation.

“It’s kind of organized chaos,” Gunn said. “You look for any advantage you can get in this digital arms race that’s going on between schools.”

Two minutes after the Eagles extended their lead in the second quarter, Cady heard a horn blare. The Orange had scored, but the TV broadcast was a play behind. Cady alerted the room to look up from their laptops. He threw his hands in the air as the ball was snapped and senior receiver Ervin Phillips ran up the seam.

Moments later, a student intern burst through the double doors holding SD cards in each hand.

“Here’s the touchdown,” he said as he extended his left hand before he held out his right. “Here’s the crowd celebrations.”

Cady grabbed both and popped them into his computer.

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, the date of the Syracuse vs. Boston College game was misstated. The game was held Nov. 25. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, the software used by Syracuse’s digital team to edit video was misstated. The software is Adobe Premiere. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, Syracuse’s former in-game photography process was misstated. Three years ago, the digital team did not post photos during games. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

CLARIFICATION: In a previous version of this post, the presence of women on Syracuse’s photography team was unclear.

Published on November 29, 2017 at 11:38 pm

Contact Nick: nialvare@syr.edu | @nick_a_alvarez