Tonight marks a new beginning for the Syracuse University men's basketball program. The team hosts New Hampshire in its first official game of the season tonight under new head coach Adrian Autry. He replaces legendary coach Jim Boeheim, who led the program for 47 years.

If you're an SU fan, it's not the only change you'll soon be seeing in the JMA Wireless Dome. It’s the last season for fans to watch home games on bench seats in the Dome.

Construction will pick up after basketball season, and by next football season, fans will experience more comfort watching games. Installation of new chair back seats will decrease overall capacity for football, basketball and lacrosse, as three seats will be eliminated in every row.

New seats in the 100 and 200 levels will be wider and feature armrests while 300 level seats will feature full chair back seating.

This change comes after feedback from fans through numerous surveys. SU officials said the new seats will improve the fan experience.

"You know where your seat is. And if somebody is … the bench seat, somebody can slide over a little bit and crowd your area where you're sitting. So, we sometimes have to help folks at football or basketball games with issues like that, so that type of issue will go away," said Syracuse University Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala.

Dome officials said capacity for football games will be cut down by 7,000 and for basketball about 5,000 seats. All season ticket holders will be able to choose their new seats through a priority point seat selection process beginning in June. Every current season ticket holder will be contacted by SU to discuss those options.

The new seats in the Dome next year will be the latest of several improvements since 2018. Other upgrades included a new roof, air conditioning, lighting, audio and visual system enhancements.