The future name of the long-standing Carrier Dome at Syracuse University is in the balance as university officials say the stadium's name is set to expire May 1. 

The Carrier name has been synoymous with the university for more than 40 years with a historic gift from the company made to the university in 1979 bringing one of the first naming agreements for a major stadium in college sports.

“With Carrier’s cooperation, we will seek to rename our stadium while we continue our work to transform the experience for our students, faculty, staff, fans and Central New York community,” said John Wildhack, director of athletics, in a statement Wednesday. “Without Carrier’s generosity and longstanding support, completion of the Carrier Dome would not have been possible, nor would the decades of iconic sports moments and Central New York memories. We are eternally grateful for the tremendous impact Carrier has had on Orange Athletics, the Syracuse University community and the Orange fan base.”

In addition to a name-change, the university has also announced several new renovation projects for the stadium, which has recently undergone $118 million in upgrades in the past few years. 

The next phase of construction will include new seating, a new publicly accessible event facility and an upgrade of the entire digital infrastructure, according to the university, with work expected to begin this spring with some of it scheduled to be complete as early as September 2022.

“Syracuse University is proud of the important role the Dome plays in the Central New York community and grateful for its longstanding relationship with Carrier,” said Chancellor Kent Syverud. “The Dome has been an iconic sports and entertainment venue for more than 40 years. These new enhancements will generate new and additional economic activity in Central New York and continue the Dome’s reputation as one of the top collegiate venues for generations to come.”

The new event facility will come in form of a 25,000 square-foot addition on the east end of the Dome to infill the space between the Dome and the Barnes Center at The Arch, according to university officials. 

The Dome's original bench-style seating will transition to individual seats, with the old benches to be donated to high school stadiums and venues across the state.