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An NCAA record crowd of 35,012 attended the Syracuse-Georgetown game at the Carrier Dome on Feb. 23, 2013.

(Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)

Syracuse, N.Y. -- The oft-debated, highly-anticipated and sure-to-be celebrated move of the basketball court to the middle of the Carrier Dome for a basketball might happen next season.

Syracuse University officials are considering a plan that would move the basketball court to the middle of the Dome's football field for the Orange's game against Duke. The decision to move the court would be done, in part, to make history and also to mark Syracuse's first year as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Moving the court would mean breaking the NCAA's all-time attendance record for an on-campus game. The current record of 35,012 was set on Feb. 23, 2013 when Syracuse hosted Georgetown for the final time as Big East foes. It was the first announced sellout in the Carrier Dome's history.

In addition, Syracuse will be looking to celebrate its new membership in the ACC.

Joe Giansante, SU's executive senior associate athletic director, would neither confirm or deny the university's plan to move the court to the middle of the Dome.

"We're going to look at all kinds of options to make our move to the ACC as special as possible,'' Giansante said Thursday. "There are a lot of different things on the table to consider.''

When asked if those options included moving the court, Giansante remained non-committal.

"The schedule hasn't been released yet, so I can't confirm it or deny,'' Giansante said. He then added, "We're looking for ways to celebrate our inclusion in the ACC. Obviously, when Duke comes to town, it's going to be a special day.''

A Syracuse-Duke game with the court in the middle of the Carrier Dome would likely draw a crowd of 50,000 or more.

Moving the court from its usual location near the Dome's South end zone to the middle of the football field would be no easy task. The Carrier Dome's wiring is set up for television crews. That would have to be re-done on a one-time basis. The seating would be a logistical challenge as season-ticket holders would have their seat locations altered. If the court is raised, then potential seating in the lower rows of the permanent football stands would be lost.

Still, there have been rumors about moving the court for years. This time, the rumors are centered on the Syracuse-Duke game even though the Orange will also host North Carolina in an ACC game and Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge next season.

The rumors gained traction on Wednesday when ESPN analyst Dick Vitale sent out the following tweet:

Giansante said Syracuse's 2013-14 basketball schedule should be released later this month. And although Giansante refused to confirm or deny that there were plans to move the court, he offered this tantalizing statement.

"We had a wedding in New York City on July 1,'' he said, referring to the ACC's news conference welcoming Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame to the conference. "But there still needs to be a reception. We're not sure what we're going to do for that yet, but it'll be special.''