The Syracuse men’s basketball team reached 70 points in its game against St. Bonaventure on Tuesday night, marking the first time Taco Time has been reached in the 2015-16 season.

The Taco Time promotion with Taco Bell began during the 1995-96 season and this year marks the 20th anniversary. If the SU men’s basketball team scores more than 70 points in a home game — or 65 for the women’s team — fans could bring their ticket stub or a valid SUID to a Taco Bell within 48 hours of the game and redeem a free taco.

Here are five fun facts about the Carrier Dome tradition:

1. Prior to this season, Syracuse’s women’s team had to reach 65 points to get to Taco Time while the men’s team had to reach 75. Over the past five seasons, fans at men’s games would have had 15 more free tacos if the magic number was 70 since 2010.

Conversely, fans at women’s games would have gotten 10 less free tacos if the magic number was 70 in the past five seasons.

2. Former Syracuse Athletics marketing director and current sport management professor Michael Veley helped create the promotion. He was inspired by a prior promotion at Syracuse men’s basketball games in which if SU scored 100 points, fans could redeem a discount at a local pizzeria.

3. The closest Taco Bell to the Carrier Dome is 5.7 miles away, located at 3179 Erie Boulevard. There used to be a Taco Bell location at Kimmel Food Court until 2012.

4. Nike used to sell orange T-shirts that said “We Want Tacos” on them. The SU bookstore carried them until about two years ago.

5. Taco Bell has had similar promotions in place with the Michigan State Spartans men’s basketball team and the St. Louis Blues NHL team. The Los Angeles Lakers NBA team has a promotion with Jack In The Box that if the Lakers win and hold their opponent under 100 points, fans can redeem two free tacos.

Published on November 17, 2015 at 9:04 pm

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds