VickiM

Negative.  Gifts to athletics are included in total university fund raising figures and campaigns. Actually, USF fund raising last year hit a historic high.  It's important to understand the distinction between philanthropy, appropriated funds, and other revenue (i.e. contracts and grants).  This article is about philanthropy, and donors are supporting USF--academics and athletics--at unprecedented levels. Vicki

About 9:00 at Ath Training Center. Wheels up in about 20 minutes, 2 hrs flying time, another 30 mins or so to get to campus. Cheers! Vicki

Trip, I'll get a link today where you can view the email presentation and make an online gift. I second Eric's encouragement to support HOT as much as you can . . . HOT adds great atmosphere to our games, and is a huge ambassador for USF. Vicki

Hi Kevin, Most ticket sales folks work on commission, and they're just doing their job. If you want to sit with USF folks, buy your tickets through USF. See you Friday. Vicki

No, USF Athletics does not receive state appropriations, nor does it receive support from the university's E&G budget other than about $70,000 for academic support.  USF athletics is funded through the categories listed in Basketbull's post.  Other than the athletic portion of the A&S fee, athletics survives on ticket sales, event revenues, sponsorships, conference revenue, broadcast revenue, and philanthropy.  The amount listed for philanthropy, by the way, only includes that amount that contributes to the operating budget.  Gifts that are restricted for facilities, endowment, or for specific sports, are not included in that number. USF as a whole is only partially funded by the state -- it's somewhere around 35% now, I believe.  USF leaders refer to it as a "state assisted" institution. Yes, USF does have a foundation, a real one, with a $300 million endowment and over $400 million in assets.  It raised more than $60 million this year, and processes some 70,000 gift transactions each year. The Byrd Center was a "bring home" enabled by legislative clout, but it wouldn't be here if USF didn't have world-class research going on in Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, and other neurological issues.  To chalk it up entirely as a gobbler is a disservice to the institution. ÂÂ

By the way, no one is "forced" to give a gift in order to buy season tickets. There are season tickets available for those who do not make charitable gifts. As a part of the university that does not receive any state dollars, our athletics program survives on (a) ticket and other event revenue, ( television, © student fees, (d) conference revenue, (e) sponsorships, and (f) philanthropy. Those who support the program in one or more of these ways receive priority seating. Though I realize seating location is the primary motivator for many of you, I hope you will also remember that, by making your annual gift, you are helping to educate and provide a top quality college athletics experience to more than 400 student athletes each year. Thanks for listening. Vicki

Folks, everybody's gifts and ideas are important, whether it's $100 or $1 million. There is a generally accepted principle in campaigning, called "sequential fund raising." That means you start from the top down (dollar amounts) in the solicitation of gifts. Generally, fund raising efforts are broken into three or four phases, the first calling for a focus on those "make or break" gifts, the last seeking campaign participation by broader numbers of people, typically for smaller gifts. This sequential philosophy helps assure that you don't ask people for much smaller gifts than they are capable of giving, and is all about setting peer expectations for campaign participation. It's standard strategy in campaigns of any size, and it doesn't have anything to do with value judgments. An effort of the nature USF is undertaking isn't slapped together overnight (not if it's going to be successful, anyway), and it does take some quiet work up front to assure that the stage is correctly set. That doesn't mean that your ideas for the broader-based efforts aren't appreciated or worthwhile. We may be working on the early phase now, but we are planning for the entire effort, and you may see those ideas implemented down the road. Anyone who wishes to make a gift now certainly can do so . . . just email me at vmitchel@admin.usf.edu. Before long, however, we'll have more structured opportunities for participation in each specific facility. As for an update, the Athletic Training Center is complete, the Track Complex is funded, and we hope to share some good news very soon on another part of the project. Stay tuned, and don't hesitate to ask questions or make suggestions. Love the enthusiasm! Go Bulls! Vicki

Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Norfolk State, UNLV

Email me, BB2K, and I'll check them for you. vicki59@gmail.com.

Amabel says check your email! Thanks, Vicki

Good morning! I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about bowl travel . . . you can either post them here or email me at vmitchel@admin.usf.edu. Regarding the possibility of an up and back trip, we did look at that option, and it will cost approximately $1000 per person. The air fare, whether commercial or charter, is very expensive. If we get 137 people interested in that option, we will add it. If you have interest, please email me at the address above. Hope you'll all plan to be there, whether you travel on one of our packages or make your own plans. GO BULLS! Vicki Mitchell

at this rate, we might oughta sing "All We Need are Seven More Goals"

Looks like we have a shoot-out on our hands

NC up 2-0 over Providence

Woo Hoo! 2-0!

We are tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 5 at the USF Soccer Stadium, but the conference office will confirm details on Monday.  Sunday, November 6th remains a possibility. Hope you'll all come out and support your Soccer Bulls, who will capture the regular season conference title in an incredibly competitive BIG EAST.  For soccer alums, soccer Coach's Club donors, and Iron Bulls, we'll host a hospitality tent for you at the game.  Contact Eric Soncrant at soncrant@admin.usf.edu for details. Hope to see you all there! Vicki Bulls Club

BBB, They can't set the price of tickets yet because we don't have a men's basketball schedule from the league, so I believe they are asking new ticket purchasers to secure their seats with a deposit. Existing season ticket holders will receive renewal notices when the schedule is confirmed. Vicki

To add to Eric's response, anyone traveling on our packages will have bus transportation between the hotel, alumni tailgate, and stadium. Vicki

It's in the brochure, but I should have added that anyone wishing to purchase a package, but needing to substitute air travel from somewhere other than Tampa, should call our travel agent, Debbie Pershing, at the number listed in the brochure, and she'll work with you to accomplish that. Debbie, by the way, is out of the office on family business until June 1.  You can call her and leave a message, or email me (vmitchel@admin.usf.edu), Eric Soncrant (soncrant@admin.usf.edu) or Amabel Aqui (aqui@admin.usf.edu) and we'll forward your information to Debbie upon her return. Vicki

ChiTown: I'm not sure yet where the Penn State visiting team tickets are located. When I find out, I'll let you know. All bench seats at Beaver Stadium are $48. Once a ticket price is established for a particular section, selling at a higher rate would be considered scalping. Our away tickets, in the visitor section, are $25. Were USF to provide additional tickets in other areas of the arena to visiting teams, we would charge whatever the face value is for those seats, as established by our seating chart. Raging Bull: If you're interested in the package, but just need different flight times, I'm sure our travel agent can handle that for you with alternate flight times that work for you. My advice is to handle it that way if at all possible. I'll email you separately, but wanted to put the information up here to help others. A lot of people are calling to ask for hotel rooms only at Penn State, because they are hard to find on game weekends. All of our hotel rooms are tied to travel packages, and we aren't going to release any of those until the June 20th deadline for Penn State travel expires. After that date, if there are any hotel rooms available, we'll sell "local packages" including hotel, ground transportation, and game ticket. Based on the response we're getting for this game, I do not expect that to be the case. You are welcome to add your name to a waiting list for a ground package only, and can do so by emailing aqui@admin.usf.edu. You might also want to have a back-up plan, however. Vicki

The 2005 Bulls Club Travel Guide - Fall Edition can now be downloaded at: http://www.gobulls.usf.edu/admin/bulls_club/travel.htm Please take a look and consider joining us for as many road games as you can.  If you have any questions, feel free to email me at vmitchel@admin.usf.edu, Eric Soncrant at soncrant@admin.usf.edu, or Amabel Aqui at aqui@admin.usf.edu.  Thanks, and GO BULLS!!!

Maybe I can help here.  To start, the Trib article was a little misleading.  It made it sound as if we are requesting bonds for all of those facilities, when in reality what is on the Trustees' agenda tomorrow is transactional.  We are required, each year, to submit to the Legislature a list of facilities for which we may be seeking the issuance of bonds.  This is for the purpose of developing an authorized projects list, not for actually considering the issuance of certificates of participation.  We will still have to fund raise for these facilities, or find other revenue sources that can support debt service.  It's great news that those projects are on the list; but there's still some work to be done. USF Athletics DOES have to pay its own way, and that includes debt service.  Though USF has an administration that is very supportive of athletics, they remain committed to focusing institutional resources on instruction and research.  We are responsible for our budget and for the debt service on the new training facility, as we will be on any future bonded projects.  We were able to construct the training center through bonded debt because the partnership with Coca-Cola provides the dedicated revenue necessary to cover the debt.  Our athletic and university leadership also takes a very conservative approach to taking on debt that does not have offsetting revenue.  As can happen in large organizations, you will not see the current administration taking on vast debt that somone else will have to face down the line.  We are pretty much a "pay as you go" operation. As for comparing budgets, keep in mind that the facilities for football and men's and women's basketball do not run through the Department of Athletics budget, unlike most--if not all--of our Big East partners.  That doesn't close the gap, but it makes a significant difference. And since I can't sign off without a commercial . . . closing the gap is why we need all of you as members of the Bulls Club, as season ticket holders, and as fans.  I know most of you fit in all three categories, and thank you for everything you do to advance this athletics program. I still remember the first meeting convened to discuss how to raise the funds needed to start football at USF.  I'd have been hard pressed to believe, then, that in less than a decade we'd be staring at our inaugural year in the BIG EAST.  If the ride ahead is half as exciting as the past 8-9 years, we're in for some fun! Cheers! Vicki

Greetings all-- There will be no charge for parking, and the lots will open at 4:00 for tailgating. The lots usually reserved for donors (on the south side of the stadium) will be open to all. All seating will be on the east side. Concessions will, of course, be open, but club and suite levels will not. If you're tailgating, please stop by the Bulls Club tents and say hello. We'll be in our usual place, in the south lots directly across from the south plaza of the stadium. See you there! Vicki M

Okay, as amusing as this has been, I feel compelled to jump in. You're correct, Bulliever, it's opinion. It's also incorrect. IF the scrimmage is moved to campus this year--and that's still a big IF--tailgating will be a primary part of the gig. I love you guys, but some of you are making huge leaps of judgment with no facts. The athletic department does not apologize for, nor are we embarrassed by, exploring ways to do things differently. And, yes, we *do* think our students are important. Besides being the reason we're here, they, collectively are the department's biggest donor and the future fan support for this program. Right now, there are a couple of options on the table for the scrimmage, and that's ALL they are--OPTIONS. There are compelling cases for each. No decision has been made, as of this writing. When there is a decision, and the basic facts needed to promote the event are determined, the event will be promoted. In the meantime, thanks to those of you who are trying to keep the Mad Cow disease contained. The vision for this program is not in peril because we're considering moving a scrimmage. Thanks for reading, and thanks for your support. Now back to your regularly scheduled . . . whatever it is. Cheers. Vicki