Time for USF to get serious about on-campus football stadium

[MMW]

you mean winner-- as in ONE winner of the Heisman (Dorsett)-- as if that award is some sort of massive accomplishment (non-p5s have won it numerous times).

 

I keep hearing people yammering on about how the OCS is soooooooooo vital to the image of the school. I'm thinking that a P-5 conference will care a little more that we play in a stadium that can seat 67 thousand people and would be less impressed with one on campus that holds 45,000.

 

My point is simply that doing this as if it were a stumbling block toward the big time is a fallacy. We're not quite in the big time yet because we've been around less than 20 years in football and barely 75 years with students. We have all the tell-tale signs of that lack of history. But we do have a large student population and plenty of other things going for us that will matter in the long run. Having a stadium is nice but it is simply not the reason big conferences are drooling over handing USF an invite.

 

I'd love to have an OCS-- provided it is done the right way and makes financial sense. For now, that means rent, don't buy.

Fine one Heisman trophy winner and Dan Marino and Mike Ditka and Curtis Martin and .....  The point still stands.  They have a tremendous history right?  Shall we talk about the players that have come out of Pitt over the years and compare them to our legacy?    

I would love to make this a discussion about how many Pitt Panthers are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  

I don't think you even read my "yammering" so I don't see the point in this discussion.  NOBODY is saying the building an OCS is the golden ticket to get into a P5 league.  

There are many, many things that go into that invite.  Winning championships, butts in the seats, academics, tradition and history etc.  

From what I am hearing there is a chance the Big 12 could expand in the coming years (let's assume it is in their financial benefit because that drives everything).  Nobody in the G5 is a perfect candidate for that expansion.  Programs are auditioning right now for those openings and making upgrades to their facilities (much like Louisville did), spending what they can for a good coach, and doing what they can to look good.

If you want to set up a straw man and say we all think it will get us in to the Big 12 have at it.

I want our own stadium (done right of course) because I too hate the Ray Jay/Bucs experience.  I went to a big P5 school for my bachelors and the campus game day experience is a lot of fun.  If it helps round out our program so be it.  

 

[MMW]

sorry if it seems I am picking on you but your thoughts are bewildering sometimes. How is USF showing they aren't committed to football? That athletic building is massive and hugely devoted to football. The new practice facilities, money invested in bringing in new coaches, and overall budget is geared toward football (no to mention relies heavily to fund most of everything athletic on campus).

 

Bottom line as far as getting invited to a new conference isn't completely based on being as well built as the rest of the conference. It is based on the desire for that conference to expand PLUS being the best alternative compared to the others who want into the conference. Personally-- sinking too much into one sport -- something building an OCS at this point might do-- could jeopardize chances to join a P5 conference as it would slow the pace that we are attempting to upgrade all the sports teams. Football is the main sport-- certainly-- but they are looking at all the sports because it is a package deal.

I would say that is a fair point.

You are not "bewildered", we disagree on what commitment to the program means. If we want to play with the big boys and reap the benefits of a P5 league we have to take some financial risks because our window of opportunity is closing.  Those things you have sited are the opening ante.

If college football wasn't the way it is today I would completely agree with you.  We are a young school and should grow at a sustainable rate.  I just don't think we have that luxury.  

I think it is time to be aggressive.  Otherwise consign ourselves to being the king of the AAC and losing our coach every few years.

Edited December 2, 2015 by mark_my_words

[ArmyBull]

lots of text being abused in this thread.  

[bullsmeanbusiness]

The St Petersburg Bowl...in Tampa!  Really!

How much different is it than having the Tampa Bay Rays playing in St. Pete, same logic as having the bowl in Tampa with the St. Pete name.

[Triple B]

How much different is it than having the Tampa Bay Rays playing in St. Pete, same logic as having the bowl in Tampa with the St. Pete name.

Big difference.... Tampa Bay encompasses the whole area, of which St Pete is part of. 

[Ghost]

 

The sad thing is I think the Big 12 is going to be broken up, with the best schools going to a variety of the other conferences.  The whole thing is supported by ESPN, and I look for them to trim expenses as cable cutting and ala carte channel offerings start to take hold.  The next TV contracts are going to be smaller than the current ones.  There will be many less viewers (the large majority of people I know don't watch and wouldn't buy ESPN if they could save money by not doing it), which means less of the pie to go around for everybody.  I see the Big 10, Pac 12, and even the SEC expanding.  Big 12 and ACC blown up.

All we can do is play the best we can and try to schedule good games.  I will say if most of the people around the Bay area knew how much fun this current USF team is to watch, there would be many more seats filled at the stadium.  I hope we can sell it out (lower level) next year for every game.

 

Go Bulls!

I find it unlikely that the P5 will be consolidated into three conferences. You are talking like 20 teams per conference lol. I think the trends you spoke of will actually promote smaller conferences. 8-12 teams again. This will likely take the power away from the "Power 5" as their stranglehold is disrupted. 

Until they figure out how to do it again of course. 

[Bear]

Ray Jay is getting $100m dumped into it. No reason to leave but to get into debt.  

 

I wonder if UCF bond rating will drop after this season's meager attendance 

 

Does any part of that $100m make the RayJay more USF friendly

 

... color changing seats (red/green), or Pirate Ship easily swaps with giant Bull, ;lol

 

[namuh-bull]

So they are going to use 80% of the tourist tax revenue on the stadium?  It sounds like the Glazers know we are considering an OCS and want to make a grab before USF can get any of that money. 

Go Bulls!

[Bulls1181]

Considering the Unstoppable campaign has raised a total of $886,237,260 dollars since it was started (less than 10 years ago??).  I think we could come up with that kind of funding some way some how.

There it is! Have the Unstoppable campaign fund the $150 Million stadium and then lease the stadium back to USF Athletics..... or have the Unstoppable campaign back an $80 Million dollar muni in order to break ground ......   Do we have any huge real estate development projects at USF in the near future? If so, combine all the projects to bring down the cost..   Lean on Jeff Vinik..

 

Wow, $886 Million in 10 years is no joke!

[namuh-bull]

The county has to pony up for stadium improvements by long standing contractual agreement...not something that the Bucs just came up with.

Please explain how USF would be eligible for tourist tax dollars?

 

 

Why would USF not be eligible?  From that article on the RJS expansion .."The county’s contribution would come from 4 cents of the 5-cent county tourist tax, which must be spent on sports facilities or promoting tourism."

 

USF probably brings in more overnight visitors in a year than the Bucs do.  We have not only football, but all the other sports, academic and industry visitors, etc.  

 

Who owns the MOSI land?  Last I knew it was the county, the same group that is collecting the tourist tax.  It would make sense to get some of that money for a stadium and promoting tourism in northern Hillsborough County.  It actually seems like a natural use for the money.  

 

Go Bulls!