USF Football Attendance: is it really about an OCS?

[CousinRicky]

It would probably increase revenue, but also increase debt.  It would most likely be a net loss.

We have a winner.  Sure, you keep more in concessions and parking.  But your debt service will be much higher than the relatively low sum we pay to use Ray Jay.  Had someone ask me a question yesterday.  "If you could have your tailgating, seats (not bleachers) and club access in a stadium on campus, would you be for it?".  Answer was simple, "Yes".

[GaUSFBull]

I am all for an OCS...

 

But the cold hard question:

 

Is there ANY data to show that an OCS would increase revenue?

If there was, I'm sure the board OCSophiles would have trumpeted the findings from the rooftops and the fund would have already begun in earnest.

[WoolyBully]

I don't think you venture into building an OCS with visions of it being some phenomenal revenue stream. It's kind of like Tampa calling itself a "NFL City". It has intangible value. You can argue back and forth about how it would really be a magnet for student attendance, which is odd given that the OC basketball arena is not packed to the brim and the much heralded OCS of UCF seems pretty barren during the lean times (which tells me that students, much less alumni, are going to attend simply because a facility is in existence). I also agree that there would be bump in attendance (novelty factor) before settling into the standard game population. 

"We're discussing an OCS"...is the company line. Which is very nebulous in that does that mean there are meetings with notes or do we chat about it in the hallway? I think that eventually, one day, USF will have an OCS. But the euphoria of a slightly better than .500 year is probably not going to be the prime mover. When there's sufficient sustained interest in the team, when we start putting 35K (actual honest-to-god-thru-the-turnstile-head count) in RayJ, that's when the discussion starts warranting reserving a conference room. 

I do think being in the G5 impacts attendance as well. I know that personally, it's hard for me to get overly excited about CUSA 2.0. I hate having to rely on celebrity OOC games to notch our attendance numbers. 

 

 

[Triple B]

We have a winner.  Sure, you keep more in concessions and parking.  But your debt service will be much higher than the relatively low sum we pay to use Ray Jay.  Had someone ask me a question yesterday.  "If you could have your tailgating, seats (not bleachers) and club access in a stadium on campus, would you be for it?".  Answer was simple, "Yes".

Cannot imagine anyone answering "No" to that question by itself ...... start throwing around what it might cost over what we're paying now and it gets more interesting.

[BDYZR]

I don't think you venture into building an OCS with visions of it being some phenomenal revenue stream. It's kind of like Tampa calling itself a "NFL City". It has intangible value. You can argue back and forth about how it would really be a magnet for student attendance, which is odd given that the OC basketball arena is not packed to the brim and the much heralded OCS of UCF seems pretty barren during the lean times (which tells me that students, much less alumni, are going to attend simply because a facility is in existence). I also agree that there would be bump in attendance (novelty factor) before settling into the standard game population. 

"We're discussing an OCS"...is the company line. Which is very nebulous in that does that mean there are meetings with notes or do we chat about it in the hallway? I think that eventually, one day, USF will have an OCS. But the euphoria of a slightly better than .500 year is probably not going to be the prime mover. When there's sufficient sustained interest in the team, when we start putting 35K (actual honest-to-god-thru-the-turnstile-head count) in RayJ, that's when the discussion starts warranting reserving a conference room. 

I do think being in the G5 impacts attendance as well. I know that personally, it's hard for me to get overly excited about CUSA 2.0. I hate having to rely on celebrity OOC games to notch our attendance numbers. 

 

 

"which is odd given that the OC basketball arena is not packed to the brim " - MUST put some semblance of a winner in there.

  "much heralded OCS of UCF seems pretty barren during the lean times" -  Again, winning is the key.

"it's hard for me to get overly excited about CUSA 2.0" - And one more time, winning will create enough excitement, maybe not for you personally, but enough to sustain that 30k - 35k butts-in-seats needed.

 

[Raetus]

I think an OCS increases season tickets sales, but I don't think it necessarily increases attendance or profit. On campus or off campus, winning puts butts in seats.

[Triple B]

"which is odd given that the OC basketball arena is not packed to the brim " - MUST put some semblance of a winner in there.

 

Not when it comes to USF hoops. Basketball never came close to being packed to the brim the year following our best year ever .... even with the silly Kanigits opening up the new and improved Dome.

[BDYZR]

Not when it comes to USF hoops. Basketball never came close to being packed to the brim the year following our best year ever .... even with the silly Kanigits opening up the new and improved Dome.

I wouldn't call 2 winning season out of the last 10 putting a winner in there. Same for football. MUST win consistently.

[Rocky Style]

 

It wont but maybe it would look more green.

Lol WUT on this quote? It didn't even quote the right person. Umm this is in reference to an OCS basically being the size of the lower bowl at RAYJAY. It would pretty much look the same except for color.

 

 

Edited December 3, 2015 by Rocky Style
WTH

[Triple B]

I wouldn't call 2 winning season out of the last 10 putting a winner in there. Same for football. MUST win consistently.

Coming off that season I'd call that a "semblance of a winner" and should have done better in basically a brand new facility .... if you had said winning consistently,  would have agreed.