Fan base culture shift

[ToroDeFuego]

I think there are a lot of reasons why it's hard to get fans out

1. This is Florida. There are more than a few people here that came from other places and many will not support their local team.

2. This is Florida. We live in a place where people have a  lot of things to do outside. Nice weather, beaches and bars with TVs are hard to compete against.

3. This is Tampa. We live in a metro area that attracts a lot of college graduates from other schools that are not in a metro area especially UF and FSU.

3. The team is only 20 years old. A good amount of our alumni did not have a team to root for when they were here. Some still have to learn to love it.

4. USF is only 60 years old. A lot of schools have been playing football way longer than we have been a school. As our alumni grows we will get more fans.

I'm not saying any of these are excuses but just facts. We need to somehow make games a place to be seen. Make them as fun to go to as Lighting games. I don't have the answers on how to do that but some of these will work themselves out over time.

Edited October 17, 2016 by ToroDeFuego

[ArmyBull]

An OCS would drastically increase student and alumni attendance.  There is just something special about it for students and alumni who for no other reason return to campus.  I am still amazed at the amount of people that complain about our fan base and history but are in staunch opposition to an OCS we can afford.  It builds culture and the college experience.  

[Gismo]

Student attendance is low because soph. - sr. endured bad teams. So the juniors and seniors didn't get into things as a freshman and probably aren't as hyped about the team. String together 2 good seasons for the freshman to get into it and they will come back to the games as juniors and seniors. 

[ToroDeFuego]

1 hour ago, Gismo said:

Student attendance is low because soph. - sr. endured bad teams. So the juniors and seniors didn't get into things as a freshman and probably aren't as hyped about the team. String together 2 good seasons for the freshman to get into it and they will come back to the games as juniors and seniors. 

Seriously? Our current students are so spoiled that unless we have winning teams every year they'll quit on us?

[ArmyBull]

43 minutes ago, ToroDeFuego said:

Seriously? Our current students are so spoiled that unless we have winning teams every year they'll quit on us?

Our students have to trek down Dale Mabry 30-45 min each way in buses to go to a game.  That sucks!  That is not a college atmosphere, it screams comuter school and that is what our attendance looks like.  They are not spoiled, we just make it hard to get to games.  Thus, they turn into Alumni with no attachment to the stadium or team.  It's really not that hard to figure out.  

Edited October 17, 2016 by ArmyBull

[WoolyBully]

Charlotte has an OCS (seats 'bout 15K...expandable to 'bout 40K) - which was part of their initial football program - rather than play in the B-of-A ballpark in beautiful, downtown Charlotte (and UNCC to downtown would be an alarmingly long haul). Jerry Richardson dropped $10M for the naming rights. Here's the W-Pedia rendition of the funding:

Quote

In February 2008, a university-appointed committee presented a report to UNC Charlotte Chancellor Phil Dubois recommending the addition of a football program at the school, which would cost approximately $11.5 million per year and would be funded primarily through an annually increasing student athletic fee.^[7] In June 2008, Dubois presented a report to the school's Board of Trusteesaddressing the potential impact of the addition of a football stadium on the university. In the report, Dubois suggested two possible locations for a new stadium: a renovated Irwin Belk Track and Field Center/Transamerica Field or a new facility at the site of recreational fields on the northwestern part of the campus. Dubois preferred the latter for cost reasons.^[8] In November 2008, the board unanimously approved Dubois' proposal to add a football program.^[9]

On December 11, 2009, the Board of Trustees approved a financing plan for football, which called for the university to borrow $40.5 million in state-issued bonds to construct a permanent football stadium and field house, citing a favorable bidding environment and greater interest in ticket sales as their reasons for building a new facility rather than expanding American Legion Memorial Stadium.^[10] On February 12, 2010, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors approved a student fee increase to fund the construction of the facility.^[11] Students pay an annual fee of $120 to fund the stadium's construction debt. A separate fee, which will begin at $50 and increase annually until it reaches $200, will pay for regular operating costs.^[12] On August 2, 2010, North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue signed the debt service fee bill into law to clear the way for stadium construction.^[13] The final design of the new stadium was displayed at the Board of Trustees meeting on September 24, 2010.^[12]

Why bring this up? Because it's a great segue to this...

Quote

UNC-Charlotte Football Attendance Decreasing, Due In Part To Poor Student Turnout

http://m.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2014/11/18/Colleges/UNCC.aspx?

granted that was from 2014 season, but it appears that there's more to big ole butts in the seat than "build it and they will come". I'm just guessin', but I wouldn't be surprised to see if attendance hasn't improved now that they're in CUSA. 

 

Just a little food hors d'oeuvres for thought.

 

[ToroDeFuego]

27 minutes ago, ArmyBull said:

Our students have to trek down Dale Mabry 30-45 min each way in buses to go to a game.  That sucks!  That is not a college atmosphere, it screams comuter school and that is what our attendance looks like.  They are not spoiled, we just make it hard to get to games.  Thus, they turn into Alumni with no attachment to the stadium or team.  It's really not that hard to figure out.  

Ok, I get it. You want an OC stadium. I'm not against that. But if you quit on your team because of a couple bad years you're not really a fan. They names.ever had a team when I was there and I drive just as far to go to games. But anyways, from what I see the students are usually pretty well represented.

[ArmyBull]

Are we comparing ourselves to Charlotte now?  Started football in 08 and went FBS just last year.  Yes there is more to attendance than "build it and they will come", USF has that "it".  

Edited October 17, 2016 by ArmyBull

[theman123]

42 minutes ago, ToroDeFuego said:

Ok, I get it. You want an OC stadium. I'm not against that. But if you quit on your team because of a couple bad years you're not really a fan. They names.ever had a team when I was there and I drive just as far to go to games. But anyways, from what I see the students are usually pretty well represented.

The problem is not the students that go to the game. The problem is, the ones that don't go, are not involved with USF football AT ALL. Gameday on Fowler Avenue is barely any different than a Saturday in March, and that is a HUGE problem. 

[Triple B]

4 hours ago, ArmyBull said:

An OCS would drastically increase student and alumni attendance.

Students, absolutely..... alumni, you have no case.