OCS!!!

[footnfan1]

2 hours ago, 206BULL said:

I dont think an OCS garuntees any of it personally. I don't think that just because we have an OCS that we automatically have a better game day experiance, Ole Miss may have great game day traditions just like Auburn, Alabama, Florida etc they've been playing football longer than we have been a university; id be shocked if they didn't have a better crowd atmosphere. Also that goes with money too, some of these schools have generations of alumni and this deeper ties to their school and this more willing to support (I'd your family's been donating to the school since your great grandpa attended you're going to be more likely to open the wallet than if you were the first in your family to graduate college). 

 

An OCS also doesn't mean students will show up, ask UCiF where the students show up to tailgate but dont actually attend games. Our student body would be more likely to show up for the party but not make it inside the stadium as well so an OCS doesn't mean shot as far as that's concerned. How are all these traditions and turn ours at our other sports games and matches? You know because everything else in on campus even if it's apples to oranges; even a slight bump because they are on campus would show me so proof of that. I'm willing to bet our Attendance for basketball is right about the same as it was when we played at Amelie for a year; maybe Trip or CR who attend all basketball games can let me know.

 

If we can raise enough with donations earmarked for an OCS(you can tell them exactly how you want your donation spent)  than great otherwise don't use the general donations or even donations specifically made towards athletics go towards one. I will be earmarking my donation starting next year for an IPF with hopes that one my money is going to what I see more valuable to the program and also to show that there is fan support for one. If you want an OCS open your wallet and let them know it's for an OCS if enough of you do that one will eventually be built. 

 

Again like I stated earlier I'm not against one of it makes sense but I'm against building one just to have one. Why worry about keeping up with the Jonses and instead worry about winning over Tampa. Because if we don't get fans to Ray Jay with world class amenities than why are your average Joes going to come just because it's on campus? Seriously if someone can realistically answer thatst question with plausible answers and not just blind wishing I'd probably be all for it. Otherwise whybsink $100-200 million into something that will bring in maybe a couple mil in ROI? Sounds like a great way to bankrupt a business/university/athletic department when we have not only a sustainable option that we can easily make that same couple million per year without the debt. Until it makes financial sense and not just in the "If you build it they will come sense" because we're not Kevin Costner and just because we build an OCS doesn't mean more than the 20-30k are going to show up. I tell you what though go do a survey and ask people on campus or people who stopped attending if they would be more likely to show up with an OCS; my guess is they will still watch at home (if at all) if they're not already going which than makes an OCS a moneypit and we would just be throwing money at a problem without a real plan to fix the real issues underlying this program.

I'm not sure what UCF games you attended, but in my 7 years of attending games, the students are the most reliable attendees and its not close. The student section is almost every game, full during the team  pre game festivities. They even moved the band this year to increase the space available for students.

 

 

[206BULL]

21 minutes ago, footnfan1 said:

I'm not sure what UCF games you attended, but in my 7 years of attending games, the students are the most reliable attendees and its not close. The student section is almost every game, full during the team  pre game festivities. They even moved the band this year to increase the space available for students.

 

 

That's just what I had heard from a few UCF fans. Tailgate is great but a lot of people never make it through the turnstiles. Sorry if that was misinformation.

[lotsofbull99]

Charlie Strong will build the stadium with his bare hands. #stadiumStrong

[George_Bullnard_Shaw]

3 hours ago, Ionbull said:

The hell it should be, we haven't even gotten to 100 pages yet

You got me there!

[206BULL]

1 hour ago, SpeedBull said:

We actually agree an a couple of points:

1. USF should try to "win" Tampa Bay. I actually think it's possible. The Bucs have been around since 1976, Bulls Football since 1997. That's only 21 years. Bucs Football is not so ingrained in the fabric of Tampa Bay that it is the unquestioned and unbeatable leader. I think it could easily be argued that the Lightning have become the #1 most popular team in the Bay Area. How did that happen? By (1) A commitment to winning and community activism and (1a) Creating a superior "experience".

It is my opinion that USF Football will always be considered 2nd best if we continue to play in the Bucs house (no matter how nice that house is). Perception is reality. In order for USF to compete for the local fan dollar and interest, we need to differentiate.

2. Focus on the underlying problems with the program. I believe an underlying problem with the program is the perception that the University is not fully committed to developing the program, i.e. remaining content playing a distant second fiddle to the Bucs.

I am curious what you think the underlying problems are?

I think you and I agree on more than you think. I agree that perception is a big problem, I think we show our commitment by enhancing and continuing to build our facilities. I think an IPF is a must before a stadium is built. Our athletes spend 99% of their time in the football complex and practice fields, the changes we have made in those areas in recent years is nice but we can and need to do more. As far as remaining content to play in the Bucs stadium I just don't think it's as big an issue as some do, while the pirate ship and red seats are an eyesore playing there didn't  hurt our perception in 07 or 08. Locals still showed up in droves to support the Bulls. In a city like Tampa capturing the locals is a must because there is so much to do. While a family from Carrolwood with no USF ties other than Tampa walking around Campus on a Saturday is great as it may expand our future alumni base; to them an OCS isn't a selling point over Ray Jay. It's the product, and I just don't think an OCS over Ray Jay increases that product to those people. Someone earlier mentioned Plies throwing a tailgate on campus, what's to stop him from that at Ray Jay? You don't think TSA would be open to things that attract more people who will put more money in their pocket?

 

 We need to be in the community more and drumming up interest there. Not just players but fans, and not just the die hards that are on this board either we need to get back in from of the fans that jumped ship with Skip. Unfortunately that's not an over night thing (hell it took the Bolts getting a new owner). I'm doing my part personally as I am in a place I can afford to double my tickets next year to 8 and donate 4 to both Boys and Girls Club as well as Big Brothers and Sisters in hopes that fans who otherwise may not be able to go or may have had other priorities in the stadium and in love with 4th product. With doubling my tickets it will also allow if I move back to Tampa to keep 4 for myself and continue to donate 4 so I can continue to allow those with out other avenues to see the game a chance to go. An OCS wouldn't change anything about that, the people in my seats would not show up to an OCS over Ray Jay without atleast being introduced to the product in the first place. We need to get those fans and an OCS isn't the end all be all answer to get them and if we build it and they don't  come we set our program and University back for a very long time.

[USFBulls727]

Can't help but wonder how a program like FAU.....an even newer program than ours.....managed to get an OCS built, and is in the process of building a supposedly really nice IPF. I don't follow them closely enough to know if it is bankrupting the University/Athletic Department. Not sure it's helped their attendance a whole lot compared to their days at Lockhart either.

[footnfan1]

41 minutes ago, 206BULL said:

That's just what I had heard from a few UCF fans. Tailgate is great but a lot of people never make it through the turnstiles. Sorry if that was misinformation.

Oh, that is true, but the student section is full virtually every game, in spite of the fact that many of the  party animals never go to  the game. No harm done. Have a great New Year.

[Rocky Style]

1 minute ago, brybull1970 said:

So they only way to draw interest from the locals is to build an OCS? So how did we get all those fans in the stadium in '07 and '08? I'm pretty sure we didn't have an OCS stadium then.

We played major college football back then and were ranked and beating big name teams.

[USFBULL_08]

3 hours ago, footnfan1 said:

I'm not sure what UCF games you attended, but in my 7 years of attending games, the students are the most reliable attendees and its not close. The student section is almost every game, full during the team  pre game festivities. They even moved the band this year to increase the space available for students.

 

 

Don't agree with this at all.

They had to move the band into the student section to make it less embarrassing.

[Sellular1]

Just build the dam thing already.  Tired of reading all the crying of not being able to afford something that will only cost more later on.  The school needs it, the fans need it, I need it.

 

EOT/