What sport do you want to see added at USF?

[Bullumni]

Swimming to me is the most obvious choice.

In case anyone didn't know, we did have a swimming team before and we have won the National Championship in swimming. If not as a team, then in Idividual events, as were doccumented in the indoor swimming pool years ago (1989-95)

[USFCollin]

There is no Big East hockey, but if South Alabama can make it work then so could South Florida.  However the costs of hockey are prohibitive, and the Title IX implications are also a problem... so sadly it's not happening for our IceBulls anytime soon even though they have good support.  

George W. rolled back some of the Title IX requirements via reinterpretations of current laws by the Department of Education, and schools are still fleshing out how to incorporate that into their current policies.  If we wanted/needed to add a sport though, swimming and diving or rowing would make sense, and having swimming and diving based out of the Sarasota Campus makes even more sense.  Bowling or rugby might be good as well.  

Think cheap people:)

[RJWGoBulls]

RE Swimming....Do we have the facilities in place or would we need to build a 50 metre pool and diving pool?

Just curious cause I cannot remember what swimming pools were available whilst I was there other than the Andros Pool!

[Bullpride08]

USF is doing a wonderful job of slowly building it's own exclusive University System for the West Coast of FL.  Instead of having Satellite Campuses, or more like satellite classrooms and classes that are desperate for the main campus to thrive- we're building 3-4 actual fully functioning branch campuses- in St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Sarasota, and the Ft. Meyers area.  In most states they would have already added another autonomous state university to serve one or two or all of these regions.

I think it's a wonderful idea because it allows USF to service a greater region, and slowly create a Universal branding for this sub-region.  We'll never dominate markets like Jacksonville, Orlando, or even Miami, but if USF can create a powerful brand name, and niche in the southwest of FL from Tarpon Springs south then that could help us grow this into something special.

Along that vein, to further capitalize on being a truly regional University then it would further amplify those efforts if we could find a way to add 1-2 sports and house them in these branch campuses, i.e. rowing on St. Petersburg campus, Swimming and diving on Sarasota Campus, and maybe start a club program for wrestling or lacrosse in Lakeland.  It would help the regional students to endear themselves a bit more to the USF, and maybe provide some esprit de corp for those regional campuses that isn't already there.  At those campuses you might get a small contigent of swimmers on the Sarasota Campus, and a small regional following which could engender a whole different group of USF followers.  Then you'd see those local papers being forced to cover local athletics and cover the local swim team, or rowing, or club wrestling thus compelling them to discuss and follow USF a bit further.   Branding.

Just a thought.

[GarySJ]

There is no Big East hockey, but if South Alabama can make it work then so could South Florida.

You're thinking of Alabama-Huntsville.

[Papa_Bull]

RE Swimming....Do we have the facilities in place or would we need to build a 50 metre pool and diving pool?

Just curious cause I cannot remember what swimming pools were available whilst I was there other than the Andros Pool!

The idea a few years ago was for USF to use existing olympic quality Swimming and Diving facilities in the Sarasota/Bradenton area. There were some articles about it back then but there haven't been any since.

[USFCollin]

You're right Gary, my bad... in fact isn't Huntsville the alma mater of former Bolt Darren Puppa?  I remember reading somewhere that they draw pretty decently too... very cool to have a college hockey team in the middle of the Deep South.

I might be mistaken about this too, but I think Tampa and the St. Pete Times  Forum bid for an upcoming Frozen Four, and Huntsville is to play the host school if we get it... am I crazy or is  that correct?  I know they had Alaska-Anchorage host it when it was at The Pond in Anaheim (I remember watching it and going "huh??"), so there is precedent.

[Papa_Bull]

"I might be mistaken about this too, but I think Tampa and the St. Pete Times  Forum bid for an upcoming Frozen Four,"

The Forum has enlisted the University of Alabama-Huntsville as the college host in its bid. The University of South Florida does not have a hockey team.

The NCAA will decide whether the Forum gets the Frozen Four in September.

http://news.tbo.com/news/MGB07B49V7E.html

I guess the USF Ice Bulls doesn't count.

[MatRatUSF]

They count, but they are a Club Team not an NCAA team. In order to host, you need people that are familer with the way College hockey works and is run. I'm sure it's not hard to learn, that's why they would have a school outside of here host.

[mattegunz]

USF is doing a wonderful job of slowly building it's own exclusive University System for the West Coast of FL.  Instead of having Satellite Campuses, or more like satellite classrooms and classes that are desperate for the main campus to thrive- we're building 3-4 actual fully functioning branch campuses- in St. Petersburg, Lakeland, Sarasota, and the Ft. Meyers area.  In most states they would have already added another autonomous state university to serve one or two or all of these regions.

I think it's a wonderful idea because it allows USF to service a greater region, and slowly create a Universal branding for this sub-region.  We'll never dominate markets like Jacksonville, Orlando, or even Miami, but if USF can create a powerful brand name, and niche in the southwest of FL from Tarpon Springs south then that could help us grow this into something special.

Along that vein, to further capitalize on being a truly regional University then it would further amplify those efforts if we could find a way to add 1-2 sports and house them in these branch campuses, i.e. rowing on St. Petersburg campus, Swimming and diving on Sarasota Campus, and maybe start a club program for wrestling or lacrosse in Lakeland.  It would help the regional students to endear themselves a bit more to the USF, and maybe provide some esprit de corp for those regional campuses that isn't already there.  At those campuses you might get a small contigent of swimmers on the Sarasota Campus, and a small regional following which could engender a whole different group of USF followers.  Then you'd see those local papers being forced to cover local athletics and cover the local swim team, or rowing, or club wrestling thus compelling them to discuss and follow USF a bit further.   Branding.

Just a thought.

 

I disagree about having the branch campuses.  If we are trying to become a more residential campus than the branch campuses are not what we need.  The branch campuses are made up entirely of commuters and have nothing in common with the main campus in Tampa other than the name.  

Placing sports teams at another location complicates degree choices for the athlete and minimizes their educational experience.  If the athlete is based at say USF-Sarasota and wants to major in a degree not offered there they would either have to commute to the Tampa campus for classes, use some type of technology for classes (internet or tv), or change their major. All of those choices stink.