Some may wonder why we entered the CBI...here is the answer

[SilverBull]

Have had my tickets for every game and enjoyed all I could attend (I missed last night because of work and family commitments).  Glad we had the chance to watch these guys play together and develop more.

[Guest Jonesy Bull]

11 minutes ago, SilverBull said:

Have had my tickets for every game and enjoyed all I could attend (I missed last night because of work and family commitments).  Glad we had the chance to watch these guys play together and develop more.

Well we have one more chance on Monday night.  I purchased my 2 tickets today - can't wait!

[Basketball Jones]

22 hours ago, MikeG said:

  

Where's the revenue? It's a money loser.

I ask the same thing about Women's Basketball. 

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

I think MBB went from non-existence to on the radar. 

is it generating big bucks now? no.

but it takes time to get dedicated butts into seats for multiple games instead of a few dozen newly interested fans (like me) who just rediscovered MBB for the first time since 2012 & popped up on campus for a game or two this year.

i know I will definitely be back for more games next year & I think u have at least a dozen (or two) on this board alone that will be attending more games next season than they did this season.

go Bulls 

[macphisto]

On 3/29/2019 at 8:22 AM, usfgrad84 said:

Money loser on the surface and in the short run. If the extra playing experience, learning how to win meaningful games and confidence going in to next year translates to bigger crowds, bigger wins, attracting better recruits in the future it could turn out to be a worthy investment. Too early to tell. 

If I recall correctly, the ladies run of successful tourney appearances was preceded by a WNIT appearance in the championship game? Was it a win. I don't remember, but it was the last building block in their recent success.

Maybe not an exact comparison, but it may turn out to be a great investment for the future of the program. 

 

It's a good sign.  I work directly with the productions of a lot of college and pro sports teams.  I love USF, it's my alma mater.  I've talked with them in the past (from AD down) about making the programs more appealing to fans.  I have yet to talk to the new admin running the show, but I know the people I work with at the Lightning have made it known they are interested in taking over event production for USF games for all sports - staffing and allowing for students to continue to participate.  But they have stated the USF must decide to make an INVESTMENT.

At the beginning of the season when the Lightning talked about helping USF grow its basketball programs, USF kicked back at them worrying about cost and sustainability.  The Lightning told them they had to choose to make an investment and that ONLY if they did could they hope to grow their fanbase and increase their attendance.  

I take this as a good sign.  

The Lightning have also told them of the need to upgrade the boards at Yuengling and that remains an uphill battle (part of that is because of what happened the last time they did that and how it caused a serious issue with Daktronics).

Hopefully they are beginning to understand that they need to invest if they have any hope of growing their programs.  My company has shared that with them in the past as well.  We are willing to do work with them for a lower price point than others, though the school would also be willing to test things out for us as part of the deal.  That happens with us and the Lightning too - the Lightning are a big partner for us (we've done interactive work with them and have done their graphics and ice projections for several years).

USF has some strong partners and potential partners that are willing to step in, but USF has to show investment.  

This tournament showed some of that.  It's not a money maker, but it shows they believe in their recruits and wanted to give them the opportunity to play beyond the regular season.  It shows Coach Gregory that we want to build something with him.  And it shows other partners, like the Lightning, that USF may be willing to do what is necessary to grow and strengthen USF Athletics and make it a viable option for students, families, and everyone throughout Tampa Bay.

There's a long way to go, but investing in the CBI is a good first step.

[Triple B]

3 hours ago, macphisto said:

The Lightning have also told them of the need to upgrade the boards at Yuengling

That's the **** truth. The player stat boards are a joke and the team stat one is almost as bad ....

[Guest Jonesy Bull]

They should act on any advice they get from the Lightning.  They are a top notch organization that pretty much does everything the right way.

[JupiterBull]

I was hoping we'd get WVU in the Finals, so my wife & I could enjoy the rivalry again.

We're playing basketball in April.  Awesome!

I don't know the full economic impact of the CBI, but it seems like a great investment in this young team.  I hope we can keep Brian Gregory for a long time...he may wind up the best MBB coach we've ever had (he's already won more games than Antigua).

[gullibull]

From what I have seen CBG is a class act and does things the right way just cut the checks this is our shot don't blow it .

[macphisto]

21 hours ago, Jonesy Bull said:

They should act on any advice they get from the Lightning.  They are a top notch organization that pretty much does everything the right way.

There's been a lot of back and forth since last year with the Lightning.  They have expressed to USF the need to update the Control Room, the boards, and the entire video system inside the Yuengling Center, but USF has been reluctant to commit to it and raise funds for it.  It'll probably cost about $20M to do it all right and the people at the Lightning has told them at this point it is better to future proof and install 4K boards and 4K screens on the concourse.  

The people over at the Lightning production are very willing to help USF create a world class show for all events at Yuengling and are interested in helping with football as well.  The Lightning are also happy to help with cross promotion. They would LOVE to see USF basketball get built up on the men's and women's side.

They have been helping in limited ways since 2017 but they are willing to take it to the next level.  USF just has to commit to it.  The Lightning as an org may also be happy to contribute to a stadium fund.  They actually are interested in a potential USF stadium for an outdoor hockey game.  They are less interested in RayJay, but their relationship with the Bucs is cordial at best.  The teams in this area are not huge fans of one another.  That's not uncommon in cities due to competition, but some places have teams that get along great (Cleveland is like this).  

The Lightning are happy to be a partner with USF.  And if USF gets its act together, there are a lot of sponsors that would be happy to throw money at them - I know of several.  But USF has to work to move up the pecking order.  It takes investment, but it could pay huge dividends down the line.