Basketball Gripe....

[IncrediBULL]

I hardly gripe because I give too much of my time, effort, and $$$ to USF to be a complainer, however, it is time for one.  I am part of an official USF Organization for Alumni (which I cannot name).  For the past 9 years we have had 2 basketball tix for our group.  This year, due to a change of staff on the USF campus, our ticket renewal was lost and it took months to determine what had happened and to re-gain approval to renew them (since they came out of joint funds).  By the time this happened, our tickets had been resold to some new green jacket (thanks for signing up whoever you are, it is appreciated).  That isn't the problem, though.  The problem is that once we went to re sign and our tickets were gone, they said to be anywhere near our old tickets we would be required to pay a $500 annual donation.  That had been waved in the past as we are an official group and have had tix for 9 years.  

This has been the worst basketball season that I can recall in a decade, and we have a new coach, new players and soon a new conference.  Not to mention all time low attendance at the games.  And the purpose for our renewal was to get two tix to use for money making raffles for USF, to use for USF Donors and contributors, and to use for recruiting for our board.  

I just need to vent a little because the fact that tickets that were used to promote USF, which were used by a USF organization who had had them for 10 years, a volunteer organization I might add, in a time when they need butts in seats, is really rediculous.  I could not be more dissapointed with our athletics organization at this time.  I think this was a serous mistake and generally is the type of thing that everyone else complains about, but has now affected me.  Usually I am positive about everythign USF, but right now I am a bit disenfranchised.

Sorry, but I had to go on a rant for a minute or two....

[The_Reaper]

rightly so. It is these types of growing pains that needs to be addressed. You don't P off two people...alums and donors. especially ones that have been in the program as long as your group has. I am sure if your rant would be directed to those in charge, you might get some insight. It sounds like to me that it was a big snafu, but I am sure if you all speak to the right people, the problem will be resolved. Hey it feels good to rant now and then! ;D    Reaper

[smazza]

ar eyou telling me you can't get two good seats for bball game?

attendance is so bad i would think you could get great seats?

[bulls96go]

this is the stuff that the ad needs to pay attention to

or you lose solid support

[IncrediBULL]

The sad part is we have spoken to the right people.  What was stated is that since the tickets did not get renewed in time, they were lost.  To get into equivalent seating, it would require the new $500 sponsorship level which was the required amount for any new ticket purchaser off of the street (to have similar seating).  We were told that cannot be waived "because then every USF group would want it waived".  

Forget the fact we had the seats for a decade.  Forget the fact they were used to promote USF, to thank donors, to solicit volunteers.  Forget the fact we are ourselves part of a USF sponsored 501© organization.

The saddest part is having such a poor BB season with decade low attendance, and then having to fight to get back the tickets we always had (or something close to them).  Basically a no donation, which is what we always provided as that was the norm a decade ago, we would have had worse than nosebleed seating.  The saddest part is that it isn't the money (I personally donate in many ways to USF and personally hold 8 season tix for football).  Our organization donates 1000's of hours each year for the betterment of USF.  We do so because we genuinely care about the school and all of its programs.   Then when any slight issue comes up, this is how it is resolved.

I guess that some things just defy logic.

[BullDoug]

Incredibull,

This is completely disappointing however from my 5 yrs on campus, absolutely not surprising.  My dealing in any dept. and on every level was always buearucratic(sp?) gluster flock.  Did your organization forget to renew b/c the A.Dept. didn't notify your group due to the changed admin?  Seems like something is missing from your rant.

[IncrediBULL]

Our team didn't renew because it had been in an individual's name who was a USF employee and our on-campus representative.  She left USF in the fall and the renewal fell through the cracks since there was no new USF employee to fill her spot.  When we inquired on the issue, it took a total of 5 people (USF ee's) 3 months to help us figure out what had happened.  By then, the tix were gone.  So we said "what about replacement seats which are in a similar area?"  That is when we got the, sorry but this will be treated like new tickets and you must pay the $500 for similar seating.   Hope that fills in the holes a little.....

[kdawgy_orlando]

Were the tickets not renewed because of changes in actual USF staff or was this ticket thing through some kind of quasi USF person ie alumni or athletic donor pool or what?

You really have got my attention, I am in the midst of  'jump starting' Alumni and Athletic efforts here in Orlando.  It seems hard to believe that you could donate your time and money and get this answer.

Can you give any more details?  Just curious.

[IncrediBULL]

I was not on the board when we first got the tickets, but how it turned out was that the board voted to get USF tickets, the USF Employee who was an ex-officio member of the board and USF employee ordered them.  As the tickets generally are in a persons name, she was used as the primary contact.   When she left her post at USF, the renewal got lost in the shuffle since no one had been hired to fill her position until Jan 1 of this year.  Therefore, the tickets were lost.  That is when we got the powers to be to make calls to find out what had happened to the groups tickets.  We went though a stack of USF contacts before we finally figured out what had happened, and months elasped.  No one disputes how the tickets got lost.  It was the reaction that "sorry tickets are gone, can't get them back, pay the new annual donation to get similar seating" that is what I don't understand.  All are aware of what happened, but no one is willing to stand up and make it right at this point.  

[The_Reaper]

WOW!!! :-X