IPF / OCS - Informational Updates

[BullyPulpit]

I'm more concerned about the 35,000 seats. I know that scarcity drives demand, but I just don't think that is enough. 40,000 would be better. I think we are leaving money on the table. I still don't think there is any reason the stadium couldn't be completed by 2025, unless funding is the main issue. The 2026 home slate is terrible, so maybe it is better to open up the new stadium as the big drawing factor, because FAU and BCC as the OOC games really won't move the needle on their own. 

[Rocky Style]

1 minute ago, BullyPulpit said:

I'm more concerned about the 35,000 seats. I know that scarcity drives demand, but I just don't think that is enough. 40,000 would be better. I think we are leaving money on the table. I still don't think there is any reason the stadium couldn't be completed by 2025, unless funding is the main issue. The 2026 home slate is terrible, so maybe it is better to open up the new stadium as the big drawing factor, because FAU and BCC as the OOC games really won't move the needle on their own. 

I think it is the right number.  Leave room for expansion and then negotiate neutral sites for big name teams maybe?  Then the every day conference play games will feel a lot better in the 35k space.

[MaltLiquorBull]

Just now, BullyPulpit said:

I'm more concerned about the 35,000 seats. I know that scarcity drives demand, but I just don't think that is enough. 40,000 would be better. I think we are leaving money on the table. I still don't think there is any reason the stadium couldn't be completed by 2025, unless funding is the main issue. The 2026 home slate is terrible, so maybe it is better to open up the new stadium as the big drawing factor, because FAU and BCC as the OOC games really won't move the needle on their own. 

Just a guess here, but I’m betting we see some design with 35k actual “seats,” but some kind of additional room for students to watch games without seating like a grass  hill or something similar.  So maybe 35k seats, but 40k+ occupancy.

[CycleBull]

3 minutes ago, BullyPulpit said:

I'm more concerned about the 35,000 seats. I know that scarcity drives demand, but I just don't think that is enough. 40,000 would be better. I think we are leaving money on the table. I still don't think there is any reason the stadium couldn't be completed by 2025, unless funding is the main issue. The 2026 home slate is terrible, so maybe it is better to open up the new stadium as the big drawing factor, because FAU and BCC as the OOC games really won't move the needle on their own. 

It doesn’t really matter if you think it can me completed a year earlier. The plan is what the plan is. Somethings don’t matter and aren’t worth stressing over.

[Brad]

3 minutes ago, BullyPulpit said:

I'm more concerned about the 35,000 seats. I know that scarcity drives demand...

... and dynamic pricing drives revenue (and frustrated fans).

[BullyPulpit]

Just now, Rocky Style said:

I think it is the right number.  Leave room for expansion and then negotiate neutral sites for big name teams maybe?  Then the every day conference play games will feel a lot better in the 35k space.

That's a fair point, but are we really signaling to the ACC or Big 12 that we are a perfect partner for expansion if we are building such a small stadium? The smallest stadium in the ACC is Wake Forest 31,500 and then Duke is second at 40,004. Those are two tiny schools, with small enrollments and not huge alumni bases living in the area. If you go with 40,000 and only fill it at 80%, that is still 32,000 fans and wouldn't feel empty at all. It costs way more money to expand than it does to build it into the original plans. If we don't think that we can consistently draw more than 35,000 fans to these games, should we be investing $350 million into a stadium? The students will have much easier access to the stadium, so that alone should increase their attendance significantly. 

[BullyPulpit]

4 minutes ago, MaltLiquorBull said:

Just a guess here, but I’m betting we see some design with 35k actual “seats,” but some kind of additional room for students to watch games without seating like a grass  hill or something similar.  So maybe 35k seats, but 40k+ occupancy.

That would be good. Some sort of social berm. I could get behind that a little bit more. Or some sort of flex space where temporary seating could be brought in for the bigger games. It is exciting discussing what an OCS is going to look like. I am looking forward to seeing it come to fruition. 

[BullyPulpit]

7 minutes ago, CycleBull said:

It doesn’t really matter if you think it can me completed a year earlier. The plan is what the plan is. Somethings don’t matter and aren’t worth stressing over.

I was hardly stressing. If there is any sense of urgency for this or the next round of conference realignment, it would seem to make sense to get it done sooner than later. These projects typically don't get any cheaper the longer you wait. This same stadium would have cost in the neighborhood of $250 million just 5 years ago. Waiting to get the project done already cost the school an extra $100 million. It is a point that deserves discussing. Not stressing over, but the cost factor certainly matters. 

[BayIslandBull]

27 minutes ago, Triple B said:

Joey has an article also on the front of the Sports page today about CJL and USF HOF.

He also published one about predicting the football team to be the "conference bottom feeder again" when realignment was red hot last week. I have no use for him/them anymore...

[CycleBull]

6 minutes ago, BullyPulpit said:

I was hardly stressing. If there is any sense of urgency for this or the next round of conference realignment, it would seem to make sense to get it done sooner than later. These projects typically don't get any cheaper the longer you wait. This same stadium would have cost in the neighborhood of $250 million just 5 years ago. Waiting to get the project done already cost the school an extra $100 million. It is a point that deserves discussing. Not stressing over, but the cost factor certainly matters. 

In the beginning of your reply is where you went wrong. We didn’t expect (at least us here and others around the country) realignment to happen like this. These are massive plans and not a home being built in the Tampa Bay Area. Let’s do it right and not rushed for the sake of all parties involved. Also, have you payed attention to the issues with supply chain? They get cheaper if the economy is going to hit the fan!!!!