Students still divided on development of on-campus stadium - The Oracle

[USF_Bullsharks]

Statistically 166 responses is significant, but to someone's earlier point they could have all been polled in XYZ college building, which could be a more or less against the OCS in general. Unfortunately, USF's focus on academics for 70 years has created a culture of indifference towards sports, and it shows. We have a student body of ~30,000 undergraduates attending the Tampa campus, and it took an outside consultant to more or less bribe students to go to basketball games.  The OCS represents a monumental shift in attitude towards athletics as a whole. Unfortunately, it may take quite some time to build the culture of athletics being important to the university, see: professors at more sports-heavy institutions letting students out of class to attend/watch big games. 

Show up, donate, spread the word, bring your friends/family/neighbors. It's full speed ahead for the next 3-4 years and we should all be "recruiting" for USF. 

[Mike Stuben]

I don't know exactly how the question was worded, but it can influence the results. 

1 - Should USF invest money to build a stadium on campus for the football program to make it easier for students to attend games?

2 - Should USF spend $300 million dollars on a stadium or spend the money for other needed things like more parking?

 

The results will be drastically different. 

Also - we have to remember. 50k students. 1-2k come to the games. I would guess 90% of USF graduates average coming to 1 or fewer football games per year while they are students. 

[BDYZR]

11 hours ago, CousinRicky said:

I found this interesting. So at least 42% of students are off campus. I don't know what the number is of students who live on campus but I guess we should hope they are all college football fans and will attend the games.

In a survey of 166 USF students, 42% said that on-campus parking makes it difficult to attend classes and events

Not arguing, but did they ask these 166 students if they lived off campus? It says parking is difficult. I’ve known people that lived on campus, but because their classes were so spread out they drove from class to class, or at least tried to.

[flsportsfan83]

59 minutes ago, GoBulls84 said:

This is the kind of thing I'm tired of reading:

Maybe Athletics or President Law can have some type of open house-style meeting to explain to these nerds that the fund that will pay for the stadium and the fund that handles academic programs and facilities maintenance are two completely different pots of money.

How much are the current student fees that go directly to athletics? Will that number go up to help fund the Athletic Department. I am 100% pro Stadium, but students are forced donors to Athletics. They should have a say on how their money is spent. 

[flsportsfan83]

2 minutes ago, BDYZR said:

Not arguing, but did they ask these 166 students if they lived off campus? It says parking is difficult. I’ve known people that lived on campus, but because their classes were so spread out they drove from class to class, or at least tried to.

I remember specifically looking for classes being taught at the movie theater at University mall to avoid the parking **** show on campus. 

[USF_Bullsharks]

Part of USF next development phase should be to increase on-campus housing too. Think we need another 2500-3500 beds on campus. Double the size of JP, make it mandatory for freshman to live on campus. Can restrict freshman ability to have cars their first years if necessary for parking (common at many universities, especially located in larger cities). 

[CousinRicky]

3 hours ago, flsportsfan83 said:

How much are the current student fees that go directly to athletics? Will that number go up to help fund the Athletic Department. I am 100% pro Stadium, but students are forced donors to Athletics. They should have a say on how their money is spent. 

They can choose another school. I'm semi-serious. Florida state run schools are dirt cheap compared to so many other states and private universities.  Our daughter's friend spends more than 4 years worth of USF tuition on one year of grade school for their kids. 

[BDYZR]

4 hours ago, flsportsfan83 said:

How much are the current student fees that go directly to athletics? Will that number go up to help fund the Athletic Department. I am 100% pro Stadium, but students are forced donors to Athletics. They should have a say on how their money is spent. 

Not to start a political debate, but we're all forced to pay big business with federal tax cuts.

55 Corporations Paid $0 in Federal Taxes on 2020 Profits

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At least 55 of the largest corporations in America paid no federal corporate income taxes in their most recent fiscal year despite enjoying substantial pretax profits in the...

 

[belgianbull]

Surprised its that divided. I know regarding the people that I am still in contact with from my time at USF its pretty much unanimous. Every single one of them is in favor of a stadium. 

[GoBulls84]

4 hours ago, flsportsfan83 said:

How much are the current student fees that go directly to athletics? Will that number go up to help fund the Athletic Department. I am 100% pro Stadium, but students are forced donors to Athletics. They should have a say on how their money is spent. 

They sure should. But athletics money isn't going to academic programs, or facilities maintenance. And the money that's being raised to go toward the stadium, whether private donors or extra state funds, or even bonds, isn't and wasn't going to academic programs or facilities. Again, they're different pots of money. We can do both things at the same time.