Important OCS Update

[bull2saintleo]

With TV viewership up, smaller stadiums are the future.

 

As others have said, I'd rather be a little conservative on size to begin and then expand when necessary.

[Cat941]

I did see this about UCF's stadium.

 

[John Lewis]

I am sure all those tourists will be flocking to Oviedo to see the tower.

[USFBulls12]

17 minutes ago, TallyBull said:

I don't doubt it. But I'd rather have a small stadium filled to capacity than a large stadium that is half full. If/when we get into a P5, there will be money and justification to expand. But I think the smaller stadium is the right size for now.

 

15 minutes ago, 79 Bull said:

You can add...

SMU 32,000

Cincy 40,000

Houston 40,000

Oveido 48,000

I do feel like 35,000 is a tad too small for USF unless the powers that be know for sure that we are never going to a Power 2/3/4 conference. We have been called the sleeping giant a countless number of times. Imagine for a moment that we finally wake up, that CAG is a legitimate program builder, that we become the powerhouse of the AAC and win the next 3 conference championships in a row (remember we have BB for 4 seasons without him transferring for more NIL)..imagine that CAG doesn't bolt for the Next Playcheck™ and does in fact make USF everything we have always hoped and dream...USF admin is telling us that we won't need more than 35,000 seats? We have announced crowds larger than this at times at Raymond James, far from campus and while sucking. What happens if we are actually sustainably good and have the run of a lifetime...every game will be sold out and we'll be keeping potential new fans out of the stadium. I certainly don't think we need to bloat the stadium with 50k+ right now because it'll definitely look half-full for some time, but the options we are left with are to force an immediate second construction project for expansion OR not have enough seats for the growing fan base... My take is that the original build needs to be around 42,000 with expansion possible to 55,000.

[MaltLiquorBull]

1 minute ago, USFBulls12 said:

 

I do feel like 35,000 is a tad too small for USF unless the powers that be know for sure that we are never going to a Power 2/3/4 conference. We have been called the sleeping giant a countless number of times. Imagine for a moment that we finally wake up, that CAG is a legitimate program builder, that we become the powerhouse of the AAC and win the next 3 conference championships in a row (remember we have BB for 4 seasons without him transferring for more NIL)..imagine that CAG doesn't bolt for the Next Playcheck™ and does in fact make USF everything we have always hoped and dream...USF admin is telling us that we won't need more than 35,000 seats? We have announced crowds larger than this at times at Raymond James, far from campus and while sucking. What happens if we are actually sustainably good and have the run of a lifetime...every game will be sold out and we'll be keeping potential new fans out of the stadium. I certainly don't think we need to bloat the stadium with 50k+ right now because it'll definitely look half-full for some time, but the options we are left with are to force an immediate second construction project for expansion OR not have enough seats for the growing fan base... My take is that the original build needs to be around 42,000 with expansion possible to 55,000.

This is why I think (and am hoping) that 35,000 is the number of SEATS, but not necessarily the capacity.  If we had 35,000 total seats not including standing or grass berm room that could allow 10,000 more people in (students), then we'd be ok for most games.

[Roaming Bull]

8 minutes ago, John Lewis said:

I am sure all those tourists will be flocking to Oviedo to see the tower.

Looks like a waste of taxpayer money 

[Bryson W]

8 minutes ago, USFBulls12 said:

 

I do feel like 35,000 is a tad too small for USF unless the powers that be know for sure that we are never going to a Power 2/3/4 conference. We have been called the sleeping giant a countless number of times. Imagine for a moment that we finally wake up, that CAG is a legitimate program builder, that we become the powerhouse of the AAC and win the next 3 conference championships in a row (remember we have BB for 4 seasons without him transferring for more NIL)..imagine that CAG doesn't bolt for the Next Playcheck™ and does in fact make USF everything we have always hoped and dream...USF admin is telling us that we won't need more than 35,000 seats? We have announced crowds larger than this at times at Raymond James, far from campus and while sucking. What happens if we are actually sustainably good and have the run of a lifetime...every game will be sold out and we'll be keeping potential new fans out of the stadium. I certainly don't think we need to bloat the stadium with 50k+ right now because it'll definitely look half-full for some time, but the options we are left with are to force an immediate second construction project for expansion OR not have enough seats for the growing fan base... My take is that the original build needs to be around 42,000 with expansion possible to 55,000.

Then the school will likely hike up the prices due to high demand... if we are successful

[USFBulls12]

4 minutes ago, Bryson W said:

Then the school will likely hike up the prices due to high demand... if we are successful

Yeah, we shouldn’t be pricing out new fans. 

[Peatearpan]

6 minutes ago, Roaming Bull said:

Looks like a waste of taxpayer money 

So if we throw their “championship ring” in the volcano, they die?

[TallyBull]

18 minutes ago, MaltLiquorBull said:

This is why I think (and am hoping) that 35,000 is the number of SEATS, but not necessarily the capacity.  If we had 35,000 total seats not including standing or grass berm room that could allow 10,000 more people in (students), then we'd be ok for most games.

Standing room/grass berms would be cool. I have no idea if it'll happen, but it would be neat!

Bottom line, I'm just not worried about the stadium capacity. I trust folks in the know to make a wise decision considering all the factors, including expansion potential should the need arise. It's a huge investment, obviously, and I'm confident USF is looking at it from every angle.

From the beginning USF has said that it's going to focus on building a quality stadium. To me, that means fewer bleachers and more actual seats. Yes, some stadiums are larger (e.g. the Rust Bucket), but they rely on aluminum bleachers to get there.

So long as the place is dripping in green and gold (both structurally and in terms of attendance), I'll be fine with it. Shade structures would be an amazing bonus. 

And water fountains would be nice!

Edited October 5, 2023 by TallyBull