Nightmare Bowl Scenario

[Matt]

2 more wins and this all is a moot point.

[outrunner]

RMF, while I agree with what you've said, you can't just make tradition nor can you make people to go to the games.  It's going to take time and winning.

I am not saying that USF has control over the number of people that attend.  What they do have TOTAL control over is the experience that the 30 to 40k that do attend the games feel.  For example, I was sitting in a bar last night talking to UW and PSU fans.  Most of them were women and girls between 11 and 19.  My daughter who did not want to go because it was a football game left asking when was the next game.  None of them knew PJ Hill ran for 148 yards, that UW covered, or if they played well.  They knew they won, they had a great time, and the stadium was so cool doing all the chants, waves, band cheers, and waving the towels they gave out.  That is what I am talking about!  USF can do more to create that environment and a lot of it is simple planning and choreograpy.  It is not necessarily more people, a better team, or 100 years of tradition.  It is just some thought on what attracts people to games.  I am not talking a Disney productions, just some authentic enthusiasm that can easily be generated by the existing resources, the band and stadium!  We will not create Gainesville, but its gotta be better.  According to the women and girls I know, USF is not a "fun" game to go see compared to other schools.  I almost fell over when my kids were asking to go to another UW game and we sat in the end zone!

I got news for you, fans like us that actually know the whold roster, the BCS formula, and what USF needs to do to go to a bowl are the minority.  We need to create an environment.

Don't want to change the topic, but UW has an on-campus stadium, we do not. Playing in an NFL stadium has an effect on the game atmosphere.

[WoolyBully]

They knew they won, they had a great time, and the stadium was so cool doing all the chants, waves, band cheers, and waving the towels they gave out.

And that sort of ties into the atmosphere at RayJ. I'm certain the gals enjoyed it, much in

the same way the student crowd probably enjoys the north end-zone during our games.

It's entertainment.

[RMF5630]

I have been to a lot of college football games across the country, RJ is not in the same class as most of them.  USF needs to do something to create a college atmosphere, if we want to attract more fans.  THere are not enough USF football fans to fill up the lower bowl. It needs to be more of an event to attract those fans away from other things.  I don't live in Tampa anymore, I am just passing along what I am seeing in the Big 10 this year.  Like it or not, it is different and I listed exactly what the people who went to the games said.  They hated USF games, I had to drag them.  They are asking me when we are going back to Madison.  Take it for what its worth, just trying to give some insight.  According to the USF fans, attending a USF football game is as fun as a Gator game, that is simply playing ostrcih.  Forget the Big 10, go to Neland Stadium, Florida Field, LSU, Auburn, or even FSU.  It is not close and it is not the  team that matters.  It is the experience.

[bulls96go]

hope we go to a bowl

grothe needs the extra reps to get set for our big run next year

[WoolyBully]

Things to consider:

1. Game Experience: all of the schools cited have an OCS and are -essentially - the only

   game in town. They've been around a lot longer than USF and have built their traditions

   over time. There is no "recipe" to just-add-water and tradition miraculously appears. Like

   it or not, it's gonna be many, many years before that happens (that literally translates to

   many, many generations of alumni who graduated WITH a football program in place).

2. "they hated the game, I had to drag them"...were these alumni of USF?

3. What attracts people to the game. Just being honest, I didn't buy season tickets to wave

   a towel and sing-along-wtih-the-band. I'm sure the 11-19 year old girls have a different

   perspective than a 45 year old man.    And it's us who occupy the sidelines. Don't like the

    empty seats, the only way to fill them are to purchase season tickets.

4. College atmosphere: until such time as there is an OCS - owned and operated by USF -

   don't look for that to happen. We rent RayJ, so our product is naturally different.

[hightechbull]

The problem is that the Big East does not have a lot of leverage in negotiating.  I have been watching a lot of Big East football the last 2 years and thought that the Big East was very competetive. Until yesterday when I went to Camp Randall to see UW and Penn State.

Yesterday, I went to the Wisconsin/Penn State game and I came away with a different view about the Big East and Bowl attractiveness.  These programs are light years ahead of USF, Cinn, UCONN, Pitt, and even Rutgers in terms of bowl attractiveness.  

They had 82,000 at the game in Madison.  Thet had over 35k stay for the 5th Quarter to watch the band! That is more than we get at RayJay for a game.   I have never seen more red in my life.  I know we are only 10 years old, but the bowls don't care and we shouldn't either. There is only one standard.  The Big 10 has 11 of those schools.  The SEC has 10 of those schools.  The Pac-10 has maybe 5.  Big 12 maybe five, as well.  Notre Dame, Army, & Navy all pack that atmosphere.  That is a lot of schools that will bring a lot of fanatical fans.  We (USF)have a lot of work to do to get into that universe.  We are not even in the same ball park.  

I think USF needs to send representatives to these type of stadiums and see what is happening around the BCS and come up with a plan on what traditions USF will have, upgrade the band, and develop a gameplan on how the game should unfold in the stadium!  RIght now, we all show up and that is about it.  Both the PSU and UW bands were the engines that created that atmosphere!  They were in the stands going from section to section getting things rolling.  The Tuba patrol made the rounds in the stands.  The drum line was in the stands moving around the stadium.  Sorry, but there is more to a good atmosphere than a lot of people, it is well choreographed.  USF's band playing Bohemian Rapsidy is ridiculous.  We don't have to copy other schools, but come up with Tampa stuff. I don't care if it is Buffet and Reggae, but do something!  Create some character for our program!  

From what I can tell you have not been to a game this year.

• HOT does not play Bohemian Rhapsody this year.  That was last year's song.  They have expanded their half time repertoire this season
  
• HOT has made The Bull our signature song.  The spirit squads, student, and slowly the season ticket holders do the bull horn hand wave to that song
  
• This is the first season where they have let HOT play instead of the NFL-esque PA music.
  
• The students have really gotten into the games this season, and they have started their own cheers, traditions, etc.  Real change starts with them, not some bullcrap marketing mumbo jumbo
  
• The USF administration keeps shafting HOT on uniforms.  Not really sure why, but it pisses me off.  If you would like to help HOT acquire new uniforms and have the ability to travel to road games, then please donate to them
  
• You will never have 35K hanging out in the 5th quarter because a) there is no 5th quarter in football quarter means 4 parts so how can you have a 5th part c) The TSA wants people out of the stadium ASAP once the game is over
  

[outrunner]

• You will never have 35K hanging out in the 5th quarter because a) there is no 5th quarter in football quarter means 4 parts so how can you have a 5th part c) [highlight]The TSA wants people out of the stadium ASAP once the game is over[/highlight]

After the games, the HOT drumline marched down the NE gate ramp playing and plays for 10 minutes or so afterwards. They usually draw a small crowd.

[Triple B]

1. Game Experience: all of the schools cited have an OCS and are -essentially - the only game in town. They've been around a lot longer than USF and have built their traditions over time. There is no "recipe" to just-add-water and tradition miraculously appears. Like it or not, it's gonna be many, many years before that happens (that literally translates to many, many generations of alumni who graduated WITH a football program in place).

I'm still befuddled that people cannot grasp this concept. Throwing out examples of football programs that have been around for a century and then wonder why we aren't more like them is ridiculous.

College atmosphere: until such time as there is an OCS - owned and operated by USF - don't look for that to happen. We rent RayJ, so our product is naturally different.

Even if we had an OCS at this time, with the make up of the majority of people who go to our games right now, you're not going to have the same type atmosphere that the established, traditional programs do. The difference is that you SHOULD have more students there but I'm really curious as tohow many more students would go to the game on campus as opposed to now.

[RMF5630]

[*]HOT does not play Bohemian Rhapsody this year.  That was last year's song.  They have expanded their half time repertoire this season

[*]HOT has made The Bull our signature song.  The spirit squads, student, and slowly the season ticket holders do the bull horn hand wave to that song

[*]This is the first season where they have let HOT play instead of the NFL-esque PA music.

[*]The students have really gotten into the games this season, and they have started their own cheers, traditions, etc.  Real change starts with them, not some bullcrap marketing mumbo jumbo

[*]The USF administration keeps shafting HOT on uniforms.  Not really sure why, but it pisses me off.  If you would like to help HOT acquire new uniforms and have the ability to travel to road games, then please donate to them

[*]You will never have 35K hanging out in the 5th quarter because a) there is no 5th quarter in football quarter means 4 parts so how can you have a 5th part c) The TSA wants people out of the stadium ASAP once the game is over

Ok, so I listed last years song!  That is how stupid the selection was!  I got news for you, college football is marketing.   What you say is exactly what I am saying and where USF has let the team down!

The HOT, they are anything be hot, does need to be more active and lead the off field experience not hinder it.  If you have been to other college stadiums, there are 5th quarters after the game at various stadiums.  The game was over and there were more people in the stands to stay and watch the band and party than go to a USF game!  That is my point!  However, it was an example of what another prgram does.  

Look at what you said, the TSA wants us out as soon as possible.  That is because we are a tenant and not the main attraction.  Hell, USF can't even paint the end zones!  The few times we have it made the news!  We are a commuter program at our own home stadium.  Get a on-campus stadium where USF is the main attraction and people  can hang out and more students would attend the games.  

The University has to determine what type of experience a USF game is and not leave it to chance, like right now.  There attitude and that of fans like you is if the fans get into the game great, if not we are too young.  That is ********, the University needs to help create the atmosphere.  Keep saying that we're only 10 years old and we will have a real nice atmosphere in 70 years.  We are the latecomers and we will always be younger than the rest of college football.  If your happy with that, I feel bad for the rest of the fans that deserve a better show, one that is the same caliber as thier football team.