Nightmare Bowl Scenario

[Joe]

While I do not agree fully with everything you say, I do agree that we could do a little more to attract the casual fan. The problem lies in the fact that unlike most major college towns, we are not the only show in town. A Saturday afternoon in Happy Valley or Rocky Top....what the hell else are you going to do. It is cold, dreary and there isn't anotehr thing to do. In Tamp however we have great shopping, dining, theme parks, beaches, parks, great weather....there is more competition for that entertainment dollar. It will all come in time. Success breeds success, ask the Bucs, ask the Lightning. After our first BE championship (within the next 3 years) our season ticket sales will increase astronomically and the school will be able to pump more money into the gameday experience.

How many times do we have to go over this, maybe 1/2 (if that) of the people that attend games in those small college towns actually live remotely near those towns. There are more people with Florida season tickets in Tampa and Orlando than live in Gainesville.

Almost 60% of the UGA ticketholders live in Atlanta. The whole "it's the only show in town" thing is weak.

The reality is when we develop the fan base that those schools have, we won't have that problem. However, it will take many many years. Look at schools like Ohio State, USC, and Washington have been able to shake the large city/bad attendance with many years of tradition rich football.

[BullyPulpit]

WINNING solves the problem in big cities. All of those programs you cited to have years and years of tradition to lean on, but it does not change the fact that there is nothing else to do in those towns. How many 5-6 seasons could a school like UT take in a row and still keep their fan base....a lot. Move that same team to LA and they would start losing the CASUAL fan. Yes the diehards are out there, but those with no strong tie other than being a fan would not continue to support a loser in a town where there are a plethora of other options.

[Triple B]

Therein lies a big part of your problem in trying to yak that up here. Most in here are not 19 yr old girls who go to the game for a freaking SHOW. The very fact that you included the wave in parts of your "great" game time experiences tells me all I need to know ...... Next time you want to take your girls to a football game in Tampa, go to a Storm game. They will absolutely love it.

Look around, guys like us are the minority at most sporting events!  Most of the people in the stand don't know how many yards rushing a RB averages per carry or that a LB like Nicholas covering a TE down the field is a great play.  We are the minority.  Go to some of the games where their are 80k + in the stands. They are mostly girls, women, children, and older people.  Sure the student section is packed, but they are there for the party.  I would bet that there were just as many hard core FB fans in RayJay as Camp Randall this weekend.  Fans that really know what they are watching, the balance was made up those there for the event.  

Why is this relevant? Because our end zone tickets cost $42 PER TICKET, face value.  Do the math.  There was 81k at that game the cheapest ticket was $42.  Buys an awful lot of stuff. That is why creating an event is so important.  Not for the people like us that would go watch USF at Pepin Root Stadium, but for the fringe fans that spent a lot of money.  It is a business and USF needs to approach it as such.

I'm going to need some other opinions backing up your statement that the crowds in the tradition rich football stadiums are "mostly girls, women, children, and older people" who have basically no clue about college football but are just there for the event. If that's what a true college football atmosphere is I want no part of it .... but I don't think it is.

[Triple B]

While I do not agree fully with everything you say, I do agree that we could do a little more to attract the casual fan. The problem lies in the fact that unlike most major college towns, we are not the only show in town. A Saturday afternoon in Happy Valley or Rocky Top....what the hell else are you going to do. It is cold, dreary and there isn't anotehr thing to do. In Tamp however we have great shopping, dining, theme parks, beaches, parks, great weather....there is more competition for that entertainment dollar. It will all come in time. Success breeds success, ask the Bucs, ask the Lightning. After our first BE championship (within the next 3 years) our season ticket sales will increase astronomically and the school will be able to pump more money into the gameday experience.

How many times do we have to go over this, maybe 1/2 (if that) of the people that attend games in those small college towns actually live remotely near those towns. There are more people with Florida season tickets in Tampa and Orlando than live in Gainesville.

Almost 60% of the UGA ticketholders live in Atlanta. The whole "it's the only show in town" thing is weak.

The reality is when we develop the fan base that those schools have, we won't have that problem. However, it will take many many years. Look at schools like Ohio State, USC, and Washington have been able to shake the large city/bad attendance with many years of tradition rich football.

Joe, you're saying the same thing he's saying ...

[Joe]

He was saying that a lot of those schools have fans because there is nothing else to do in town. In reality there is a big Tampa presence in Gainesville and Tallahassee on Saturdays in the Fall.

[Triple B]

He was saying that a lot of those schools have fans because there is nothing else to do in town. In reality there is a big Tampa presence in Gainesville and Tallahassee on Saturdays in the Fall.

And his bottom line appeared to be that it's going to take time to get the point of the other schools .... that also appears to be your bottom line.

[Joe]

Lets hug it out.

[Triple B]

Lets hug it out.

You have me confused with a Kanigit fan ......

[RMF5630]

I'm going to need some other opinions backing up your statement that the crowds in the tradition rich football stadiums are "mostly girls, women, children, and older people" who have basically no clue about college football but are just there for the event. If that's what a true college football atmosphere is I want no part of it .... but I don't think it is.

Go to a Florida game. Who is sitting in the seats from the 20 to 20 yard line?  You will see just as many gray haired grandparents than you will 30-40 something guys.  It is not the whole crowd, but that is what bumps you attendance from 45k to 60k.  Just the older alumni bringing the grandkids is a substantial number at most big time schools.  It is not just a family event, it is an extended family event.  

Throw in the pretty woman crowd, now your over 70k.  The scary thing, is most of these fans know football, not to our detail.  But, the know to be quite when their team has the ball and who Paterno is! USF has enough grad in Central Florida to sell out RayJay every week if the alumni felt the same way about USF as the UF, UW, Tenn, etc... alumni feel. There is no excuse for 40k at a conference game.

[BullDoug]

"extended family event"...nice term