USF, McCullum Seek Polk's Support

[BullDoug]

I think that the game will still be classified as a home game, and would still count towards attendance averages...

Could be classified as "nuetral".

[bulls96go]

great idea!

[BullDoug]

But on the whole I really like the idea of having a game for the branch campus' and alumni in that area.  Maybe we'll do this next year at the Bayfront Center in St. Pete or the TECO Building in Sarasota.  It would be nice to see us include those campuses where we can.   The more Bulls we have statewide the better!

While this seems a nice thing to do on the outside it seem "minor" league-ish to do it.  How often does UF or FSU play at statellite campuses?  It might be OK for UCF 'cuz they might find a better place to play.  Sorry Knights had to take a jab at the Garage Dome you all play in.  

[GarySJ]

This is a good idea. Let's take a game that wouldn't draw flies at the Sun Dome and play it at a branch campus, to get the satellite campuses and communities involved in athletics. It might result in more USF Lakeland students making the occasional trek down I-4 for a home football or basketball game.

Note also that Lakeland is going to become a TEN THOUSAND student campus. USF Lakeland will have a larger enrollment than five Big East schools. We would be foolish not to try and get them involved in athletics. In fact, I think at least one game there every year would be a good idea.

[Ricky the Bull]

Add to that the fact that there's less competition for entertainment dollars in LAL.  I think it's a great idea.

[kdawgy_orlando]

Why it can work-

(1) BCC has a large following in the area

(2) USF Lakeland is being put together on a 500 acre piece of land as I understand it.  A lot of community support is in the area, thus, engage the community.

(3) 2300 students currently.  Even larger number of  alumni in area.

(4) Quicker to get to from Orlando

(5) Where is Publixs' HQ?  Could you ask for a bigger sponsorship potential?

I know some folks want to put down the "take the show on the road thing". . . that is your choice, I think it could be  a smart move in the bigger picture.  

I remember how down everyone was about the spring football pep rally in St. Pete, again, if we played some sports over there once in a while, the community would feel more engaged.

USF is not just Tampa.  In spite of what some people would say.

[Ty]

It is a GREAT Deal because it is 15 minutes from my home......  WooHOoooo.....  

[bulls96go]

make it happen coach mac

[E.T.]

usfcollin,

You're correct about that ... they use to have the floor seating and it was much better. I still enjoy games there and they have the nice Jumbo screens.

Spoke with Coach Longa last night and he is working on getting this night also for a double header.

Either way, I'll be there ...  ;D

Go BULLS !!!

[Knight_Light]

No argument needed.

USF needs more pub in your close secondary market.

Hillsborough County Growth keeps going, and going, and going, closer to Polk every day.

Plus, with some of the "challenges" USF faced last year in home attendance (some games had crowds in the "hundreds" according to local papers), and if student attendance is still apatheic...why not make this game an "EVENT" in a town that doesn't have much going on except Spring Training?

Add in your satelitte campus in Lakeland, major sponsor Publix HQ, and without old Bull Boosters who never show up for Hoop Games at the SunDome...but the ticket nazi's can't let diehard fans sit down there...any crowd of over 2,000 "actual" people at Lakeland would be a plus!

Those who are diehard Bull fans will go...its not far at all.  A few diehard students will go....they are the ones that go to all the games. Heck, a few more students might even go to this game...because it could be called a "road-trip"...oooohhh.

It would be one thing to move a game to Lakeland (totally agree about how seating for hoops is not very good..but its only 1 game) if the SunDome was sold-out or had at least crowds on the average OVER that of the capacity of the Old Lakeland Civic Center (ah...the late 70's and early 80's...concert "mecca" from Tampa to Daytona), but thats is a non-factor now.

This is such a great idea...for schools like USF or UCF...not sure why it wasn't done earlier?

UCF could play a game in Brevard County (home to their Brevard Campus and many Alumni on the Space Coast) or one in Daytona Beach (DB Campus).

Whoever came up with this idea....is SMART!

KL