Here are some interesting numbers...

[HaulingBull Sucks]

UCF  at RJ =

UCF trash = TSA's problem.

[Kizarvexis]

False: The rescheduling of the WV game because of a posible hurricane didn't hurt attendance....moving it to the last game of our BE schedule more likeely than not improved the attendance...Did it not in fact set the Bulls attendance record at the RJ?

Yes, the '05 WVU game was the largest RJS crowd.

Kizarvexis

[JerseyPirate]

I really am surprised about the lack in student numbers as well. They have the Bull Runner going there and back on Saturday's for students who don't have a car. I think the problem is commuter students don't want to travel up to the stadium from places like Brandon, Riverview, Lakeland, ect ect. I think those numbers are a bit strange. I left for the FIU game real late (almost 6) and there weren't many cars anywhere around campus, especialy the resident parking lots.  I'm not saying all those people went to the game, but I'm sure many did.  I think throughout the week on campus there should be more signs promoting the weekend home games like they do with the basketball games.

This is why you need an on-campus stadium.  It will bring several more thousand students to the game I would suspect.  Unless there is just apathy from most of the student body.  You will have a huge jump in attendance just from visiting teams that travel well coming to town.  You'll be around 40k again next year.

[tampajo]

I really am surprised about the lack in student numbers as well. They have the Bull Runner going there and back on Saturday's for students who don't have a car. I think the problem is commuter students don't want to travel up to the stadium from places like Brandon, Riverview, Lakeland, ect ect. I think those numbers are a bit strange. I left for the FIU game real late (almost 6) and there weren't many cars anywhere around campus, especialy the resident parking lots.  I'm not saying all those people went to the game, but I'm sure many did.  I think throughout the week on campus there should be more signs promoting the weekend home games like they do with the basketball games.

This is why you need an on-campus stadium.  It will bring several more thousand students to the game I would suspect.  Unless there is just apathy from most of the student body.  You will have a huge jump in attendance just from visiting teams that travel well coming to town.  You'll be around 40k again next year.

Thanks for your opinion, Mr. Butt Pirate, but worry about your own stadium and its toxic waste.

[E.T.]

Where's that $100,000,000 ? I gotsta get out of this $250,000,000 stadium . . .

Takes money to build a stadium, please read the "pinned" thread regarding On Campus Stadium.

[Kizarvexis]

I really am surprised about the lack in student numbers as well. They have the Bull Runner going there and back on Saturday's for students who don't have a car. I think the problem is commuter students don't want to travel up to the stadium from places like Brandon, Riverview, Lakeland, ect ect. I think those numbers are a bit strange. I left for the FIU game real late (almost 6) and there weren't many cars anywhere around campus, especialy the resident parking lots.  I'm not saying all those people went to the game, but I'm sure many did.  I think throughout the week on campus there should be more signs promoting the weekend home games like they do with the basketball games.

This is why you need an on-campus stadium.  It will bring several more thousand students to the game I would suspect.  Unless there is just apathy from most of the student body.  You will have a huge jump in attendance just from visiting teams that travel well coming to town.  You'll be around 40k again next year.

A decent stadium will cost around $150 million.  Unlike RayJay, USF can not expect any taxpayer dollars to help.  So the funds need to come from either private donations or the sale of bonds or a combination of the two.

With some simplified math, at a 6% interest rate, the bonds would cost around $900,000 per month or just under $11 million per year.  (In contrast, rent at Raymond James is $720,000 only per year).  

If we assume that ticket sales and annual donations fund the operation of the program (coaches salaries, travel costs, etc), then the debt service needs to come from new sources.  Naming rights can bring in $2 to $3 million per year.  Additional advertising sales, luxury box rent, parking fees, and concessions can bring in several million more per year.

It would appear that, without dedicating a portion of ticket sales or annual donations to debt service, affording an OCS becomes difficult.  For every $10 million in private donations - or cost reductions through design changes - the funds needed each year is reduced by around $700,000.  USF might need to raise at least half of the construction money before the first shovel of dirt is moved.

Check out this thread http://www.thebullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/nph-YaBB.pl?num=1160747450 for more info on USF OCS. It has been discussed ad nausem here.

Kizarvexis

[tampajo]

I would like to see the actual attendance numbers for the past few seasons, rather than these teasers Brett provides us with.  Seeing the numbers game by game might give us some insight as to which games draw well, which do not, etc.

TSA released USF's "actual" attendance game figures to the media last week, which was mentioned in the following article:

http://www.tbo.com/sports/bulls/MGB6RCGN4VE.html

FEWER FANS THAN 2005: Despite averaging 3,000 fewer fans than last season, USF's 2006 actual average football attendance (24,775) was the third-highest in program history.

USF's game-by-game actual attendance: Pittsburgh (30,054), Rutgers (28,579), UConn (23,779), Syracuse (23,353), Florida International (21,960) and McNeese State (20,930).

Thanks for the input, Billy Bob, did you catch this recap?

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -Matt Grothe threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Ean Randolph with 3:27 left in the fourth quarter to lift South Florida over Central Florida 24-17 on Saturday.

The Golden Knights (1-2) missed a chance to tie with 30 seconds left, but their 70-yard drive ended when Chris Robinson sacked Steven Moffett, forcing a fumble the Bulls recovered.

P.S. Still 10 days to dress up the trailer before Santa comes.....

[HaulingBull Sucks]

I really am surprised about the lack in student numbers as well. They have the Bull Runner going there and back on Saturday's for students who don't have a car. I think the problem is commuter students don't want to travel up to the stadium from places like Brandon, Riverview, Lakeland, ect ect. I think those numbers are a bit strange. I left for the FIU game real late (almost 6) and there weren't many cars anywhere around campus, especialy the resident parking lots.  I'm not saying all those people went to the game, but I'm sure many did.  I think throughout the week on campus there should be more signs promoting the weekend home games like they do with the basketball games.

This is why you need an on-campus stadium.  It will bring several more thousand students to the game I would suspect. Unless there is just apathy from most of the student body.  You will have a huge jump in attendance just from visiting teams that travel well coming to town.  You'll be around 40k again next year.

Several thousand more students would do nothing for the bottom line...students get in FREE....besides there isn't any proof that more students would attend games if the stadium was OC...USF needs to increase  season ticket sales (substantially) every year...something that just isn't happening and until we do it doesn't make fiscal sense to build an OCS.

[upperdeck]

Get out of the UCF game ?  Its a "W" every year but does hurt our SOS.  I doubt many UCF fans will be coming to USF next year.  First year they thought they had a chance.  By now they should know better.  a better opponet would be ECU or USM,  they seem to have much better teams.

Get your AD to call Terry Holland...a series would be good ...just no 1 here and 2 there stuff...we are through with that.

[USFMikeB]

Get out of the UCF game ?  Its a "W" every year but does hurt our SOS.  I doubt many UCF fans will be coming to USF next year.  First year they thought they had a chance.  By now they should know better.  a better opponet would be ECU or USM,  they seem to have much better teams.

Get your AD to call Terry Holland...a series would be good ...just no 1 here and 2 there stuff...we are through with that.

No offense, upperdeck, but your fellow CUSA fans have attempted to belittle USF for "having a superiority complex" for believing that they deserve nothing but 1 for 1 contracts.  If USF is belittled for it, how does that apply to a non-BCS ECU team?