On-Campus Stadium Survey

[USF03]

Another thing about state tax money (Education and General Fund, E&G).  They can NOT be used unless it is for a ACADEMIC building.  Note:  FSU added "classrooms" (also known as golf cart storage rooms it the real world) to the stadium.  This is where I'm not sure if the state would let us get away with.

Actually, E&G funds are for the operating costs.  Academic buildings are built using Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funds that are collected from the Gross Receipts Tax on electric and telecommunications bills and from the $2.32 per credit hour Building Fee.

Thats why the new Marshall Center needed two fees to pay for it.  A small flat fee and a per credit hour fee.  Some Activity and Service fee (the stuff SG "hands out") were also used, and are still being saved up "in case something happens."  State tax dollars were not used.  

FSU used Capital Improvement Trust Fund money to build the University Center around Doak Campbell Stadium.  CITF money is paid by students per credit hour ($2.44), and is officially appropriated by the Florida Legislature, upon a recommendation process that starts at each university.

Yes, a special fee would help -- but at less than 500,000 credits per year for less than 45,000 students -- it would need to be pretty hefty to provide substantial funds.

The Marshall Center fees ($1.50 per credit hour and $20 per semester) generates around $2.5 million per year... (estimate)...

You bet me at my own game... I don't know why I was talking about E&G... haha... you got me.  PECO was right.

CITF doesn't bring in a lot of money.  But it could be used. Current projects under way for CITF funds are SHS (health services) and helping the new MC.  Along with a few more little projects.

[hbryan]

Darn, I guess USF just isn't as financially creative as UCF at getting an OCS built :

I, for one, never want USF to give UCF an edge up on us in anything: academics, athletics, ....... NOTHING.  We need our own erector set, only nicer and with beer ;D  We have a better product and can get more than $15M for the naming rights to our own erector set.  I'm sure an Outback or TECO or BayCare or Intermedia or Publix would pay more than Brighthouse for naming rights to our stadium since we are winners and UCF are..... well we all know what they are :loser

[RMF5630]

how can  a stadium be justified for a team that hasnt won a thing

or competed for a title

it cant be justified

no reason not to keep playing in a state of the art facility

let's revisit this in 15 years

SInce when does a stadium have to be tied to a championship.  The current situation at RJ create one of the worst college football environments in the BCS.  Ok, Cinn has us beat, but that is about it!  An on campus stadium is a must.  I couls see RJ if USF was an urban school like Pitt, but Fowler is about 20 miles away and seems longer.  You want sell outs, college enthusiasm, and a home field that will attract Gameday, build a stadium on campus!

[MavTechKNIGHT2]

I think we need to get Outback Steakhouse to build it. I would love nothing more than eating a blooming onion while watching football live.

You'll be able to do that when USF comes to Brighthouse stadium in two years.

[Grateful Dad]

OK, another OCS thread.

Again, I will vote selfishly -- I sat on benches at Miami, Kansas, and the Citrus Dump.  They kill my battered spine (three fused vertabrae, three other herniated discs).  I can sit in the seats at RJ.  If we get benches, I will have no ability to use my season tickets.  So, if we get an OCS, for my vote, it will have to have seats like RJ.

I am not the only old fart out there, either

Although to be totally honest, "Leavitt Stadium" sounds better than good -- it sounds like justice.

[fishinBULL]

Jim Leavitt Field

we must make it happen...

Perhaps we could build a stadium with partial bleacher seats and partial seatbacks...

like 40,000 chairback seats and 10,000 bleacher seats for the students (since we stand the whole time anyway...)

[outrunner]

I couls see RJ if USF was an urban school like Pitt, but Fowler is about 20 miles away and seems longer.  You want sell outs, college enthusiasm, and a home field that will attract Gameday, build a stadium on campus!

This is a good point. When we have a big win (such as Louisville last year) by the time everyone gets back to campus and the surrounding areas, it seems so much subdued. You get back to campus, it's as if nothing has happened. I want the streets of the campus lined with students screaming and car horns honking (maybe even a crowd carrying our own goal posts away).

[Guest]

Here is an interesting side note about bench seating...

My father attended Michigan State University during the 1960's... the stadium was benches without backs or arm-rests.

The rows did not start on the aisle, they started in the middle 40-seats across.  The first seat would be 21... it would go to 40, then start over at 1 and go to 20.

For the really big games, (Michigan, Notre Dame, etc) they would sell seats 41-46 in every section in every row.  Imagine having to squeeze 46 people in 40 seats.

Not that USF would do such a thing... or UCF for that matter... but it makes for an interesting concept... especially if the student section is all bench seating.

[Kizarvexis]

Let's compare some items.

RJS rent = $720,000 ($0.72M) per year

Projected OCS bond payments = $11,000,000 ($11M, note no decimals) per year

Which would you be more able to pay out of your pocket? And before you start the 'but we'll keep all the ticket money' lines, you need BnS (Butts-n-Seats).

Here are the USF home attendance records that I have. First will be announced, the second will be average (or ?? if I don't) and the third will be the NCAA affiliation.

1997 33,039 ?? I-AA

1998 27,143 ?? I-AA

1999 25,053 ?? I-AA

2000 26,414 ?? I-AA transition

2001 25,820 ?? I-A independent

2002 26,804 ?? I-A independent

2003 30,512 ?? I-A C-USA

2004 27,060 19,699 I-A C-USA

2005 38,865 36,379* I-A BE (*doesn't include Cin or WVU)

2006 30,222 24,776 I-A BE

That seems a real inconsistant record of BnS to base an OCS on.

A poster mentioned a comment of 'when will we get crazy fans like TN, PSU, Boise St.

UTenn was established in 1794 and has been playing football since 1891, for 109 years when you take out 6 scattered years of no team, mostly due to wars.

Penn St (My guess on PSU) was established in 1855 and has been playing football since 1881 for 120 years when you take out a 5 year break from 1882-1886.

Boise St was established in 1932 and has been playing football since 1968 for 38 straight years. Boise St moved to Div I-A in 1996 and the WAC in 2001.

USF was established in 1956 and has been playing football since 1997 for 10 straight years. USF moved to Div I-A in 2001, C-USA in 2003 and the BE 2005.

The closest comparison is Boise St and in thier 10th year, they moved from Div II to Div I-AA!

These things take time. USF's rise from nothing to the BCS BE in ten short years has been nothing but stupendous. USF's rise to the BCS has been like the lines in a movie script. But this is real life, so not everything will happen over night. One of the problems of the USF fanbase, is sometimes having unreasonable expectations. Like comparing the fan base of a ten year old program to schools that have been playing football for decades!

BTW, FWIW here is the breakdown for the BE.

Uni - Est - Ftb - Years playing

Rut - 1766 - 1869 - 137

Pitt - 1787 - 1890 - 117

UL - 1798 - 1912 - 88

Cin - 1819 - 1885 - 119

WVU - 1867 - 1891 - 114

Syr - 1870 - 1889 - 117

UConn - 1881 - 1896 - 108

USF - 1956 - 1997 - 10

Kizarvexis

[USF03]

BTW, FWIW here is the breakdown for the BE.

Uni - Est - Ftb - Years playing

Rut - 1766 - 1869 - 137

Pitt - 1787 - 1890 - 117

UL - 1798 - 1912 - 88

Cin - 1819 - 1885 - 119

WVU - 1867 - 1891 - 114

Syr - 1870 - 1889 - 117

UConn - 1881 - 1896 - 108

USF - 1956 - 1997 - 10

UL started 88 years ago... the smallest gap between our start and any other BE team.  That's nuts!