On-Campus Stadium Survey

[RandyGator]

There is just NO Justification in even talking about an OCS.

Student attendance = (take last year) 7500 avg.  say you double that to 15,000. There is not 15,000 students living closer to the OCS than RJS.

The remaining avg. attendance 30,000, (still double the "doubled students number) is Alums, most of which live closer to RJS than and OCS.  Hell people complain about making the drive from Downtown Tampa to the Trop. saying it's too far (15 -20 min.).  Now how many people are we going to attract from St. Pete/Clwr. when they have to "drive all the way over to the campus (45 min-1-1/2 hour)"????

Gainesville, nothing else to do except attend the game, or drink (not a bad alternative)

Tallahassee, nothing else to do except attend the game, or drink (not a bad alternative), or "spend money & make new laws (BAD Alternative!!!!)

Tampa, go to USF game, stay home and watch UF/FSU (bad alternative), Lightning, Devil Rays (worse alternative), Beach, etc. etc. etc. etc.  TOO many other alternatives.  If we make it a "chore" to come to the game for the Alums  (i.e. OCS), they won't!!!!  You have to accept the reality, Student attendance is not what this is about.  It is about the Alums that pay for the tickets and an OCS is not what the Average Bulls fan (the ones that are not on the Board) wants!!!!  They want easy access, nice ammenities, etc.  THAT IS RJS!!!!!!!

RJS quality would cost $100-$150 million and up.  THis money right now needs to be pumped into Baseball, softball, soccer fields, facilities, etc.  Then we can start to talk OCS.

[jd77]

^I agree with everything, but the Rays being a worse alternative.  The Trop gets a bad rap.  I drive from New Tampa to the Trop at least 20x per year to see a game and love it.  Go Rays!!!

I am torn on the OCS issue.  As cool as it would be to have an OCS, I think Ray Jay would be a great setting when the fan base starts to grow.  Bucs games are awesome.  No reason to think our games couldn't be just as electric as we begin to fill up the stadium.

[outrunner]

RJS quality would cost $100-$150 million and up.  THis money right now needs to be pumped into Baseball, softball, soccer fields, facilities, etc.  Then we can start to talk OCS.

You are correct, and the money is going to those venues right now. We need to talk OCS now, that way when the above mentioned venues are done, the discussion is already underway and we can start our next project, instead of having to wait.

[Guest]

First of all I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU ... but I think there are some things you need to reconsider in your argument...

There is just NO Justification in even talking about an OCS.

Student attendance = (take last year) 7500 avg.  say you double that to 15,000. There is not 15,000 students living closer to the OCS than RJS.

Actually, there is.  I have heard that something like 90% of USF students live within 5 miles of campus.  I don't have a source for this number, but I am certain that most of USF's full-time traditional age students live a heck of a lot closer to the main campus than to Raymond James.  If USF has close to 30,000 full-time students, most of these will attend that Tampa campus, and most of them will live within a few miles of campus.

Gainesville, nothing else to do except attend the game, or drink (not a bad alternative)

Tallahassee, nothing else to do except attend the game, or drink (not a bad alternative), or "spend money & make new laws (BAD Alternative!!!!)

Tampa, go to USF game, stay home and watch UF/FSU (bad alternative), Lightning, Devil Rays (worse alternative), Beach, etc. etc. etc. etc.  TOO many other alternatives.  If we make it a "chore" to come to the game for the Alums  (i.e. OCS), they won't!!!!  You have to accept the reality, Student attendance is not what this is about.  It is about the Alums that pay for the tickets and an OCS is not what the Average Bulls fan (the ones that are not on the Board) wants!!!!  They want easy access, nice ammenities, etc.  THAT IS RJS!!!!!!!

You are making a very false argument here.  There are about 90,000 adults (18+) living in Gainesville, and the Swamp holds about 90,000 seats.  Now, it is not possible that EVERY adult in that city goes to home games.

To the contrary, the vast majority of fans at the Swamp do not live in Gainesville -- they drive from all over the state to attend games.  The same holds true for Tallahassee.

They do not attract large crowds because there is nothing else competing for attention -- no matter how true that is.  They attract large crowds because they have developed large fan bases over 50 years of playing football.

RJS quality would cost $100-$150 million and up.  THis money right now needs to be pumped into Baseball, softball, soccer fields, facilities, etc.  Then we can start to talk OCS.

Raymond James Stadium cost more than $300 Million to build.  Now, you can save quite a bit by leaving off the upper deck and only putting in one-story of luxury boxes.  There are some other areas where costs could be saved... but if you factor in what people think is the minimum "comfort" level, the stadium would be at least $150 million, maybe closer to $200 million by the time it gets built.

[HaulingBull Sucks]

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!

20 miles!!! ;D

[USF03]

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!

20 miles!!! ;D

Try MAYBE 7 miles

[USF03]

First of all I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU ... but I think there are some things you need to reconsider in your argument...

There is just NO Justification in even talking about an OCS.

Student attendance = (take last year) 7500 avg.  say you double that to 15,000. There is not 15,000 students living closer to the OCS than RJS.

Actually, there is.  I have heard that something like 90% of USF students live within 5 miles of campus.  I don't have a source for this number, but I am certain that most of USF's full-time traditional age students live a heck of a lot closer to the main campus than to Raymond James.  If USF has close to 30,000 full-time students, most of these will attend that Tampa campus, and most of them will live within a few miles of campus.

Gainesville, nothing else to do except attend the game, or drink (not a bad alternative)

Tallahassee, nothing else to do except attend the game, or drink (not a bad alternative), or "spend money & make new laws (BAD Alternative!!!!)

Tampa, go to USF game, stay home and watch UF/FSU (bad alternative), Lightning, Devil Rays (worse alternative), Beach, etc. etc. etc. etc.  TOO many other alternatives.  If we make it a "chore" to come to the game for the Alums  (i.e. OCS), they won't!!!!  You have to accept the reality, Student attendance is not what this is about.  It is about the Alums that pay for the tickets and an OCS is not what the Average Bulls fan (the ones that are not on the Board) wants!!!!  They want easy access, nice ammenities, etc.  THAT IS RJS!!!!!!!

You are making a very false argument here.  There are about 90,000 adults (18+) living in Gainesville, and the Swamp holds about 90,000 seats.  Now, it is not possible that EVERY adult in that city goes to home games.

To the contrary, the vast majority of fans at the Swamp do not live in Gainesville -- they drive from all over the state to attend games.  The same holds true for Tallahassee.

They do not attract large crowds because there is nothing else competing for attention -- no matter how true that is.  They attract large crowds because they have developed large fan bases over 50 years of playing football.

RJS quality would cost $100-$150 million and up.  THis money right now needs to be pumped into Baseball, softball, soccer fields, facilities, etc.  Then we can start to talk OCS.

Raymond James Stadium cost more than $300 Million to build.  Now, you can save quite a bit by leaving off the upper deck and only putting in one-story of luxury boxes.  There are some other areas where costs could be saved... but if you factor in what people think is the minimum "comfort" level, the stadium would be at least $150 million, maybe closer to $200 million by the time it gets built.

I think Jim needs to get hired at USF...

Anyway, good stuff.  Like I have been saying guys...

10 years

[Superfan]

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

I see thats why UCF is getting a new stadium because they have won how many national championships? C-USA Championships?

[HaulingBull Sucks]

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

I see thats why UCF is getting a new stadium because they have won how many national championships? C-USA Championships?

UCF didn't have a choice...the C-Bowl is being closed for renovations...they wouldn't have had a place to play.

[HaulingBull Sucks]

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!

20 miles!!! ;D

Try MAYBE 7 miles

Trip Itinerary

1.      Univ of South Florida, Fl

2.      Raymond James Stadium (NFL), Fl

Estimated Time:      0 hrs., 20mins.

Total Distance:      11.3 miles (18.2km)