Is USF football growing on Tampa Bay fans?

[HaulingBull Sucks]

USF will gain the typical Tampa Bay Bandwagoners very soon, possibly this year.

The REAL key is the 13-18 yr olds around the area. USF needs to market to that age group. Those kids are the future of the program, and I dont mean on the field.

Everything helps, but realistically how many 13-18 year olds are going to buy season tickets in the next 3 to five years?

3-5? zero.

5-10? a lot.

The more USF tshirts and jerseys in the middle and high schools, the better. What I'm saying is that they are the future. They are the ones that's going to turn us into "The Big 4".

How many of them will go to USF?  UF, FSU, UCF, UM, or other schools?

Over the past 10 years or so, far fewer kids on my street have gone to USF, than to other schools.

Rather than free football tickets, perhaps the answer is giving out free USF t-shirts and jerseys in local middle and high schools.

[Joe]

High school students? Eh, it's a lost cause when it comes to marketing many times.

The key demographic is USF students, yes they get in for "free" but they are your future ticket holders and backbone of teh program, [highlight]NOT [/highlight]the Tampa Bandwagoners.

Bandwagoners come and go and rarely donate money to the program (which is really what will drive out success in the future).

While it might not pay off quickly, the current students (@ only 4700 a game last year) need to be hit hard. This season we should have better student crowds because of better names, but they should be coming for the name on the home team's jersey...not the away.

[ctbrown24]

Then maybe give free tickets to the Elon game, where I'm sure there will be open seats that could be given to high school students.

How do you think the paying ticket holders would feel about that?

They wouldn't be giving the tickets out to thousands of people, probably a couple hundred high schoolers. I think having them at the game will help them become more aware that USF in fact does have a football team, bring more of a college atmosphere to Ray J, and in the future fill the stands up more. Ray J needs some more crowd energy.

[Joe]

No the HS students that do show with the tickets will congregate on the concourse and talk about MTV.

Listen at its root it's a good idea, but highschoolers on a Saturday night could really give 2 &^#* about USF football if they don't already have a rooting interest. In all seriousness it will just become the hangout for that particular Saturday night.

Marketing to high schoolers is next to impossible for 2 reasons; a) They have no money and they don't listen to adults.

Don't you remember being that age?

[BigShoop]

Then maybe give free tickets to the Elon game, where I'm sure there will be open seats that could be given to high school students.

How do you think the paying ticket holders would feel about that?

They wouldn't be giving the tickets out to thousands of people, probably a couple hundred high schoolers. I think having them at the game will help them become more aware that USF in fact does have a football team, bring more of a college atmosphere to Ray J, and in the future fill the stands up more. Ray J needs some more crowd energy.

I agree. You dont give tickets to every high school in the county for every game! You spread it out. One week you give 100 tickets each Brandon, Bloomindale, Durant, Armwood, and Riverview. The next you give 100 each to Robinson, Plant, Jefferson, etc.

It's just to raise awareness. No season ticket holder will notice 500 extra people in the stadium if they didnt know ahead of time that the tickets were given away for free.

[crambone]

^exactly

[ctbrown24]

Then maybe give free tickets to the Elon game, where I'm sure there will be open seats that could be given to high school students.

How do you think the paying ticket holders would feel about that?

They wouldn't be giving the tickets out to thousands of people, probably a couple hundred high schoolers. I think having them at the game will help them become more aware that USF in fact does have a football team, bring more of a college atmosphere to Ray J, and in the future fill the stands up more. Ray J needs some more crowd energy.

I agree. You dont give tickets to every high school in the county for every game! You spread it out. One week you give 100 tickets each Brandon, Bloomindale, Durant, Armwood, and Riverview. The next you give 100 each to Robinson, Plant, Jefferson, etc.

It's just to raise awareness. No season ticket holder will notice 500 extra people in the stadium if they didnt know ahead of time that the tickets were given away for free.

Sounds good to me

[nobullaboutit]

While the current thread seems to be leaning toward tickets for high schoolers I think a vital piece is missing.  Media....Last year my husband spoke with one of the female sports anchors at great length after her sports news (about 1/2 hr.)  He couldn't understand why USF was not getting the media coverage as it should.  He was told that several media stations have offered as much free press as possible for Leavitt to promote the Bulls but on Conference day which is Tuesdays he won't open up, their interviews with him last only minutes.  CJL shall we say does not woo the media.  He is getting better but they said they have free access to Bowden & Meier and the other FL teams coaches and that is why the bigger press for them.  These coaches will talk with the media.  CJL does not like it and man that media can be a big boost for getting people to jump on the bandwagon.  CJL is gonig to have to start opening up more because with some of the stars we are picking up and what we hope will happen this year, USF will be in the limelight!  Mass media can be a big ticket for the word to get out as well as the fans talking it up.

[ctbrown24]

How come CJL isn't a fan of talking with local press?

[HaulingBull Sucks]

While the current thread seems to be leaning toward tickets for high schoolers I think a vital piece is missing.  Media....Last year my husband spoke with one of the female sports anchors at great length after her sports news (about 1/2 hr.)  He couldn't understand why USF was not getting the media coverage as it should.  He was told that several media stations have offered as much free press as possible for Leavitt to promote the Bulls but on Conference day which is Tuesdays he won't open up, their interviews with him last only minutes.  CJL shall we say does not woo the media.  He is getting better but they said they have free access to Bowden & Meier and the other FL teams coaches and that is why the bigger press for them.  These coaches will talk with the media.  CJL does not like it and man that media can be a big boost for getting people to jump on the bandwagon.  CJL is gonig to have to start opening up more because with some of the stars we are picking up and what we hope will happen this year, USF will be in the limelight!  Mass media can be a big ticket for the word to get out as well as the fans talking it up.

BINGO!