FIU stadium

[UCFanatic]

Ya bench seating really seems to keep them away at Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, and Southern Cal...

There is a 99% chance that when we get a stadium most of it will be bench seating. The solution, pony up for the chairbacks. The day will come when USF football is like most big programs, no one sits for most the game.

POTD!!

Yeah...at Michigan and Notre Dame...the bleachers don't even have BACKS to them!!

How do they DO IT?

PS. Someone please tell Georgia, Auburn, Bama, LSU, Tennessee, etc...(all of which have

85%-95%  bleacher seating in their stadium) that they are STUPID if they don't have a stadium with ONLY individual chairback seats.

As the poster above states...NFL is all about AMENITIES...as many fans there could careless about the game...just there to enjoy the club seats, atmosphere, use the free tix they got from a sales rep, etc...whereas COLLEGE Football has all the PASSION in the world...that fans could careless WHERE or WHAT kind of seat they are in....as long as they are IN the Stadium to yell and SCREAM!!

Of course it goes without saying that UCF couldn't afford to put individual seats in their new OCS....but then their two dozen fans are used to butt cups.

Yes, Plastic chair backs would be a deal-breaker. Chair-backs are about the least expensive thing in the stadium. In fact, due to demand from china BOTH aluminum AND Steel are very expensive right now. What is hilarious to me is that you guys have no clue how much of the intial outlay has already been paid for through sponsorship. That includes a program where you can buy bricks as a student/alum all the way to stadium naming rights.

[UCFanatic]

I wonder how excited they will be about their new OCS after the Longhorns wax their ass with sandpaper in the 1st game.

Just as excited as before. We all love our school win or lose and its nice to have something with our name on it (literally). At least we suit up and go for it.

[UCFanatic]

Theyll get a nice spike in attendance for first couple of years after that is back to Are you winning?

Not many will want to fry their butts seating on bleachers to see them lose.

Every time you open your mouth you sound even more dumb. The quality of our football team will only get better and attendance will be plenty. No we wont be as good as USF, but we will be competitive in our conference.

[UCFanatic]

It still sucks that USF will be the only D-1 football school in Florida without an OCS, or even a stadium to call our own.  :'(

UM???

[JoeB]

Really the only time I go on campus is to visit the bookstore once or at the most twice per year,  outside of the occassional basketball game.   I just moved back to Tampa but I'm sure I'm like most alums in the area.  

[UCFanatic]

USF doesnt need an OCS. USFs stadium is close enough for students to make the games. UCF was a different case. UCF needed a stadium closer. UCF needed to make sure IF there was a chance of making it to the BCS that we HAD a CHANCE. As you know facilities play a part. That is the best reasoning for having our OCS. USF has BCS, USF is winning. USF needs to sell more tix before they worry about a OCS. Given the young age of the football program I am sure with winning and age the fan base grows. However, everyone should WANT an OCS. OCS made out of aluminum is better than the best stadium in the country. You cant match the gameday feeling. Its great. Both schools are doing great things. Maybe UCF can do a little more ON the field and USF a little more OFF.

[nukebull]

Lets put it this way. Outside of this board, because a lot go to the basketball games and other USF events, how often do you think an alumnus steps onto campus for anything?

Basketball and most other sports aren't drawing well.

I'm not keen on the arts program, but being in a big city like Tampa hampers the focus a bit.

I'm not sure about on campus mixers and what not.

The point I am making is of all the things that an OCS could do for this school, getting the alumni back on the soil,  will do wonders, in my opinion, for USF. I fully believe that you would eventually gain more alumni association members. You would have more alumni involvment with the campus. You would see record donations, and once again not just athletically, but academically.

Just my opinion, maybe I'm wrong.

I do not go back on campus very often, I also have not been to my High School campus since I left. I do have to disagree with this argument for the following reasons:

The games will be at 7pm Saturday Night or maybe 12 on Saturday, either way most everything on campus is closed at those times. People would be "on Campus" just for the sake of going to game. The concrete parking lot that USF would have would feel and be no different than the dirt at Ray Jay. I am pretty sure you have been to games at UF or FSU, the fans just come go to the game and leave. They do not go to library or Alumni Hall. Every time I have been to Gator game the people I went with tried to stay parked off campus so they can get out easier and drink in the Bars off campus.

The campus is not that pretty, I find it kind of ugly but that's my opinion. I tried to take a lot of classes at St Pete campus as it is fantastic. I have been to games at Rutgers, people drive on to campus head to parking lot after game they wait in line and leave. No interaction with campus. Army is different anyone who has been to game there will know what I am talking about plus you have to park 10 miles away so you must go thru campus. USF does not come close to West Point.

The plus of a OCS is for the students to go to the game from housing on campus. USF has improved in the commuter school thing but has a ways to go. It is what it is: a major University in a large urban area. Because of this it will always trend towards commuting as local kids go there and find it easier to live at home, or rent apartments near USF. UF, FSU, and most other schools are in small college towns that draw students from all over who have to live on campus and the campus has driven the building of close by affordable apartments. There are exceptions to this rule but they have been around longer as schools and playing football, or they do not have a viable place to play.

FIU as I have stated and have others is building or expanding a stadium that I played HS ball in, the HS in Miami do not have stadiums for the most part and all play in a couple different places. The big one being in Tamiami Park which is now part of FIU. UCF had a bad stadium in a poor location and they have a history of fiscal irresponsibility when it comes to football and sports. Sports Illustrated did an article about 10 years ago about the right way and wrong way to run a football program. (UCF was the wrong they used, UAB was the right way, with a nod to USF and the 10 mill to start football).

All that being said: I would love to have OCS. I went to USF before football, I waited for football and have no regrets, I can wait until OCS is viable financially. My feeling is that will be when we get way more students at games and fill the lower bowl with fans. Then we start the drive for OCS. I can not tell you how many people go to games 1 time just to get in stadium for first time and become fans. I have brought at least 20 people over the 9 years for that reason.

[nukebull]

USF doesnt need an OCS. USFs stadium is close enough for students to make the games. UCF was a different case. UCF needed a stadium closer. UCF needed to make sure IF there was a chance of making it to the BCS that we HAD a CHANCE. As you know facilities play a part. That is the best reasoning for having our OCS. USF has BCS, USF is winning. USF needs to sell more tix before they worry about a OCS. Given the young age of the football program I am sure with winning and age the fan base grows. However, everyone should WANT an OCS. OCS made out of aluminum is better than the best stadium in the country. You cant match the gameday feeling. Its great. Both schools are doing great things. Maybe UCF can do a little more ON the field and USF a little more OFF.

I found something I can agree with you on, do not let this happen again or people will start talking

[Joe]

I do not go back on campus very often, I also have not been to my High School campus since I left. I do have to disagree with this argument for the following reasons:

There is a major difference between high school and college. But this is my point there are several thousands of alumni that have not stepped onto campus since they left. You give them a reason to step back on and they are bound to visit areas they lived, had classes, etc.

The games will be at 7pm Saturday Night or maybe 12 on Saturday, either way most everything on campus is closed at those times. People would be "on Campus" just for the sake of going to game. The concrete parking lot that USF would have would feel and be no different than the dirt at Ray Jay. I am pretty sure you have been to games at UF or FSU, the fans just come go to the game and leave. They do not go to library or Alumni Hall. Every time I have been to Gator game the people I went with tried to stay parked off campus so they can get out easier and drink in the Bars off campus.

The reaason why USF is closed on Saturday/Sunday is the fact that there is nothing to be open for. I have been to several Gator games in my days (my parents are both alumni and we went frequently until I was 16 and had to work). I have also been to several other on campus stadiums from great venues (ND Stadium, the Big House) to smaller schools (ECU, Miami (OH))

Those campuses open themselves up on gamedays and while you might have not expirenced it several people do take in the campus while there. They know this is the time where alumni can revisit old areas, check out new buildings or improvements, or even comingle (many of the buildings on campuses are used to house all sorts of reunions, which tend to take place during football season)

I can assure you that to this day most big time schools fans don't just park and run unless it's a late night game. Usually then those that are taking off because they have to drive 2 hours back home.

I am also not saying there won't be people that drive in and leave right away, cause you'll always have those folks. However, when it comes to reconnecting alumni with USF it would help alot. Please don't think that I believe that an OCS should be built right now, I understand the reasoning. I also know that building it will not immediately reconnect the alumni, however, I do believe that it will be a catalyst.

The campus is not that pretty, I find it kind of ugly but that's my opinion. I tried to take a lot of classes at St Pete campus as it is fantastic. I have been to games at Rutgers, people drive on to campus head to parking lot after game they wait in line and leave. No interaction with campus. Army is different anyone who has been to game there will know what I am talking about plus you have to park 10 miles away so you must go thru campus. USF does not come close to West Point.

I don't think it's terrible but it needs work, hopely those connected to campus will instill pride to help make USF one of the nicest universities astetichally.

[Joe]

Just to add, wouldn't you agree that you might not have known the campus interaction, because you weren't involved with the schools? It's easy to overlook that when your a visitor to that venue.