Tampa won't pursue ACC title game

[Brad]

hey guys. the 2008 game with rutgers will not happen in the final week of the season. tampa has agreed not to pursue hosting the ACC championship game beyond 2009, and USF has agreed to negotiate a longer lease with TSA.

blogs.tampabay.com/usf

Pam Iorio:  "Our emphasis today has been on long-term and how the (USF) football program fits into the priorities of this community. It is a large priority of this community, and I think that was accepted by everyone in this room."

I just hope that in the negotiation for a longer term, we insist on a deal that is more attractive in terms of cash flows.  I won't knock the final outcome of this meeting, but I hope the stature of USF as part of the Tampa community and as rightful, unhindered user of the community stadium is addressed as well.

[Triple B]

I would hope that we will gain first refusal on the first two weeks of dec to assure we'll be okay if a game gets postponed for some reason.

Not exactly sure what you mean by "first refusal" but we definitely need to have the flexibility of playing a game somewhere around a weekend for those first two weeks in December for a potential postponed game ...

[Joe]

What a bad deal. The ACC wants this game in Charlotte and is using Tampa a temporary site until things can get sqaured away with the Panthers and ACC championship.

Tampa knew their chances of permanently landing the game was low, and so they withdrew. Not a huge loss for them. Then USF reups on a crap contract to get 1st rights on Thurs - Saturdays.

Finally we donlt get the game.

USF comes out a loser on this. Not what I wanted to see.

[Brad]

As I said, unless the body of the contract is addressed in any extension, you may be right.  There is no good reason to extend a contract that already slights us.  If everyone left happy and accepted USF in a larger role and player in this community, maybe, just maybe the whole deal there is re-worked to honor those agreements and comments made today.  We'll see...or maybe not.

Need to amend my post as it seems our cash flow end of the deal is tied to what the TSA gave the Glazers in their lease so hands may be tied.  I'll remain optimistic, but I don't see a single win for USF today that has been publicized and I hope we don't just end up with more of the same. 

[Knight_Light]

What a bad deal. The ACC wants this game in Charlotte and is using Tampa a temporary site until things can get sqaured away with the Panthers and ACC championship.

Tampa knew their chances of permanently landing the game was low, and so they withdrew. Not a huge loss for them. Then USF reups on a crap contract to get 1st rights on Thurs - Saturdays.

Totally disagree.

Tampa, a much more attractive location (weather-wise) to Charlotte during the month of Dec, might be shocked if this new location is a "hit" with area and/or visiting fans (especially if Clemson, FSU or Miami end up in the game) come and support this game (much better chance at success with the ACC already slashing the price for tix).

In this not-so-hot economy right now, should the Mayor of Tampa cancel any chance at securing a major event that will bring up to $20 Million to her city?

Will the Mayor of Tampa write checks to all the hotels, restaurants, bars, rental car companies, airlines, etc...that employee thousands of her local citizens for lost revenue "just because" she didn't want that event in Tampa?

A "smart" Mayor would of seen to it that BOTH events could be held...so that USF could be happy...and that Tampa might have the chance to host future ACC (maybe SEC...if the Ga Dome falls dome) Championship Games in the future.

Without a 2nd bowl game in the city...losing (not even trying) to see any future ACC Champ Game means turning away a ton of $$$$.

[Joe]

KL your an idiot.

Clemon fans? Clemson is no more than 2 hours from Charlotte.

The ACC wants this game in Charlotte, a much more reginally based area. Now they may rotate it between cities in the future, but Tampa is south of all ACC teams but one, Miami, who draws like ****.

Tampa hadvery little shot of landing this game permanently, heck the ACC bball tourney didn't draw well and up in Carolina it scalps for about 200 a ticket.

As for weather. If KC can sellout for a cold weather BIG 12 championship then Charlotte will be fine.

Go back to your cave of inadequacies and butt out.

[Cubanbull]

Well  the reality was that unless the ACC agreed to allow USF to play the game it would not have happened. They have a signed contract giving them those dates so any changes without their approval would have led to a lawsuit.

So USF got as much as it could by now geting major tenant status and allowing them to have access to December dates. Some think that is no big gain because the ACC game was moving to Charlotte but the reality is that Tampa was going to bid again in 2012 and 13 and even if they didnt get it, the ACC would have played Tampa to get better deal from Charlotte.

As it stands now USF gets moved up in their power to get dates at RJS and removes the ACC from coming into the city. Now if USF gets better financial deals from the long term deal then its a big win for USF.

We all want an OCS, but the kind of OCS that USF would need to build cost major bucks and is NOT feasible in the next few years. Let our fan base grow and make sell outs at RJS become an everygame situation and an OCS would be more feasible.

Go Bullls!!!!!

[IncrediBULL]

Check out the blogs via the links above for specific details.   Thanks Greg and Brett for the updates.

So, rather than try to sort this out and do both (ACC game and USF game) we will not have a USF game the first week of December the next two years, the ACC will not have a repeat performance after next year, and we are forced to renegotiate our contract with TSA for RJS...

I don't know, but that doesn't seem to be a win win for everyone involved...   crazy what happens when people get pigheaded (TSA/ACC/TBSC).   

[USF_Grouper]

hey guys. the 2008 game with rutgers will not happen in the final week of the season. tampa has agreed not to pursue hosting the ACC championship game beyond 2009, and USF has agreed to negotiate a longer lease with TSA.

blogs.tampabay.com/usf

Any chance USF getting some type of gurantee that they could play a Thursday game in 2009?

[USF_Grouper]

KL your an idiot.

Clemon fans? Clemson is no more than 2 hours from Charlotte.

The ACC wants this game in Charlotte, a much more reginally based area. Now they may rotate it between cities in the future, but Tampa is south of all ACC teams but one, Miami, who draws like ****.

Tampa hadvery little shot of landing this game permanently, heck the ACC bball tourney didn't draw well and up in Carolina it scalps for about 200 a ticket.

As for weather. If KC can sellout for a cold weather BIG 12 championship then Charlotte will be fine.

Go back to your cave of inadequacies and butt out.

Not that I care for the ACC but the hard part with Charlotte is that not a lot of people fly there.  With teams possibly not knowing if they will be going until the week before the game it will be very tough to arrange air travel into Charlotte.  I think this was also a big problem with Jacksonville.  I guess you could say that Charlotte is somewhat "driveable" for almost all ACC teams.