TSA not giving up on future ACC title games

[I_Bleed_Green&Gold]

If we could find a way to make BOTH happen, I would be very much in favor of it.  But if it gets in the way of the BULLS, then the ACC gets the horns.

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/comments/tsa-not-giving-up-on-future-acc-title-games/

[jasonb56]

http://sports.tboblogs.com/index.php/sports/related/C127/

Per Brett...

[USFishin]

Seeking Win-Win Situation

By MIKE SALINERO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 20, 2008

Updated: 12:28 am

TAMPA - Having the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship at Raymond James Stadium every year is too big an economic plum to let slip away, Tampa Sports Authority members said Tuesday.

The answer, the members agreed, is to resolve scheduling conflicts between the ACC title game and the University of South Florida's final home football game.

"This isn't all about USF; this is about the Tampa Bay community," Sports Authority member Tony Muniz said. "Let's do some planning so it can be a win-win situation for USF and the Tampa Bay community."

The authority's executive committee voted to create a group to study the issue and recommend ways to accommodate both games. The full authority board will consider the proposal for such a group Monday.

The ACC is to play its title game at Raymond James Stadium this year and next, followed by games in Charlotte, N.C., in 2010 and 2011. After that, the conference wants to find a permanent site.

Sports authority member and County Commissioner Jim Norman wants that site to be Tampa.

"You're talking about the operation of this facility and having a big game here every December versus zero," Norman said.

Economic development leaders have been giddy about the prospect of hosting the ACC title game permanently. Last year, the ACC title game generated about 9,500 room night visits in Jacksonville area hotels.

"Nearly 10,000 room nights is certainly a major economic engine," said Rob Higgins, executive director of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. The commission worked for four years to land the ACC Championship Game.

"When you're moving it from Jacksonville," Higgins said, "it's obviously moving to a bigger market and different market, and it has an opportunity to grow."

But USF officials weren't happy when they learned the date they wanted for their final 2008 home game was off limits because of the stadium's prior contract with the ACC. The USF game against Rutgers was to have been televised on ESPN.

In a meeting Friday with USF and Sports Authority officials, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio urged both sides to seek a long-term contract that would give the university scheduling priority at the stadium behind the Bucs.

The mayor also instructed city officials not to pursue the ACC Championship Game beyond 2009 so USF could play a home game the first weekend in December.

Iorio said Tuesday she still thinks giving USF scheduling priority is the right move.

"It is our college team," Iorio said. "And it needs flexibility in its schedule so that, as it continues to gain in reputation - and the Big East and ESPN like highlighting USF with a big game - they have that flexibility with priority standing."

The mayor said she hasn't given up hope of landing the ACC title game, possibly on an every-other-year basis. Iorio said she talked to ACC Commissioner John Swofford after the Friday meeting, and he did not rule out the possibility.

For that to work, however, the ACC would have to talk to the Big East - USF's conference - about long-term scheduling. The Big East schedule usually isn't finalized until after the ACC championship date has been set.

Because the ACC title game only poses a problem for one of USF's games, Norman suggested the Bulls could play that game at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

Norman said such an arrangement would broaden the Bulls' exposure on the west side of the bay.

Henry Saavedra, executive director of the Sports Authority, told Norman that USF had talked to Tropicana Field officials, and the costs of using the stadium were prohibitive.

Iorio said she would be glad to serve on a study committee if the Sports Authority approves the measure Monday. Other members would be Higgins, Saavedra, Sports Authority Chairwoman Kalyn Brandewie, USF athletic director Doug Woolard or his designee; and County Commission Chairman Ken Hagan.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/feb/20/sp-seeking-win-win-situation/

[USF_Grouper]

Me thinks maybe they didn't get enough e-mail...

[Kyle]

So I guess this means USF doesnt need to pursue a longer lease?

[Jewbull]

Screw them, all of the sudden they want to make it work out for both USF & the ACC but this yr when they didnt have to they wouldnt make it work for USF.  In the article it says play USF's last home game at the Trop, how about play the ACC game at the Trop, they can all go to hell.

[Kyle]

I think it's funny that it's okay for the TSA to tell us to play our game at the Trop when we're contractually obliged to play home games at RJS, but it's not okay for us to tell them we need a certain date for a game. TSA went double dipping and now they dont have an answer.

[BULLfreak]

Jim Norman is the main problem on this one. From what I was told it was all but done until Jim Norman started his crap. I hope this doesnt force us to pull a UCF (build a stadium fast because we are forced to)

[DELdaBull]

TSA can kiss some Bull Crap.  When we do get a great stadium I hope we compete head to head with Ray Jay for events.

[BULLfreak]

TSA can kiss some Bull Crap.  When we do get a great stadium I hope we compete head to head with Ray Jay for events.

dont count on it. No way in hell our stadium will be as nice as a PRO stadium but we can hope