Future Fan Base

[ksquire]

I was wondering if anyone else had a fear of the USF following falling into the loyalty trap that we've seen Miami go through for so many years? I feel that being a professional sports town, the USF faithful will stick around but the casual fans will only be around in successful times. What do you feel USF has to offer it's fans to ensure this won't happen? What will we have to do different from Miami?

[deters-]

it offers the only major college ball in Tampa. I think it will catch on more, but there needs to be more advertisement of the team.

[Bull-by-Marriage]

That is a great question. I may be way off base but.....Being a "commuter" school to which many students drive may actually help USF in the future regarding the fan base. I think that UM has more students that aren't from the Miami area, so when they graduate they tend to move away. Whereas USF graduates being from the Bay area to begin with are most likely to stay here, and still support the team. On a side note even when UM was winning their attendance was poor. They really only sold out the "big" games ie. FSU, UF, ND and such. Plus if I am not mistaken I think that UM's enrollment is much smaller than USF's. Plus there are more College football fans in the bay area than there are in the Miami area. OK, I am ready to be told I am crazy in...3...2...1

[SANJAY]

We have and generate more alumni than Miami.  That alone should keep up the ticket numbers.

[fishinBULL]

USF has a much larger enrollment than Miami, also I'm willing to bet many many more USF graduates will stay in the Tampa Bay area and become season ticket holders...

Within 10 years, as long and our program keeps improving, we should be selling out RJS on a regular basis...

[Bull Martin]

USF has a much larger enrollment than Miami, also I'm willing to bet many many more USF graduates will stay in the Tampa Bay area and become season ticket holders...

Within 10 years, as long and our program keeps improving, we should be selling out RJS on a regular basis...

If USF keeps inproving at the same pace over the next ten years we'll be in the NFL

[LunchTimeBully]

UM's enrollment is about 11,000

USF's enrollment is about 40,000

Miami also has a lot of commuter student's so I don't think that makes much of a difference.

I grew up in Miami going to UM games. They have a lot of casual fans who won't go to games if the weather is bad or if the opponent sucks...  Even if Miami is ranked they sometimes don't get more than 35,000 fans.

Overall, Miami is not as good of a sports town as Tampa, IMO.  Miami is more focused on nightlife, boating, etc. than Tampa

[Stier]

They won't be playing there anymore, but I think the Orange Bowl could have had something to do with it as well. What a horrible stadium!

[RicanBull]

That is a great question. I may be way off base but..... Being a "commuter" school may actually help USF in the future regarding the fan base. I think that UM has more students that aren't from the Miami area, so when they graduate they tend to move away. Whereas USF graduates being from the Bay area to begin with are most likely to stay here, and still support the team. On a side note even when UM was winning their attendance was poor. They really only sold out the "big" games ie. FSU, UF, ND and such. Plus if I am not mistaken I think that UM's enrollment is much smaller than USF's. Plus there are more College football fans in the bay area than there are in the Miami area. OK, I am ready to be told I am crazy in...3...2...1

Please dont say that again  ;D

And in my experience, I know more people who leave Tampa after graduating than those who stay. But it may just be me. It's an interesting statistic and being a stats major, i hope someone is keeping track of it. I would but someone needs to pay me to do that crap.

[DC Bull]

Unlike the students of the 90's and prior, all current USF students have spent their entire college life with a football team. More and more are coming out to games as undergraduates which will transfer into more and more season ticket holders as they graduate.

The huge difference is that no one on this board grew up a USF Bulls football fan. I now see thousands of kids in the stands that are. Those are not only future students, but future season ticket holders. In time the base will only continue to grow. If USF continues to put decent product on the field, continues to develop rivalries, and stays in a top tier conference we will have no problem continuing to grow the Bulls football tradition.