Well, this would be a slight disappointment

[No_Willie_Jokes_Yet]

Just ask the Gator if he would trade the extra 16k fans for a win. That should shut him up.

As for the Michigan fan, just cough and say App State cough cough....

[Mama_Bull]

At THIS time, I remember one game in particular.

Attendance: 23,417

It sure looked a lot less than that announced.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/boxscores/2004/12/04/27156_boxscore.html

We STILL owe them a real beating.  >

"USF  PAT JULMISTE 16 YD PASS FROM ANDRE HALL (JUSTIN GEISLER KICK)"  bad memories, bad, bad memories

Tell me about it.

That ended up being the postponed game because of the hurricane. Had we played them when it was originally scheduled, we would have been the betting favorite. 

[BleedGreenAndGold]

At THIS time, I remember one game in particular.

Attendance: 23,417

It sure looked a lot less than that announced.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/boxscores/2004/12/04/27156_boxscore.html

We STILL owe them a real beating.  >

"USF  PAT JULMISTE 16 YD PASS FROM ANDRE HALL (JUSTIN GEISLER KICK)"  bad memories, bad, bad memories

Tell me about it.

That ended up being the postponed game because of the hurricane. Had we played them when it was originally scheduled, we would have been the betting favorite. 

That has to be my worst game day experience ever.  Nothing about that game was good. 3 hours of unmitigated suck.

[smazza]

The Boss and I were just discussing attendance.  With or without the Rays playing this isn't going to be a sellout.  With Rays playing at 2:30 and our game at 7:30, you could do both.  But the only people I see doing that are Bulls ticket holders.  Can't picture too many casual fans spending 9 hours on a weekday at sporting events.  And the people that live in Pinellas aren't going to leave the Trop to drive up here and then back down afterwards.

if usf was marketed right this game should have been a sellout

[Kizarvexis]

your complaining about only having 50,000? give me a break

We did have 65,000 twice last year.  Our attendance is going down from last year.

Though, on the bright side we have a far worse home schedule (days of the week included) than we did last year and than we will have next year.

USF's first BE season the announced home attendance average was 38,865. The second BE season the average was 30,222. Last year the average was 53,170. This year the average for the first two games was 53,407 which is a +237 boost to the average. If the game tonight has 52,700+, then the average will be at least +1 over the average for last season.

Might just be me, but when I think of traditional Top 10 programs I think of home crowds of more that 50K.  Penn St, Ohio State, Michigan, USC - I picture 100K or close to it. 

I know the program is relatively young and many people graduated before there was football.  And it used to be a commuter school.  But I would like to see at least the far side upper deck sold out for TV purposes.  Maybe 50K will do that?  This is a school of 45K.  Add in alums.  With the team playing as well as it has the last few years I don't think 50K as a minimum is too much to expect.  Florida is a football state and this is a good football program. 

Not flipping out over it, but the atmosphere of a full stadium can't be beat.

Penn St was founded in 1855 and started playing football in 1881. Penn St has been playing football continously since 1886 which comes to 122 years of football. Penn St has been in Beaver Stadium since 1960 which is 48 years in the same stadium. Paterno has been coaching the Nittany Lions since 1966 which means that the Penn St fans have had the same coach to complain about for 42 years!

Ohio State was founded in 1870 and started playing football in 1889, so they have been playing for 119 years. Ohio Stadium was built in 1922 which equates to 86 years in the same stadium. Tressel has been coaching the Buckeyes since 2001 which is when USF started I-A ball.

Michigan was founded in 1817 and started playing football in 1878, so they have been playing for 130 years. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927, so the Wolverines have been playing there for 81 years. The less that is said about new coach Rich "I want your money" Rodriguez the better/

USC was founded in 1880 and started playing football in 1888. USC had four years without a team so they have been playing football for 116 years. The LA Memorial Coliseum was built in 1923 meaning the Trojans have been playing there for 85 years. Pete Carroll also started coaching USC in 2001 when USF started I-A ball.

USF was founded in 1956 and started playing football in 1997. USF has been playing football for 11 years. RJS was built in 1998, so the Bulls have been playing in RayJay for 10 years. Leavitt has been the coach since the first game.

So, coaches aside, you are comparing a school with just over a decade of football to schools who have been playing football for over a CENTURY! With the exception of Penn St, the other schools you mentioned have all been playing in stadiums, that with upgrades, are TWICE as old as USF itself! Heck, Paterno has been coaching only TEN years less than USF has been around!

Kizarvexis