Stadium, redux... yet again...

[chrisdashley]

S Bien stated... "on campus so no more beer sales"

Why is it, that every time this topic comes up someone always says we can't sell beer on campus?  The Sundome sells beer.  Doesn't Rocky's at The Claw sell beer?  Isn't (or wasn't) there a bar in the basement of the Marshall Center?  

Come on people... stop using the "can't have beer" excuse for not wanting a campus stadium.  

[BullGrad95]

S Bien stated... "on campus so no more beer sales"

Why is it, that every time this topic comes up someone always says we can't sell beer on campus?  The Sundome sells beer.  Doesn't Rocky's at The Claw sell beer?  Isn't (or wasn't) there a bar in the basement of the Marshall Center?  

Come on people... stop using the "can't have beer" excuse for not wanting a campus stadium.  

Sorry.  I'm not a big drinker, and don't get sloshed at the games, but I will absolutely admit that I love to have beer at the games.  I know that USF is not a dry campus.  You are still allowed to possess alcohol on campus if you are of age.  I know a lot of schools don't sell alcohol as part of a conference agreement.  I just personally hope that beer would come along with a new stadium.  For me an on campus stadium would be much closer to my house, so if it's feasable (with beer ) I'm all for it.

[Jim Johnson]

on Oct 20th, 2004, 4:38pm, S._Bien wrote:

3.  Concessions- on campus so no more beer sales- a few sodas, hotdogs, peanuts, etc., as someone stated $5/person in attendance provides approximately $1.2mm per annum.

Part of reason #3 is enough for me to say leave it at RJS.  I love my beer at the games.  

I missed Bien's comments.  However, until the NCAA actually prohibits beer sales on campus, I will predict that there will be beer available at an on-campus stadium.

[Bullpride08]

It would be shocking, the NCAA is much stricter about football games then basketball for a number of obvious reasons- longer time, weather, the set-up, overconsumption.

I still want an on-campus stadium, I get enough consumption during tailgating anyway.

Kiz's, stats illustrate that the move to C-USA caused our attendance to bump up an average of 3000+ a game.   Who knows if that includes the latest numbers, or the C-USA games we played as non-conference opponents.  Since attendance has gone up each of the past three years, and it seems pretty certain this season could jump our average to nearly 31k, then it stands to reason a move to the BE could see a similar pop in attendance.  Which would bring us into the 34-35k range (AVERAGE).  

Add more winning seasons, a few bowl games, and more TV with games against perennial ranked opponents and I could see us averaging 40k+ in fans by 2008-09, and that would be an ideal time to discuss an on-campus stadium.

[BullDoug]

Unless USF wins 6 games this yr, I expect attendance to remain constant or actually go down 3-5%.  Of the remaining 3 home games, ECU will not draw big,  maybe 26.5K.  Depending on how USF does vs ECU & Cinci, I expect 30-32K vs. Memphis and 33K vs Pitt.  Pitt is capable of a 35K draw but the FootBulls are gonna need to pull thier respective "sh**" together.

[Bullpride08]

Unless USF wins 6 games this yr, I expect attendance to remain constant or actually go down 3-5%.  Of the remaining 3 home games, ECU will not draw big,  maybe 26.5K.  Depending on how USF does vs ECU & Cinci, I expect 30-32K vs. Memphis and 33K vs Pitt.  Pitt is capable of a 35K draw but out FootBulls are gonna need to pull thier respective "sh**" together.

Thanks, but even with your projections that puts us into a much better attendance then last year....i.e. an increase.

Next year contains UCF in the schedule, and a few BE foes.  That might be just enough to boost attendance.....even if they don't get their **** together.

[BullDoug]

My comment was for this yr.  Next there definitely will be a bump.  How big the bump is a function of the W's as always.  High 30s to as bad as the high 20s (if the Leavitt bottom falls out).

[Bullpride08]

why are you saying Leavitt's bottom falling out?

There is no coaching issue, this team will get better the problem is most of the solid 1-A, BCS talent on this team is either 19 years old or younger, or are new on campus and team.  Give them time to learn and gell, we've risen in stature faster than our talent and recruiting could catch-up.

That's the facts, pure and simple.

[Jim Johnson]

Unless USF wins 6 games this yr, I expect attendance to remain constant or actually go down 3-5%.  Of the remaining 3 home games, ECU will not draw big,  maybe 26.5K.  Depending on how USF does vs ECU & Cinci, I expect 30-32K vs. Memphis and 33K vs Pitt.  Pitt is capable of a 35K draw but the FootBulls are gonna need to pull thier respective "sh**" together.

First, ECU will be televised, so that might hurt attendance a little bitt.

Second, Memphis is Thanksgiving weekend AND on TV, I doubt we get 30,000 for the Tigers - especially if the Bulls can't reverse the losing streak quickly.

Finally, here is the current slate of games on December 4th - including FOUR C-USA teams:

Time (ET)      Matchup

TBA Pittsburgh at South Florida

TBA #18 Louisville at Tulane

1:00 PM      #22 Virginia Tech at #3 Miami (on ABC)

2:00 PM      Ark Pine Bluff at Alabama State

2:30 PM      Army at Navy (on CBS)

3:00 PM      #8 California at Southern Miss

4:00 PM      Florida Intl at Fla Atlantic

4:30 PM      #1 USC at UCLA (on ABC)

6:00 PM SEC Championship Game (on CBS)

8:00 PM Big 12 Championship Game (on ABC)

11:05 PM Michigan State at Hawaii

Not so sure that we can get a ton of people at our last few games.  Unless, of course, the Bulls start winning -- seems to be that winning brings more fans to the seats, eh?

[Kizarvexis]

Kiz's, stats illustrate that the move to C-USA caused our attendance to bump up an average of 3000+ a game.   Who knows if that includes the latest numbers, or the C-USA games we played as non-conference opponents.

The stats I quoted above were for a specific season or a range of seasons for every home game during that time.

- The I-AA average was for the 1997 through 2000 seasons.

- The I-A Independent was for the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

- The C-USA average was for the 2003 and 2004 seasons, up through last week's Army game.

Here is the C-USA OOC home average for the '01 Houston (Homecoming) game, the '02 So. Miss game and the '02 Memphis (Homecoming) game, when USF was a I-A Independent.

'01-'02 C-USA OOC home games - 3 games for 93,662 = 31,220 per game.

The '03 C-USA home average for Louisville (Fox Sports Net), #17 TCU (ESPN2), Cincinnati (Homecoming, ESPN2) and UAB (ABC - 28 ).

'03 C-USA home conference games - 4 games for 128,244 = 32,061 per game.

The '04 C-USA home average for So. Miss (ABC - 28? ), Army (Homecoming, ABC - 28 ), ECU (Nov 13th, Sunshine?) and Memphis (Nov 27th, ESPN)

'04 C-USA home conference games - 2 games so far for 66,598 = 33,299 per game.

For both C-USA seasons (2003 and 2004) USF has had 6 home games for 194,842 = 32,473 per game.

The total average for both C-USA seasons ('03 and '04) for all home games (conference and OOC) is in my other post above.

Since attendance has gone up each of the past three years, and it seems pretty certain this season could jump our average to nearly 31k, then it stands to reason a move to the BE could see a similar pop in attendance.  Which would bring us into the 34-35k range (AVERAGE).

Since the Big East conference and the BE teams have a wider name recognition among casual fans, I would expect the attendance to increase in 2005. How much will probably be determined on how well the Bulls play and which BE teams travel to Tampa.

Kizarvexis