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FAMU x USF .... all about the Benjamins...

WoolyBully
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WoolyBully Toro Magnifico

WoolyBully

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From the Trib, Money Sense,  November 25th.

FAMU Returns After Bitter Split

By ALAN SNEL asnel@tampatrib.com

Published: Nov 25, 2004

TAMPA - The Florida A&M University football team is returning to Tampa next year for the first since the mid-1990s, when a former mall across the street from the stadium closed early on game days and left a bitter taste for FAMU fans.

But nearly a decade later, FAMU supporters said Wednesday that all is forgiven. They're looking forward to their Rattlers returning to Tampa to play the University of South Florida for the first time at Raymond James Stadium in 2005.

Tampa used to host the Florida Classic, an annual match pitting FAMU and Bethune-Cookman College, two historically black institutions. Leaders from both schools moved the game and its millions of dollars of economic impact to Orlando after 1996 amid racial tension over the former Tampa Bay Center mall closing early on game days.

``Fans did not feel welcome,'' Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio said. ``It was a sad situation.''

Florida A&M officials and supporters, however, said they are ready to turn the page and play the inaugural FAMU-USF game of what's officially called the Tampa Bay Sports Commission Classic.

``We're forgiving people. We're willing to give the city another chance,'' said Plant City lawyer Ted Taylor, a 1975 FAMU alum who attended a news conference Wednesday at Raymond James Stadium to announce the game for Sept. 10.

By welcoming Florida A&M back, Tampa stands to benefit economically from its football team and nationally known band. Joseph P. Ramsey II, FAMU's athletic director, expects Raymond James Stadium to sell out 65,000 seats for the Rattlers-Bulls game. USF's biggest crowd this season was 36,549 for a Bulls game against Army.

Ramsey said $70,000 will be spent for travel, food and lodging for the football team and coaches from the Tallahassee school. And $80,000 will be spent on those same items for FAMU's famous 350-member band.

``I think with the right marketing, this game will prompt people to start making arrangements to come,'' Ramsey said.

Taylor, who attended the news conference wearing a FAMU football jersey, said 71,000 fans watched the Florida A&M-Bethune-Cookman game last weekend at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, with the game generating $25 million in economic spending in Central Florida.

Taylor expects 40,000 FAMU fans to come for the Rattlers- Bulls game in 2005.

This time, FAMU and its fans will be welcome in Tampa. The mall has since closed and a new training center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is scheduled to be built at the site.

``I hate what happened,'' said Paul Cato, president and chief executive officer of the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau. ``That's past. It's done. It's over.''

65K? Wouldn't that pretty much mean that they're looking for FAMU to garner 40K (given that we average somewhere in the mid 20's)? That's wishful thinking, but I really don't know about those numbers.  8)

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Jim Johnson Toro Magnifico

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From the Trib, Money Sense,  November 25th.

65K? Wouldn't that pretty much mean that they're looking for FAMU to garner 40K (given that we average somewhere in the mid 20's)? That's wishful thinking, but I really don't know about those numbers.  8)

Actually, we average over 30,000.... according to Kiz's numbers...

If you figure that FAMU is responsible for 1/2 of the 70,000+ that attended the Florida Classic... that would be 35,000...

USF = 30000

FAMU = 35000

65,000 sell out.

Still wishful thinking ??

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WoolyBully Toro Magnifico

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according to Kiz's numbers

Yep....because I refer to trips-thru-the-turnstiles, not tix distributed.... ;)

The FAMU/BCC game is "it" for the season. This is against USF. Not the same marketing scheme.  

Hey...what ever happened to selling out the lower bowl for Army? Wasn't that going to be the reason to open the upper deck? It's all speculation across the board at this point. How many BAZILLIONS of dollars have you heard touted about what a great and wonderul thing [insert sporting event here] only to realize - after the fact - well...maybe we were a tad overly optomistic.  8)

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bulls96go Toro Magnifico

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Yep....because I refer to trips-thru-the-turnstiles, not tix distributed.... ;)

The FAMU/BCC game is "it" for the season. This is against USF. Not the same marketing scheme.  

Hey...what ever happened to selling out the lower bowl for Army? Wasn't that going to be the reason to open the upper deck?   8)

and you would give a rats... if we sellout 65k and ONLY 55k showed up?

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WoolyBully Toro Magnifico

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1. I have yet to see RayJ sell out for a Bulls game.

2. I do not  expect to see RayJ sell out for a Bulls game next

   year.

We continue to have "the biggest game in USF history" and there's still plenty of room to spread out.

All I'm saying is ... and pay attention, now.... it's still a IAA game and you're betting on the opposition travel to fill your seats. Sooooo.... :o

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Jim Johnson Toro Magnifico

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Yep....because I refer to trips-thru-the-turnstiles, not tix distributed.... ;)

Right.... like I said, according to Kizarvexis' numbers we are averaging about 30,000....

TN Tech  25,546

USM  30,049

Army  36,549

ECU  25,408

Memphis TBD

Pitt.  TBD

Total to Date - 117,552

Average - 29,388

http://www.thebullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1100717084;start=1#1

And I disagree that FAMU-BCC is the "it" game of the year so that's the only game people attend.  FAMU has a large alumni base in the area -- and tickets to USF games are still fairly cheap.  And I can't imagine USF will want more than $20 for upper deck seats.

I would expect the game will be close to a sell out - if not a complete sell out - when you factor in walk-ups.

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Jim Johnson Toro Magnifico

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1. I have yet to see RayJ sell out for a Bulls game.

2. I do not  expect to see RayJ sell out for a Bulls game next

   year.

We continue to have "the biggest game in USF history" and there's still plenty of room to spread out.

All I'm saying is ... and pay attention, now.... it's still a IAA game and you're betting on the opposition travel to fill your seats. Sooooo.... :o

1) USF doesn't have enough fans to sell out its own games

2) FAMU and UCF will both sell more than the 44,000 tickets necessary to "sell out" the lower bowl.

Still... when you only have an 8-year history (and have yet to play 100 games)... it's very very very very easy to have a "biggest game ever"...

USF's "biggest game ever" and Michigan's "biggest game ever" will be on vastly different levels for quite a while. Our biggest game ever is just another Saturday for more well established programs...

In fact, you can expect to have at least one if not more than one "biggest game ever" for USF for every year the next several seasons.   Heck, we could have two more this year alone.

And no one will say that the FAMU game will be a biggest game ever...

I would say that FSU, Florida, or Miami would sell out RayJay for us... of course, they will never come to Tampa to to play us - but don't discount what opponents can bring to the table.  FAMU has a large fan base... and with this game at the beginning of the year - and the BCC game at the end of the year, figure fans will buy both tickets.

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I remember UM playing FAMU in the OB in early 80s when they struggled with attendance and remember FAMU-UM getting over 60,000 one whole side was FAMU fans. So i wouldnt be surprised 60,000 for that game.FAMU has a big following that would come to see team n its band.

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sdgukhsdgl

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FAMU will also bring out a lot more casual fans than you guys are giving credit for.  Since it is an in state school with a large alumni base there is fringe interest created to casual local fans, not to mention the band.... this game will have at least 50k in the seats

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The attendance numbers I collect are the announced attendance at the game. That is tickets sold and the TSA reports butts in seats. The BiS is 2-4k less than the AA. It tends towards 4k less for I-AA and 2k less for name I-A teams. The average for USF went up when USF went I-A and went up again when USF joined C-USA. I would expect it to go up again when USF joins the Big East.

FAMU does have a large, fanatical fan base, so I don't find it hard to believe that USF could sell out the lower bowl to FAMU. 65k might show for the game if it was marketed heavily and the FAMU fans turned out big.

Kizarvexis

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