Football Attendance?

[Guest HowieP1]

Looks like these are "actual" attendance numbers, rather than sold tickets.

What's Up - Make That Down - With Football Attendance?

Published: Dec 9, 2004

 

TAMPA - South Florida football fans either like to sleep in Saturday mornings or aren't interested in supporting a losing team.

Whatever the reason, the Bulls' average home attendance this year was 19,699, nearly 25 percent less than last season.

``We're not alarmed by it,'' said USF associate AD Tom Veit, the Bulls' marketing director.

Included in the Bulls' worst home attendance since 2001 were the fourth- and sixth- smallest crowds in school history, against Memphis (12,719) and Pittsburgh (12,832).

USF's other home games: Tennessee Tech (18,192), Southern Miss (23,770), Army (31,482) and East Carolina (19,201).

``We didn't have the usual winning tradition this year as past seasons,'' Veit said. ``We had every possible scheduling problem hit us. There wasn't any single reason why attendance was down and we're still building our fan base.''

The Bulls' attendance numbers were the second worst in the Big East.

Veit listed several factors, including the rescheduling of the Pittsburgh game because of Hurricane Frances, a hurricane watch within 24 hours of the Tennessee Tech game and the 11 a.m. kickoffs against Memphis and Pittsburgh. Oh, by the way, it was USF's decision to move those game times to get on ESPN.

USF athletic director Doug Woolard said the drop in attendance was in part to ``a unique year.''

Woolard also said Saturday night kickoffs, which USF historically has had, are a better fit.

``We'll try to give as much notice as possible [when moving game times],'' he said. ``But with a young program, national TV exposure helps with potential recruits.''

But as the Bulls discovered, it may draw recruits, but tunes out the local fans.

BOWLED OVER: There's no doubt Florida coach Urban Meyer hopes his first game as UF's coach goes better than the last game he coached in the state.

On Nov. 16, 2002, Meyer's Bowling Green Falcons, ranked No. 25 in the coaches poll, visited USF at Raymond James Stadium.

USF 29, Bowling Green 7 - and it wasn't that close.

The Bulls held BGSU, the nation's third-highest scoring team averaging 44 points, to season-lows in points and yardage (226). QB Josh Harris was limited to 152 yards. The Falcons only touchdown came on an 18-yard drive after a blocked punt.

``Urban called me the next day and was wondering what went on,'' USF coach Jim Leavitt said. ``He wanted to know how we stopped his offense. I told him, you know I'm not going to tell you that.''

If Leavitt and Meyer stay put, Leavitt-Meyer II is set for Sept. 13, 2008 in Gainesville.

ERIKSEN HONOR: Softball coach Ken Eriksen receives the inaugural ``Olympian of Florida'' award from the Central Florida Chapter of the Amateur Softball Association of America tonight in Orlando.

``There's a lot of people that deserve credit, including the 15 young women on the Olympic team,'' said Eriksen, an assistant on the U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning team.

Eriksen even rented a tuxedo for the occasion.

``I own one, but that was two sizes ago,'' Eriksen said. ``I told [the rental store] I had to look good in a day and they said, `Holy smokes.' ''

ODDS AND ENDS: Senior Christa Benton was named Conference USA's Female Cross Country Runner of the Year on Wednesday. ... Game dates for USF's Big East Conference football games aren't expected to be announced until February. ... The women's basketball team, which played nonconference games against No. 3 Duke and No. 8 UConn this season, is working on scheduling nonconference games next year against No. 1 LSU and No. 12 Michigan State.

http://sports.tbo.com/sports/MGBU3E5HI2E.html

[Bull Matrix]

That is downright embarrassing. Football town?? NOT. Tampa is far from a football town when you look at those numbers. Tampa is known for a bandwagon town. Sorry, but getting around 12k to watch college football is just inexcusable. USF has a way to go.

[Velcro]

The Bulls held BGSU, the nation's third-highest scoring team averaging 44 points, to season-lows in points and yardage (226). QB Josh Harris was limited to 152 yards. The Falcons only touchdown came on an 18-yard drive after a blocked punt.  

``Urban called me the next day and was wondering what went on,'' USF coach Jim Leavitt said. ``He wanted to know how we stopped his offense. I told him, you know I'm not going to tell you that.''  

If Leavitt and Meyer stay put, Leavitt-Meyer II is set for Sept. 13, 2008 in Gainesville.

won't that be an interesting side plot ;D

[BULLigerent]

Do you all agree with that 12,000 number?  Seems like I would have noticed if there were only 12,000 seats full.  Maybe they counted in the 4th quarter?

[goodknightfl]

on the pitt game.. 12 sounds right from what i could see from tv.  

[79 Bull]

Do you all agree with that 12,000 number?  Seems like I would have noticed if there were only 12,000 seats full.  Maybe they counted in the 4th quarter?

They don't "count" people.  The actual attendance comes from the scan/turnstile counts as people enter the stadium.  This is the method that the NCAA has established to meet the new minimum requirement.

[RHBullsFan]

I was at the Pitt game and 12K sounds generous. That was the most pitiful crowd I have ever seen at a USF home game.

[NAM37]

I will say that I missed BOTH of the last two home games.  I haven't missed 2 home games in a row since the start of USF football.

So, why did I miss them?  Because of holiday plans on Saturday's around Thanksgiving and into December.  I even gave away 2 tickets to the ALT/Bucs game.

Would I have gone to the games if it was possible? Yes.

Would I have expected them to WIN the games? No.

NAM37

[TripleB]

Those Sat 11 AM games were killers. Attendance still would have sucked but not as bad ..............

[sdgukhsdgl]

I was at the Pitt game and 12K sounds generous. That was the most pitiful crowd I have ever seen at a USF home game.

obviously you werent at the Memphis game...  The numbers seem odd to me cause I thought there were significantly more people at the Pitt game than Memphis