Trib: USF fans ready to charge into Gainesville

[USFishin]

USF fans ready to charge into Gainesville

By KEITH MORELLI

kmorelli@tampatrib.com

The caravans of cars and motor homes adorned in orange and blue heading to Gainesville from Tampa on college football game days will be joined this Saturday by a stream of green and gold.

An allotment of 6,000 tickets for the University of South Florida has already been sold, said Jeremy Sharpe, of USF's athletic office. That doesn't include tickets purchased by Bulls fans independently.

Of the USF tickets, 3,100 were reserved for donors and season-ticket holders, 1,370 went to the USF athletic department and 200 were handed to sponsors. That left 1,330 tickets for USF students.

"They've been sold out for a while," said Sharpe, assistant athletic director for communications.

The combination of University of Florida and USF fans heading to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium from Tampa on Saturday could result in traffic jams near campus.

Kickoff is scheduled for 12:21 p.m. and a lot of fans likely will wind up in Gainesville, even without tickets.

UF police have said that while 90,000 will be in the stadium, another 10,000 to 20,000 are expected outside.

John Harper, executive director of the USF Alumni Association, said his organization is setting up a tailgating session at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center.

Here's a quick primer on game day, according to a UF website:

Banned in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium are: alcohol, coolers, umbrellas, backpacks, carry bags, artificial noisemaking devices, food and drink containers, bottles, cans, thermoses, ice bags, large flags and any items deemed hazardous by law enforcement. All purses and waist bags are subject to search at any time.

Having an open container of alcohol on city streets, sidewalks and thoroughfares is a violation of a city ordinance and anyone spotted with an open container faces criminal charges.

Tailgating at a parking lot on UF property is a little more forgiving, though officers don't tolerate underage drinking.

Shuttle services are available from the Oaks Mall, the downtown plaza area and the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center.

Free parking for RVs is available on the north side of Mowry Road in the IFAS area parking lot.

UF police Capt. Jeff Holcomb said that the best tip he can give USF fans coming to Gainesville on Saturday: "Get here early."

Gainesville is a lot smaller than Tampa and a game drawing 90,000 to 100,000 fans tends to snarl traffic, sometimes backing up flow onto the interstate, he said.

Link