USF Athletics Facilities Discussion

[cmhatter]

1. USF needs to raise enough money to build a stadium big enough to fit it's current fan base + another 10-20k extra fans. There's no point in building a 40-45k seat stadium when you've got aroud 25k season tickets + 12k students + 5k visiting team allotment. That leaves USF with 3-8k seats to sell per game, and that's not even taking into account HOT, athletic dept distribution, recruits, etc. A 60k stadium is ideal in my eyes. Having an OCS would automatically bring up the attendance (they'd most likely up the student section from 12k to 15k). It would still leave a ton of empty seats, but the team will have a greater presence in the state by then. One issue however, RJS is most likely going to get a facelift in the next few years when the NFL officially gives the Glazers the ultimatum: If you ever want to host another super bowl, you need to renovate (ask the Atlanta Falcons about it).

2. The soccer stadium is perfect. You won't go around the country and see giant soccer stadiums. The new stadium is built to where they can bring in temporary bleachers so they can host tournaments and part of the NCAA tournament.

a full 45-50k would be 10x better than 10k missing from a 60k stadium

[Guest Sunburned]

meh.  i dont think anyone is asking for anything more than a 50k stadium.  i dont understand why the school went ahead and built the soccer team their own stadium.  we could have killed 2 birds with 1 stone by building a dual-use soccer/football stadium at that site.  if people are worried about the soccer games looking empty, i'm sure they can throw some logo tarp over the top half of the stadium

[Guest Sunburned]

What's going on with the Sun Dome renovation financing...has it been resubmitted to the BOG/BOT yet?

[crambone]

1. USF needs to raise enough money to build a stadium big enough to fit it's current fan base + another 10-20k extra fans. There's no point in building a 40-45k seat stadium when you've got aroud 25k season tickets + 12k students + 5k visiting team allotment. That leaves USF with 3-8k seats to sell per game, and that's not even taking into account HOT, athletic dept distribution, recruits, etc. A 60k stadium is ideal in my eyes. Having an OCS would automatically bring up the attendance (they'd most likely up the student section from 12k to 15k). It would still leave a ton of empty seats, but the team will have a greater presence in the state by then. One issue however, RJS is most likely going to get a facelift in the next few years when the NFL officially gives the Glazers the ultimatum: If you ever want to host another super bowl, you need to renovate (ask the Atlanta Falcons about it).

2. The soccer stadium is perfect. You won't go around the country and see giant soccer stadiums. The new stadium is built to where they can bring in temporary bleachers so they can host tournaments and part of the NCAA tournament.

Well said, good sir!

[RickUSF]

One issue however, RJS is most likely going to get a facelift in the next few years when the NFL officially gives the Glazers the ultimatum: If you ever want to host another super bowl, you need to renovate (ask the Atlanta Falcons about it).

i don't know how likely the NFL will give an ultimatum like this, but i hope it happens-- and i hope they make RJS a little more "neutral" and a little less "buccaneers" themed.  I know that the bucs call the stadium home, but it is also host to many events such as college bowl games, super bowls, and our USF bulls-- it would only make sense to make it more neutral and more convertible to whatever event may occur [and hopefully we dont ever see the bulls logo in the white bucs surrender flag at midfield]

[GoBulls84]

I'd say put up a 55K stadium with the potential to expand it should the season ticket base expand with time/success.

[Guest USFbull2012]

how many BE titles would we need to get the consistent number of season tix holders to be high enough for an OCS justification?

Enough to where what we build will put us into the top half of the conference. Every stadium or renovation happening, puts that sports facilities into the top half of the conference. We won't build anything until we know for certain, what we build, will put our football facilities in to the top of the conference.

Something like Louisville(or preferably better. I.E like what Minnesota built, but with more then 40,000 seats to start out) would be something we would need. I also think it needs to have the schools culture into the stadium some why. This school has a heavy Latin influence, if they somehow brought that into the stadium, that would be outstanding in my opinion. But, it won't get done until we have the money for it...unlike UCF. Our athletic department is not willing to take on to much debt at a time.

[Guest USFbull2012]

consistent sellouts at RayJay will bring OCS; nothing else.

disagree.... consistent 45-50 in the seats can do it

agreed. ucf can sell 40-45 and fill that single bowl they have, if we can sell 45-55 (i would prefer hovering around 50 avg and pushing low to mid 50Ks more often), we can support an OCS.

people need to realize usf isn't the SEC, and to stop dreaming of building a 65k stadium or a 70-90k stadium. pipe dreams. i've been harping that we should build an oregon-esque stadium for a while. oregon...about 54,000. and one of the loudest places to play at. USF can do that. become a perennial bcs bowl attendee, and chase some national championships, and THEN we'll talk about going 60K+.

remember kids,

full, smaller stadium > half empty monstrosity that never gets filled

meh.  i dont think anyone is asking for anything more than a 50k stadium.  i dont understand why the school went ahead and built the soccer team their own stadium.  we could have killed 2 birds with 1 stone by building a dual-use soccer/football stadium at that site.  if people are worried about the soccer games looking empty, i'm sure they can throw some logo tarp over the top half of the stadium

excuse me???

Soccer is the only sport on campus that does anything besides Tennis. Oh yea, slap our best program in face, for a program that hasn't won anything yet. Oh yea, great idea dude, great idea.

Soccer needs it own stadium to build on its success, our A.D and Athletic Department did the right thing.

[Jihme]

i wouldn't knock the soccer stadium.  they deserve a stadium of their own.  football will get one in due time.

[clevername]

Only team that does anything on campus? What does that even mean? Would playing in an all-purpose stadium that much of an insult, or is people questioning why valuable space couldn't have been used on our most visible, valuable athletic product that radical?