What was USF like when you attended?

[Guest BasketBull.]

We seem to have many generations of BULLS FANS on here and sometimes I think there are clashes because of the gaps. This thread is with the intention of binding all of us BULLS for one purpose:

      INVIGORATING  BULLS' PRIDE!

      ...we've traveled far, Bulls!

Try to answer the following: years, atmosphere, sports happenings, and your feelings about USF/USF sports at the time.

[Guest BasketBull.]

(If I may, I'd like this to be the first reply. -BasketBull)

I am about the same age as Doug Hatch (I'm 53) aka NormalBull, I believe. When I started at USF as a freshman in September of 1969 soccer was the top sport. Homecoming was built around soccer. Basketbull started in 1970 with a junior varsity team. I think we went 19-4 playing junior colleges and freshman teams from schools like FSU, UF, and Stetson. We beat the Gators junior varsity in our very first game. It was played at Curtis Hixon Hall. I was a manager of the first varsity team the following year. We beat Stetson at Deland, Florida on a last second shot by John Kiser in our first varsity game. I will never forget the bedlam in our lockeroom. You would have thought we won the NCAA tournament. My point is I have been a faithful Bull follower for almost 36 years. I don't post very often but this message board is my link to my beloved Bulls. This board is just terrific!

[Guest BasketBull.]

Years: (1989-1995)

First year: 1989

When I got the school brochure from USF, Dobras was on the cover doning a golden Bulls jersey. My immediate thoughts upon seeing the cover: The Bulls? Bulls basketball? Who?

Bulls basketball was THE game, and Shahid was THE man. Everybody in Beta Hall was always pumped for the games. And, of course, we had a lot of fun as the Bulls continued to do well for the next few years after that.

Football was a distant dream at USF while the big 3 was dominating the college sports scene. I even went FSU and UF games where each time it was pandemonium... When I came back to USF, everything was dead. And of course, it always hurt to know how much USF lacked.

Last year 1995/1996: At the end of my tenure at USF, football was becoming a fetus, and USF basketball was running out of gas. But basically nothing had changed at USF: the apathy was still there.

[WoolyBully]

'92-'94: Drive Thru U.

I got my AA ('90-'92) from HCC and transferred in as a junior - at the ripe old age of 32.  The only reason I went to USF is because it was local. Had I landed anywhere other than Tampa when I got out of the Foreign Service, that's where I would have attended.  Until USF started playing football,  I was a FSU fan...primarily because all of my wife's friends were UF fans.

I tried to minimize my time on campus. I treated college like another day at the office, get in...get the requisite stamps (degree)...and get out.  My peer group during this time was the guys about my age, similar background: ex-military, mostly older students and all MIS majors.  At that time, USF was a pipeline for the GTEDS/NRD program, so the co-op program and changing careers was the focus.  

During my tenure there, I never attended any sporting events.   If I attended any basketball games between '94 and the start of USF football, I don't recall them.

p.s.: football season ticket holder since day one, and the only home game I missed was the Bulls win over Southern Miss.

[BULLO12]

1979 - 1981:  JC Transfer...AA Degree from Brevard Community College.  Not quiet as old as Wooly.  I went to USF because it was the first acceptance letter I received from the 4 other Universities I applied to (UF, FSU, FAU and USF)...my decision to attend any unviersity was to go to that school that sent the firt acceptance letter.  I sent all four letters the same day and time.  Never heard from UF nor FAU...FSU did accept me (two weeks after USF had) but I had already choosen USF.

1979 - 1980: Junior Year: Dorm life was centered around drinking.  Not my cup of tea.  Didn't attend any sporting events. Didn't get involved in very much until near the end of my Junior year...started getting involved in SFA (Student Finance Association).  Survived Junior year and weird roommate and moved into IOTA dorm my senior year.

1980 - 1981: Senior year:  Much more saner time period.  Better roommate.  Heavily involved in SFA (Student Finance Association) we thought we would rule the financial world.  Attend BBall game (USF-vs-Duke, they killed us) and got a job at the brand new SunDome.  Worked all the BBall games and special events at SunDome.  Was graduated left Florida didn't attend another sporting event until Homecoming 1998 went to Homecoming football game.  Left Florida again moved to Massachusetts (WHY? How the hell do I know?) went to UConn game in 2000 and froze my arse off and returned to Florida in 2003 to STAY dammit.  Been to 2 or 3 other football games one other  homecoming.  

[79 Bull]

Great thread!

1975 to 1979.  Lived in dorms first 3 years.  Drinking age was 18 so life was very different for those of us who lived on campus than it is now.  Empty Keg (bar in the UC/now Marshall Center) was very lively all the time and was the center of social activity for people in the dorms - beers were $.25 except on Fridays it was $.10.  Keg parties every weekend in dorm hallways, etc, etc.  The mall had just opened and the only other things on Fowler was a gas station at 15th street and the Holiday Inn plus a couple convenience stores.  There was a bar in an old house in the parking lot of the mall.  The rest of Fowler was just grass fields.  Big event every year was River Riot at the riverfront park on Fletcher.  Semi-national bands in an all day affair with endless beer served to about 5,000 who showed up.

Anyhow, sports wise, soccer was king and bigger than basketball because it was on campus.  Every year the big soccer game was the Mayor's cup against UTampa and it alternated back and forth.  That game drew a few thousand fans and many students traveled to the game when it was downtown.  Basketball was fairly new and we played initially at Curtis Hixon hall downtown.  Eventually had games at the Fairgrounds, Bayfront Center and some in the old gym on campus.  Less than a few hundred fans went to the games, except for North Carolina at the Bayfront.  Probably drew about 5,000 with at least 80% in Carolina Blue.  The SunDome was a construction site and many of us questioned the vision of 10,000 attending a basketball game.  Football was barely discussed.

Turned out to be the best years of my life.  I would not trade my USF experience for any other school - we were the best kept secret in the South.

[Cubanbull]

1978-82

Basketball started to get wins towards my third year people were excited to finaly have a place oncampus to play when sundome opened up. Lee rose and his Rose garden got students excited won first florida four in sundome and repeated it the next year in gainesville.Even made sports illustrated article focusing on groth of florida basketball and were touted by SI as the best shot at success. First NIT game ever sundome was packed and rocking.Have ben to many basketball games since then and have fotball season tix since the start

[MavTechKNIGHT2]

I went (surprise!) for two years '87 and '88 and stayed in Beta Hall.  There really wasn't much buzz for ANY sport on campus.  Maybe the basketball team because some of us used to see Hakem Shaheed (sp) eating with us in the cafeteria.  I went to a couple of baseball games and they were awful to watch because of the facility.  Most of the time though we would stop to see the baseball games as we were returning from intramural basketball or football games.  It was like, the lights were on so lets go see what is happening.

I never stayed on campus at UCF so I can't comment.  I would be shocked if it wasn't quite similar however.

[Brad]

A lot of us were on campus at the same time.

I applied and was accepted to USF and UF.  I applied to USF because my mom wanted me to, UF because many of my friends were going there.  I elected to honor Mom's wishes and stay close to home.  Whew, I was that close to being a gator - even my girlfriend was going to school there.  I drove up almost every weekend to see her in Gainesville.  Despite her constant pressure, I broke up with her instead of transferring to UF.  

I was in Iota 3 1979-80 and Alpha the summer of 1980 (coed dorm) - nice.  The dorm life was very strange.  Several brushes with about anything you could imagine.  Also got involved with many frat parties - decided that was not for me.  Played intramural basketball, football and softball for Iota 3 - still have the jersey ().  I attended most every men's basketball game because I loved playing basketball and knew a couple of the players from around campus.  Played against a couple on the courts around Iota.

I can't remember if I went to my first baseball game when in school or out.

I do remember the few attempts to get football on the radar at USF, but while supportive, I was never closing involved with them.

I moved off campus, but continued to go to as many games as I could - even calling in sick to work for some games.

There did not seem to be a lot of campus pride in the Bulls - certainly not any campus-wide energy to get to the Dome for basketball.

I recall the euphoria of the NCAA trips and the early NIT trips.  So many of the big games - Iowa, the Florida Four Tournament wins, the days when we did beat Cincinnati, the UL mascot ejection, and of course the last win we had over Florida - the Dome was alive!

I remember buying my first USF logo gear - in a cramped undersized corner of the old textbook center.  Nothing really had much other than the block USF letters - how far we have come in merchandising.

I loved being in school - I think few would look back on it and wish they never attended.  I still remember the long financial aid lines, the nights of cramming for a test, the times when I was too broke to afford my share of the pizza and standing in line for one and a half hour only to find out the class was no longer available for registration.

On the flip side I became a Bulls fan - one of the toughest jobs in "Fandom".  We're not a financially gifted program, but we've had a decent share of success and have always been considered to have our greatest moments in our future - not in our past.  that is why I am strapped in for the ride.  Go Bulls!

[lotsofbull99]

The Year was 1999, I lived in Delta Hall my Freshman year and the Holly Apartment foundations where just being layed.  Always a big football fan I sat through the monsoon that was the SW Texas State game, my first B-Ball game was the one against FSU that year, it was then that I realized BB Waldon was in one of my classes, but he rarely showed up, guess he had more important things to do like practice his freethrows