Here is a list of "Power 5" schools that had lower attendance than USF in 2012

[hm101]

What a joke. To think that there is something about these programs that justifies their difference in allocation of resources over USF is egregious. 

 

Baylor

Boston College

Duke

Georgia Tech

Kansas

Maryland

Northwestern

Oregon State

Pitt

Purdue

Stanford

Syracuse

Vanderbilt

Wake Forest

Washington State

 

Here is a link of NCAA attendance figures. If you think our 2012 numbers are distorted by the FSU game you're wrong, as ALL these programs have big games on their schedules, AND we had very similar attendance in 2011 (higher in fact). 

 

Bottom line: anyone that tells you there's something more powerful about the power 5 is wrong. There are programs there that are scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of attendance and competition. The only leg up some have is decades of tradition, and for us that's a matter of time. 

 

In an average year, USF would go at least .500 against these teams and put more fans in the stadium in the process. 

 

Other notable programs that had less bodies in seats than USF in 2012:

Boise State

Cincinnati

Connecticut

The Tin Men

[widerberg]

Well, a few differences I see on that list versus USF are: national championships, national name/brand recognition, history, etc. I don't know that anyone has singled out attendance as the metric that defines power or not power. Georgia Tech and Stanford, to count just two, blow us out of the water on just about every metric there is.

[TherapyBull]

While it is nice to know that USF had better attendance than these schools, a few things stick out. About half of these schools are private with small enrollments, they just dont have the alumni base to fill a stadium. Duke is the top academic school in the ACC, Vandy is the top academic school in the SEC, Stanford is the top academic school in the PAC 12, and Northwestern is the top academic school in the Big 10. Academics do matter with regards to the power 5, every conference always has a token member for this reason. The SEC is proud of Vandy for bringing up standards. Also I'm pretty sure Wake forest has the smallest enrollment of any BCS program. I was surprised with Georgia tech and Maryland however.

[bullsbucsfan426]

While it is nice to know that USF had better attendance than these schools, a few things stick out. About half of these schools are private with small enrollments, they just dont have the alumni base to fill a stadium. Duke is the top academic school in the ACC, Vandy is the top academic school in the SEC, Stanford is the top academic school in the PAC 12, and Northwestern is the top academic school in the Big 10. Academics do matter with regards to the power 5, every conference always has a token member for this reason. The SEC is proud of Vandy for bringing up standards. Also I'm pretty sure Wake forest has the smallest enrollment of any BCS program. I was surprised with Georgia tech and Maryland however.

Agreed. My youngest cousin just made her college decision to go to wake. It's an excellent school but she is the first person I know to go there.

[Mission9]

I understand the frustration but a lot of those programs have graduates or boosters with deep pockets who give generously (my point is 2nd behind the all important name brand factor which was mentioned above). 

[Hem]

Some of those schools really suprise me, especially since we were TERRIBLE in our 2012 season.

 

small private schools and academic powerhouses were ones I expected to see. 

[USF_Grouper]

Give ol'Doug a few more years... he'll get our attendance in line with expectations.

[charsibb]

It's the total package, not any single statistic, that matters.

 

And for most of the power brokers, WE don't matter.

[WoolyBully]

It's the total package, not any single statistic, that matters.

 

And for most of the power brokers, WE don't matter.

That is true. It's not that one single thing that - if we had this, if we had done that - that determines who gets an invite. As for the Black Hand, they know where to find us if they want us.

[slbpsi63]

The Big East runs Circles around the MWC in total aatendence. wow.