Doug Woolard: USF Serious About an On-Campus Football Stadium Now

[atl86bull]

http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2013/06/06/audio-justin-pawlowski-with-usf-ad-and-coach-willie-taggart/

 

For an entire hour, The Commish Justin Pawlowski and Jim Lighthall had an exclusive interview with USF athletic director Doug Woolard, and head football coach Willie Taggart.  Justin and Jim asked Doug about a wide range of topics.  Doug talked about the AAC, the former Big East, and the potential for an on-campus football stadium in the near future.

“I’d love to have an on-campus stadium,†Doug Woolard said on Thursday.

“Having an on-campus stadium would give us a chance to get the 40,000 or 50,000 people who come to a game on our campus 6, 7, or possibly 8 times in a fall,†Woolard continued.

Money is always a concern when it comes to building big athletic structures in the Tampa Bay area as we have seen with the Rays.  However, with a university, the state can get involved along with donors.

“It’s a very expensive venture, “Woolard cautioned. “We would want to build something that is substantial. Our fans are used to a high quality and great experience. The University of Minnesota just built a 50,000 seat stadium, which is probably where we’d like to be, for $325 million and the state of Minnesota gave the university $200 million out of that $325 million to build it.â€

USF has seen many renovations to their athletic facilities over the past few years including a complete renovation of the Sun Dome, new basketball practice facilities, new stadiums for soccer, baseball, and softball, a new practice facility and fields for football, new state-of-the-art locker rooms for the football team, and much more.

These new facilities have been mostly, if not fully, paid for by donors to the university for those specific aspects.

One thing is certain to Doug Woolard, if they can get the money, an on-campus stadium would get done.

“It is something the university continues to talk about. They do have space that has been identified in a long-range plan to be able to do it.â€

When asked by Justin Pawlowski when they would get serious about an on-campus stadium, Doug Woolard did not hesitate.

“I think they’re serious about it now.â€

Doug also went into detail about his thoughts on the state of college athletics, and if he felt realignment was finally going to start coming to an end.

Willie Taggart joined Justin and Jim in our third segment and they asked Coach’s honest assessment of this team heading into this season.

 

[Skingraft]

Good recap; any chance of getting a recap on CWT segment? I was in the OR all day yesterday and missed it.

[slick1ru2]

I want a Lamborghini. That isn't happening either. Who has hundreds of millions to give to USF for a stadium?

[Rizman]

Spoke with some of the coaches last night at around the horns for Pinellas county and they agreed, having an on campus stadium would change USF and we need to start now.  However, Doug brought up that his next target is a $14 Million dollar indoor practice facility. 

[Hem]

Glad to hear that it's on the "to do" list and that it WON'T be done on the cheap. Now we just need some specific OCS donation rallys/campaigns to kickstart the process. I know plenty of alumni who don't currently give, but would be willing to break open the wallet towards an OCS.

[Lmshaffe]

I wonder what the location is that they have in my mind for the OCS. Commish should've asked or if someone goes to the last around the horn tour tonight, it would also be a good chance.

[Mission9]

I am so glad he mentioned Minnesota's stadium as the standard and not a certain bounce house we all know about.

[South_Florida_Flip]

Who has hundreds of millions to give to USF for a stadium?

 

Some old lady in Zephyrhills

[Southshore26]

I wonder what the location is that they have in my mind for the OCS. Commish should've asked or if someone goes to the last around the horn tour tonight, it would also be a good chance.

 

The location was pretty much sealed yesterday when GA tweeted that the Tennis complex is being redone. The Tennis complex is slated to move over behind the softball stadium and that opens up that area just south of the Greek village for the OCS. It's the only space left on campus that can handle a facility of that size.

[Southshore26]

 

Who has hundreds of millions to give to USF for a stadium?

 

Some old lady in Zephyrhills

 

 

Well played.