Heath wants to play some games at the Fourm

[Bull94]

Trip,

casual fans will never make the drive out to campus for a game. They wouldn't sit in traffic for an hour, walk a half mile to get terrible seats in a dump of an arena. It wouldn't be entertaining for them. The dome is for the diehards.

The forum is centrally located so alumns and casual fans from all over the st pete-clearwater-tampa area can get to it rather easily. Many work downtown and could practically walk there. Many alums and current students live in st pete. Cut 40 minutes off of their drive time and I bet they would be more inclined to go. Especially to the big ones.

If you wanted to see a movie would you rather go to a state of the art theatre with great sound and visuals near work and home or up to Fowler to see it in an old moldy one? The experience doesn't translate.

I hope they have a vision for USF basketball and I hope it includes playing in one of the nicest arenas in Florida.

You must be a ******* slow ass driver. It takes 15 minutes to go from Campus to downtown during morning rush hour. By the time most games start, 7, the traffic has died down and it takes 5. If the alum dont wanna take at most a 15 minute drive to a game, what makes you think they are going to walk a couple dozen blocks to watch it?

5 minutes at 6:30 on a weekday? have you ever been on 275 heading north during rush hour? try getting past I-4 in 15 minutes let alone 5. I get that you students have no sense of how the real world works but come on.

Put the product where the money is and we will have casual paying fans. Keep it out in the middle of nowhere and I guess we can expect about the same. all 500 students.

[smazza]

The SUN Dome for better or worse is OUR home not the Ice Palace I say keep the games @ OUR HOUSE

usf needs to sell out sundome

[Guest r_to_the_izzo]

Trip,

casual fans will never make the drive out to campus for a game. They wouldn't sit in traffic for an hour, walk a half mile to get terrible seats in a dump of an arena. It wouldn't be entertaining for them. The dome is for the diehards.

The forum is centrally located so alumns and casual fans from all over the st pete-clearwater-tampa area can get to it rather easily. Many work downtown and could practically walk there. Many alums and current students live in st pete. Cut 40 minutes off of their drive time and I bet they would be more inclined to go. Especially to the big ones.

If you wanted to see a movie would you rather go to a state of the art theatre with great sound and visuals near work and home or up to Fowler to see it in an old moldy one? The experience doesn't translate.

I hope they have a vision for USF basketball and I hope it includes playing in one of the nicest arenas in Florida.

You must be a ******* slow ass driver. It takes 15 minutes to go from Campus to downtown during morning rush hour. By the time most games start, 7, the traffic has died down and it takes 5. If the alum dont wanna take at most a 15 minute drive to a game, what makes you think they are going to walk a couple dozen blocks to watch it?

5 minutes at 6:30 on a weekday? have you ever been on 275 heading north during rush hour? try getting past I-4 in 15 minutes let alone 5. I get that you students have no sense of how the real world works but come on.

Put the product where the money is and we will have casual paying fans. Keep it out in the middle of nowhere and I guess we can expect about the same. all 500 students.

Casual fans wont show up either way. And I do have aconcept of the real world, and Tampa traffic, I've lived here my enitre life. Unless you hit an accident, it doesnt take more than 15 minutes to get downtown to Campus.

Now why dont you be a real supporter and join me at the basebulls game, a night class is going to make me late but at least I'l show my support. Unlike you casual fans.

[Joe]

Even when (if) the time comes for USF sell out the SunDome regularly. There is no point in moving the games. Why take away a home arena game so we can play at a cavernous arena that was built for hockey?

I agree it's a good idea for winter break games. But I don't see any reason to take the games off campus. Schools that people have used as an example (Providence, Georgetown, Marquette, St. Johns) ALL have the same thing in common. They are SMALL Catholic schools located in MAJOR US markets. Those campuses cannot fit full size arenas and further they really cannot afford them, that is why they play off campus.

Bull94, I really don't believe that attendance would be THAT much better at the forum. We had 7,700 for ND, I don't think that number is much bigger if we move it downtown. The SunDome and O'Connell Center at UF are almost identical venues. The O'Connell Center is considered a top 10 hardest place to play.

It can be replicated in the Sun Dome, and will one day. Don't take games off campus permanently or even for the majority. There is NO reason to.

[Belle of the Bull]

Even when (if) the time comes for USF sell out the SunDome regularly. There is no point in moving the games. Why take away a home arena game so we can play at a cavernous arena that was built for hockey?

I agree it's a good idea for winter break games. But I don't see any reason to take the games off campus. Schools that people have used as an example (Providence, Georgetown, Marquette, St. Johns) ALL have the same thing in common. They are SMALL Catholic schools located in MAJOR US markets. Those campuses cannot fit full size arenas and further they really cannot afford them, that is why they play off campus.

Bull94, I really don't believe that attendance would be THAT much better at the forum. We had 7,700 for ND, I don't think that number is much bigger if we move it downtown. The SunDome and O'Connell Center at UF are almost identical venues. The O'Connell Center is considered a top 10 hardest place to play.

It can be replicated in the Sun Dome, and will one day. Don't take games off campus permanently or even for the majority. There is NO reason to.

I really don't think its about whether or not we can sell out the SunDome. The sundome is undergoing MAJOR renovations and in a few years will be a great place to play basketball. What would be cool about playing in the Forum - is that it could be a reason to get people who don't live in temple terrace or tampa palms to come see the BULLS play.

And like I said before - the alumni association and the surrounding chapters could host a downtown pub crawl or a happy hour in channelside BEFORE the game - while people are already downtown for work. Like I said in my earlier post - it could turn into a yearly thing. It could even be done to benefit a charity as an annual fund raiser. For example, free or discounted admission with one child's toy (if you are doing it for toys for tots) or something to that effect - which would work great if its around the holidays.

It could turn into some great PR for the university - but the key is to keeping it a once or twice a year event..

[Velcro]

The sun dome already is a great place to play basketball... it just isn't close enough for some people.

It will get better, but there is nothing wrong with it now.  It is the weight room, and other parts that aren't as good... and no luxury suites.

The actual size is perfect, other than adding more green jacket area seats in the corners.

The ice palace is way too big for it to be a regular type of thing.  Its one thing to be paired up in a tournament type situation like that one game last season... but other than that... I don't want to see it happen.

The dome is pefect for us, and its only going to get better.  The sun dome is not keeping people away, the win loss record is.

[Bull94]

Even when (if) the time comes for USF sell out the SunDome regularly. There is no point in moving the games. Why take away a home arena game so we can play at a cavernous arena that was built for hockey?

I agree it's a good idea for winter break games. But I don't see any reason to take the games off campus. Schools that people have used as an example (Providence, Georgetown, Marquette, St. Johns) ALL have the same thing in common. They are SMALL Catholic schools located in MAJOR US markets. Those campuses cannot fit full size arenas and further they really cannot afford them, that is why they play off campus.

Bull94, I really don't believe that attendance would be THAT much better at the forum. We had 7,700 for ND, I don't think that number is much bigger if we move it downtown. The SunDome and O'Connell Center at UF are almost identical venues. The O'Connell Center is considered a top 10 hardest place to play.

It can be replicated in the Sun Dome, and will one day. Don't take games off campus permanently or even for the majority. There is NO reason to.

I'm not saying we move all our games to the forum now. Just that we start to migrate that way. Play 4 or 5 of our best competition there.

The O-dome is considred such a tough place to play because they are the #1 team in the country. They would jump at the chance to play in the forum if it was located 5 minutes from campus (students like rizzo drive much faster than I do so they can get downtown quick!) for games against Kentucky,etc.

Most major college programs are nowhere near a major city or arena thats why they don't play in them. They don't have the populations to fill them regularly. The forum has more events than any other arena in the country.

We are fortunate enough to be located near a state of the art arena and we aren't going to take advantage of that?

The city of Louisville is building a $40M arena downtown for UofL to play in. You say the small catholic schools can't afford to build arenas, well I didn't see where USF discovered how to grow money on trees yet. Marquette regularly sells out their downtown arena with their tiny enrollment and they have to compete with a pro basketball team.

If Tampa can fill that place for hockey then there is no reason why in time they can't fill it for college basketball. I would argue that there are far more potential casual college basketball fans in Tampa than hockey fans.

[ChiTownBull]

Depaul plays by the airport while their campus is in the city. They provide bus transportation for students to get to and from the arena.

[Joe]

I'm not saying we move all our games to the forum now. Just that we start to migrate that way. Play 4 or 5 of our best competition there.

Why? So we can pay $100k each night to draw an extra 1000 fans? It's really not worth it.

The O-dome is considred such a tough place to play because they are the #1 team in the country. They would jump at the chance to play in the forum if it was located 5 minutes from campus (students like rizzo drive much faster than I do so they can get downtown quick!) for games against Kentucky,etc.

No they wouldn't part of Billy Donovans new contract he'll be signing was to include a new 17,000 seat arena on campus. He nixed the idea to fix up the O'Connell Center because he likes the advantage the fans give the team.

Most major college programs are nowhere near a major city or arena thats why they don't play in them. They don't have the populations to fill them regularly. The forum has more events than any other arena in the country.

Is that why USC just built their own new arena opting out of the LA Sport Arena that was RIGHT across the street from the campus? What about UCLA?

Or tell me why Ohio State plays their games at a new Schoentstein Center when a brand new Nationwide Arena (Columbus Blue Jackets) is 3 miles away

Why is St. Louis builing a 10,000 seat on campus arena, when they have the Scotttrade Center just a few miles away.

And Georgia Tech, why play at a 10,000 seat arena you sell out almost every night when you could probably get a few thousand extra into Phillips Arena?

There are several other examples. University of Washington, Arizona State, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Xavier....

We are fortunate enough to be located near a state of the art arena and we aren't going to take advantage of that?

Why? Really what DOES it for us besides cost us a lot of money to use.

The city of Louisville is building a $40M arena downtown for UofL to play in.

The City of Louisville has been trying to get an NBA team for over 15 years. That is why they are building the arena...http://louisville.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2004/10/04/story2.html

You say the small catholic schools can't afford to build arenas, well I didn't see where USF discovered how to grow money on trees yet.

They already have an arena, no need to build one...

Marquette regularly sells out their downtown arena with their tiny enrollment and they have to compete with a pro basketball team.

I dunno where this point of the argument is going, because I never claimed teh Catholic schools don't draw well. In fact some of those schools have some of the best fanbases out there.

They get good crowds, but sellout regularly is a stretch...in 2005-06 season they averaged 13,000 in a 19,000 seat arena. In 2004-05 12,000...This year they averaged about 15,000.

If Tampa can fill that place for hockey then there is no reason why in time they can't fill it for college basketball. I would argue that there are far more potential casual college basketball fans in Tampa than hockey fans.

Ya...is that why there was AT BEST 4-5,000 USF fans at the Wake Forest game?

[Held_AccountaBull]

I'm not saying we move all our games to the forum now. Just that we start to migrate that way. Play 4 or 5 of our best competition there.

Why? So we can pay $100k each night to draw an extra 1000 fans? It's really not worth it.

The O-dome is considred such a tough place to play because they are the #1 team in the country. They would jump at the chance to play in the forum if it was located 5 minutes from campus (students like rizzo drive much faster than I do so they can get downtown quick!) for games against Kentucky,etc.

No they wouldn't part of Billy Donovans new contract he'll be signing was to include a new 17,000 seat arena on campus. He nixed the idea to fix up the O'Connell Center because he likes the advantage the fans give the team.

Most major college programs are nowhere near a major city or arena thats why they don't play in them. They don't have the populations to fill them regularly. The forum has more events than any other arena in the country.

Is that why USC just built their own new arena opting out of the LA Sport Arena that was RIGHT across the street from the campus? What about UCLA?

Or tell me why Ohio State plays their games at a new Schoentstein Center when a brand new Nationwide Arena (Columbus Blue Jackets) is 3 miles away

Why is St. Louis builing a 10,000 seat on campus arena, when they have the Scotttrade Center just a few miles away.

And Georgia Tech, why play at a 10,000 seat arena you sell out almost every night when you could probably get a few thousand extra into Phillips Arena?

There are several other examples. University of Washington, Arizona State, Pittsburgh, Vanderbilt, Xavier....

We are fortunate enough to be located near a state of the art arena and we aren't going to take advantage of that?

Why? Really what DOES it for us besides cost us a lot of money to use.

The city of Louisville is building a $40M arena downtown for UofL to play in.

The City of Louisville has been trying to get an NBA team for over 15 years. That is why they are building the arena...http://louisville.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2004/10/04/story2.html

You say the small catholic schools can't afford to build arenas, well I didn't see where USF discovered how to grow money on trees yet.

They already have an arena, no need to build one...

Marquette regularly sells out their downtown arena with their tiny enrollment and they have to compete with a pro basketball team.

I dunno where this point of the argument is going, because I never claimed teh Catholic schools don't draw well. In fact some of those schools have some of the best fanbases out there.

They get good crowds, but sellout regularly is a stretch...in 2005-06 season they averaged 13,000 in a 19,000 seat arena. In 2004-05 12,000...This year they averaged about 15,000.

If Tampa can fill that place for hockey then there is no reason why in time they can't fill it for college basketball. I would argue that there are far more potential casual college basketball fans in Tampa than hockey fans.

Ya...is that why there was AT BEST 4-5,000 USF fans at the Wake Forest game?

there was only 4,000-5,000 usf fans there because we sucked. no body wants to watch losing basketball