Football: This blew my mind

[Paul Wall]

I think having a band is a pretty good idea. They have Bull Stock on campus that same day... maybe they coulda incorporated it? Not sure if RayJay would be game.. only if we had an ocs

[Bull Matrix]

Just goes to show you that college football continues to get bigger these days. 92,000 is unbelievable. Even UF cant get near that much for a spring game. Hell, most programs cant get that many for an actual game.

[Knight_Light]

It has nothing to do with the "they have nothing to do" and everything to do with they "live and die by their football team."  It woudn't shock me if some people skipped weddings or other events for the freaking game, they're just THAT committed

Great point.

One thing most folks (UCF/USF fans and many others) is that more than a few people are happy that Shula is finally gone...as I think he only had a 26-23 overall record (6-6 last year), and Bama has lost their last 4 games to Auburn.

And yes...crowds of 35,000-50,000 are almost the "norm" at Bama and many other places...which would be GREAT crowds for either USF and UCF.

Folks live/die/follow their football programs to their death bed...almost regardless of their record.

Now UCF and USF have SOME fans that fit that category...but its such a small number compared to programs like Bama, UF, Penn St, Nebraska, etc...

Also...some teams get HIGH spring attendance because for many of their fans, its the ONLY chance for many to watch a game in their home stadium...as schools like Nebraska (sellout streak dating back to 1962, 280 games in a ROW!) have virtually zero tix available for their regular season games....which is amazing as most posters on this board were not ALIVE in 1962!

For those that have either lived or spent a lot of time in Alabama, Nebraska and a few other places...College Football is basically the ONLY topic talked about 365 days a year.

PS. Here's info from a past thread (probably exactly the same as UCF Alumni) about USF student interest for USF Football: (Might help explain USF's average of only 4,700 students per football game last year).

From JimUSFSig

http://www.thebullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/nph-YaBB.pl?num=1166264775/90

1. Not everyone is a football fan.  Hard to believe, I know.  But there are a lot of people who don't like footall.

2. In 2005, the USF Alumni Association commissioned a study of then-current USF students.  Here are some interesting numbers -- for students at the TAMPA CAMPUS:

- 40% students rate their pride in attending USF at less than 7 on a scale of 10

- 54% campus chose USF for it's location

- Only 7% list sports as their most memorable USF experience (21% say friends, 14% say instructors)

- 6% has the strongest affiliation with USF athletics, 40% with their major/department

- 35% think that USF is mediocre

- 59% have NEVER attended an athletic event

- 17% are not interested in EVER attending an athletic event (64% of those do not like sports, 26% don't have time for sports)

- 26% are not interested in joining Alumni for athletic events

- 60% said joining the Big East ad NO EFFECT on their connection to USF

- 47% said that success in sports would keep them connected after graduation, significantly less than:

    - Access to resources (93%)

    - Help with job placement (89%)

    - Improving the value of the degree (88%)

    - Communication about happenings at USF (74%)

    - Continuing education (71%)

    - Keeping connected with classmates (67%)

- 43% DO NOT regularly wear USF clothing

- 37% are not interested in campus traditions such as Homecoming

Marketing:

- 64% prefer to receive news and info via email

- 82% feel USF does a good, fair, or excellent job of communicating news and info

[KB]

If we had a pro style offense we would have 92,000 at our spring game.

[Bulls 8_va]

Just Win!!! And things will change...look what happened to Rutgers Last Year, they sold out their stadium for the first time in a long time.  All because they won games...

This is ALL we need to do!!!  Win and then the sporting events will become the "talk of the town(city)" and people will want to go the the events, because they are the "thing to do".

The USF Alumni and Students ARE out their...they are just not convinced yet...we need to KEEP WINNING!!!

GO BULLS!!!

[HarveyGlass]

South Carolina had Hootie and the Blowfish, I seriously doubt their presence was that big of a factor, they probably would have still drawn 25-30,000.

It has nothing to do with the "they have nothing to do" and everything to do with they "live and die by their football team."  It woudn't shock me if some people skipped weddings or other events for the freaking game, they're just THAT committed

The reason they, "live and die by their football team", Joe, is that, "they have nothing to do."  Historically.

What the heck else are you gonna talk about 365 days a year in Alabama and Nebraska?  Soybeans, corn?

[HarveyGlass]

most of their fans probably thought it was a real game and spent months tryiing to scout the opponent, only to find out that white is not an acutal ivy league school

;D

[snarling Bull]

Perhaps they advertised their game..... maybe we should try that sometime.

Whata novel idea

[Joe]

The reason they, "live and die by their football team", Joe, is that, "they have nothing to do."  Historically.

What the heck else are you gonna talk about 365 days a year in Alabama and Nebraska?  Soybeans, corn?

I just think it's a lame excuse. I've lived in big cities (Orlando, Tampa, Cincinnati) and really small podunk cities (Little Rock, Statesboro, GA, Charleston) and it's not like people sit around doing nothing waiting for their college spring games to start.

Yes, there is a lot more noise in Tampa, but it's not like people in smaller areas ignore all other sports. It's college football and there are no more committed fans than college football fans (look at our fanbase...the hard cores are COMMITTED); however they still have large interests in other sports.

Florida gets 30,000 from Tampa and Orlando to drive up every game weekend. Somehow the noise doesn't distract those fans. FSU gets about 20,000. Somehow the noise doesn't distract them.

I think the reason people are so committed to their teams like that has more to do with the fact that it is something that identifies them and who they are. Your talking 100+ years of football fans at many of these institutions.

I'm a huge Lightning fan who worked extra hours to get season tix when I got to USF, however, I wouldn't even say they identify part of who I am. I would say USF football does play a big role in who I am. It's just the way it works.

[Belle of the Bull]

The reason they, "live and die by their football team", Joe, is that, "they have nothing to do."  Historically.

What the heck else are you gonna talk about 365 days a year in Alabama and Nebraska?  Soybeans, corn?

I just think it's a lame excuse. I've lived in big cities (Orlando, Tampa, Cincinnati) and really small podunk cities (Little Rock, Statesboro, GA, Charleston) and it's not like people sit around doing nothing waiting for their college spring games to start.

Yes, there is a lot more noise in Tampa, but it's not like people in smaller areas ignore all other sports. It's college football and there are no more committed fans than college football fans (look at our fanbase...the hard cores are COMMITTED); however they still have large interests in other sports.

Florida gets 30,000 from Tampa and Orlando to drive up every game weekend. Somehow the noise doesn't distract those fans. FSU gets about 20,000. Somehow the noise doesn't distract them.

I think the reason people are so committed to their teams like that has more to do with the fact that it is something that identifies them and who they are. Your talking 100+ years of football fans at many of these institutions.

I'm a huge Lightning fan who worked extra hours to get season tix when I got to USF, however, I wouldn't even say they identify part of who I am. I would say USF football does play a big role in who I am. It's just the way it works.

so we should stop admitting these namby pamby local kids who only choose usf because they dont want to do their own laundry and stop admitting the student who cares more about his or her cubicle than school spirit. well rounded kids who choose usf because they see themselves as bulls- because they want to be here - not because they have to go here - is something that admissions should be shooting for. I was born and raised in south tampa. but i went to usf because I wanted to go there. Because i went elsewhere and didn't like it. because I realized that i belonged at usf. not because i had no choice. being a bulls fan is part of my identity - as it is for many others. the trick is admitting the kids that will do the same.