THIS IS CRAP

[Triple B]

Our fan support needs to catch up with our football program's rise.

Go BULLS !!!

thats my biggest fear, when it comes to bowl games. as much as i want a BCS bid, it would be embarassing to bring 10,000 only people.  :-/

I agree. I think the athletic dept should send out questionaires now to our season ticket holders and ask how many tickets they would buy if we get to a BCS bowl and ask for a non-refundable down payment. If the figure doesn't reach 10K by the 6th game, forfeit the rest of the season.

I'm amazed at the things people get embarassed by. Who the hell cares what the rest of the country thinks if we EARN our way to a BCS bowl?? As has been pointed out ad nauseum, it takes time and success to build up a fan base. We haven't had a ton of either to build it up to get even close to the majority of traditional BCS programs. The losses to Army and UConn (although, I called both) were a helluvalot more embarassing than ANYTHING that would happen in regards to a BCS bowl ..... well, almost anything..... but it wouldn't be attendance related.

[ucfknights04]

We don't need to BUY a cover like those little pukes over in Mickey land.

Are you sure?

[Bulls 8_va]

We don't need to BUY a cover like those little pukes over in Mickey land.

Are you sure?

We sure are...We've already had 2.  Don't really need another, and as you can see, this thread has gone to another topic.  We can care less about the Athlon Cover.  Its not going to help you win games...get over it!

[Joe]

In the tampa market, where most of us live, USF should be marketed the same way as the Local Pro-Sports teams are marketed.  We need to shake off all of these outside Universities from our home turf (ah-hem, UF!).  I know this comes with time and "championships", but there is still plenty that could be done to have the entire Tampa Bay and southwest Florida region know who USF is and the status of its athletic programs.  I think many of us on here believe that more could be done by the University to promote athletics.  

BTW: putting up banners all over fowler/fletcher Avenue that say "this is Bulls country" just isn't cutting it.  My high school used to do that with the streets surrounding it.  USF needs to think BIG...get more commercials going about our Teams upcoming games on the Local affiliates, ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX.  Not JUST ON CATCH47.   There needs to be as many Bulls commercials as there are Devil Rays, Lightning, and Bucs commercials.  We need more radio commercials as well, more BILLBOARDS, MORE EVERYTHING!!!  [highlight]If we want this town, WE HAVE TO TAKE IT!  [/highlight]

THIS is how we can attract local sports fans.

Lets get this straight. We will never run out the UF and FSU fans. They have too many established fans, both team will more than likely always be winning (FSU has had a few rough years, but trust me they'll be back) People aren't switching to USF because they live in Tampa.

Tampa has the second largest alumni base for UF and 3rd for FSU. Check 75 North on a day where both teams are playing home games, it's madness.

What USF needs to do is establish a better rapport with the students, so that after they graduate from USF, we'll have Bulls fans running around like UF and FSU have runs running around. The students are the future of USF football. Eventually we're gonna need the 17 Million a year FSU boosters give their school each year, or if we can even better the 28 Million UF fans give their school, to stay competitive.

However, if someone hasn't joined the bandwagon and they are alumni or even a football fan in Tampa, chances are they'll never be willing to put foward the money that the school would need to remain competitive at the top of D-IA football. I would gladly take them as a fan, however, spending thousands on marketing for someone who will come to a couple home games and probably watch the bowl on TV is tough. Yes there will alows be a few diamonds in the coal mine, but I have to imagine it will be tough.

Tampa can be a Bull town one day, but it will have to come from the current students developing a love for the university and not  UF/FSU.

[crambone]

blah blah blah

Who cares about Athlon?

[Guest]

35 K plus students

10 K fans (maybe)

something is not attracting the students nor the residents of tampa.  I would blame that on marketing.  

It's more like 44K students... and not everyone likes football.

Heck, 44K students, only a few hundred people attend the Theatre Department's plays.  Is that a marketing problem, too?

[Triple B]

We don't need to buy a cover like those little pukes over in Mickey land.

Are you sure?

Quite sure. The only people who NEED to buy something like that are ones who aren't getting it done on the field...

[smazza]

The number was 1000... and USF couldn't muster the support.

this is hard to believe

[smazza]

In the tampa market, where most of us live, USF should be marketed the same way as the Local Pro-Sports teams are marketed.  We need to shake off all of these outside Universities from our home turf (ah-hem, UF!).  I know this comes with time and "championships", but there is still plenty that could be done to have the entire Tampa Bay and southwest Florida region know who USF is and the status of its athletic programs.  I think many of us on here believe that more could be done by the University to promote athletics.  

BTW: putting up banners all over fowler/fletcher Avenue that say "this is Bulls country" just isn't cutting it.  My high school used to do that with the streets surrounding it.  USF needs to think BIG...get more commercials going about our Teams upcoming games on the Local affiliates, ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX.  Not JUST ON CATCH47.   There needs to be as many Bulls commercials as there are Devil Rays, Lightning, and Bucs commercials.  We need more radio commercials as well, more BILLBOARDS, MORE EVERYTHING!!!  [highlight]If we want this town, WE HAVE TO TAKE IT!  [/highlight]

THIS is how we can attract local sports fans.

so true

[smazza]

35 K plus students

10 K fans (maybe)

something is not attracting the students nor the residents of tampa.  I would blame that on marketing.  

It's more like 44K students... and not everyone likes football.

Heck, 44K students, only a few hundred people attend the Theatre Department's plays.  Is that a marketing problem, too?

probably a combination of marketing and bad acting