Bulls To Remain At Raymond James Stadium

[TyBull]

http://www.tbo.com/sports/bulls/MGBFY9Z6F3F.html

 

Bulls To Remain At Raymond James Stadium

By BRETT McMURPHY The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 27, 2007

TAMPA - Raymond James Stadium will remain the home for the University of South Florida football games for at least another five years.

USF and the Tampa Sports Authority, which manages RJS, have agreed in principle on a five-year deal through the 2011 season with an option for five more seasons through the 2016 season.

The agreement also allows USF to terminate the contract - without penalty - by providing a two-year notice if the school decides to build an on-campus stadium.

"We are pleased to renew our contract with USF," Tampa Sports Authority executive director Henry Saavedra said. "We're proud to have them at our stadium and hope to for many years.

"We are very fortunate. They are a great community asset."

The contract was approved by the Tampa Sports Authority's board last week and is only awaiting a signature from USF athletic director Doug Woolard to execute the contract. Woolard was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

Under terms of the contract, USF must exercise the five-year option at least six months before August 2012. The contract also allows USF to terminate the contract with at least two years notice before the termination date as selected by USF.

USF must pay the Tampa Sports Authority a $105,000 license fee in 2007 - up from $86,000 in 2006.

The license fee is based on TSA's estimated direct costs for each USF game. It includes operating expenses for use of the stadium's lower bowl. That figure increases $10,000 each season to $145,000 in 2011.

The agreement does not specify the license fee if USF uses the upper deck, a possibility this year with home games against UCF, Louisville and West Virginia.

If USF renews the agreement beyond 2011, the license fee will be negotiated between TSA and USF.

TSA also receives a ticket surcharge equal to 8 percent of each USF ticket sold, not to exceed $2.50 per ticket.

TSA will provide 3,000 complimentary parking spaces for USF donors and another 300 for USF officials and media, but will retain all other parking revenue.

USF does not have to pay TSA a license fee to hold its spring game at RJS, except for any direct game expenses.

USF is 46-10 at RJS, including 21 consecutive wins from 2000 to 2003, then the nation's second-longest home winning streak.

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com.

[Sunil]

$105,000 licensing fee ($10,000 increase per yr)

$2.50/ ticket surcharge (8% of every ticket sold)

doesn't TSA also get parking and concession revenue? That leaves us the remaining ticket revenue? (someone help me out)

Being at a world-class facility certainly has upsides, but if things break right...I wouldn't be shocked if we ended up exercising that 2-yr termination notice clause...

[BULLfreak]

what is nice is that we can opt out at any time with out any fees

[Guest]

Ty: http://thebullspen.com/index.php?topic=34452.0

Blade: The Buccaneers get the first $2 million in non-Buccaneer parking revenue every year (in addition to all parking revenue for Bucs games).  Anything above $2 million is the TSA's.  The Bucs also get every penny from RayJay concession stads (with, perhaps, the exception of the licensing needed for USF-branded cups).  The Bulls Heaven tables in the stadium do not count towards this.  The Bucs also get $$ from all permanent advertising in the stadium... but the advertising on the wall-wraps, things like the M arches and Hootie the owl, and all the ads on the jumbotron are $$ for USF.

This may not be 100% accurate, but this is my understanding of the situation at Raymond James.

USF is in the middle of raising $50+ million for renovation and construction of our on campus athletic facilities... Unless a major donor with major money comes forward who wants to fund the stadium, I would not expect any effort towards an OCS until that is finished.  $630,000 per year in lease payments is not bad when you consider the debt service on a $200 million stadium.

[crambone]

The Big M wasn't too prevalent last year, was it?

[SANJAY]

Jim, Who gets the ticket money above the $2.50 fee to TSA?

[Guest]

Jim, Who gets the ticket money above the $2.50 fee to TSA?

All of that goes to USF.

[RunningoftheBulls]

I hope they negotiated somewhere in the contract that they will make RJS look like a USF stadium during our home games.  Sorry but they can do better than just green flags at the top along with the U over a painted Bucs symbol.  That just doesn’t work for me.  And don’t tell they can’t do it.  We have a perfect example that it can be done in our own conference (Pitt).

Would love it to look like Bullfreaks sig

[SANJAY]

So this season if we can average 30K paying fans per game at an average of $25.00 a ticket and 6 games, that is $4.05million for USF.  We need to put butts in the seats.  I am only going with 30K since we have a good home slate, otherwise it would be lower.

[goodknightfl]

congrats on the new deal.. there is good and bad in playing in someone else's crib.. but overall I think it is a plus for USF right now.