Stadium

[TB Bulls]

So...when are we getting an OCS?

JK  :ROFLMAO

[IncrediBULL]

Quick thoughts... First, that season ticket holder # will grow every year. Yes, your average Tampa fans might start coming/keep on coming, but the graduating students will also start to buy season tickets every year. I am not at all concerned about those numbers going down. As more and more students graduate, populartity will most certaintly grow. Personally, I would like to see something like- average 50K+ a game for a few more seasons. Season tickets should also be 30K+. Then, find a reasonable spot and start your feasability study. Money will be a problem, but I can see people very excited to donate for a stadium. Have a path leading to the stadium with peoples names in bricks who donated X amount of dollars. We are certainly not ready yet, I doubt anybody would disagree with that. It will come tho.

Didnt the Bulls sign the lease so after five years they could pull out?

Do you know how many fricken bricks you would have to sell, and at what price point, to raise $400,000,000?  Would not even put a dent in the cost. 

[IncrediBULL]

So...when are we getting an OCS?

JK  :ROFLMAO

hopefully not for at least 10 years, if I have my way.... 

Build the program first.  Build other sports what they need on campus next.  Win on the football field and show we can sell out RJS all season, every season.  Then start a capital campaign and keep it going for 5 years until you have at least 1/3 of the cost in the bank (at least 150m by then).  Ony then can you realistically make a case for an OCS.

Otherwise we compromise and end up with the crappy erector set like the other end of I4.  I'm not willing to compromise.  RJS suits me just fine, personally.

Edited by JimUSFSig to fix the quote.

[TB Bulls]

hopefully not for at least 10 years, if I have my way.... 

Build the program first.  Build other sports what they need on campus next.  Win on the football field and show we can sell out RJS all season, every season.  Then start a capital campaign and keep it going for 5 years until you have at least 1/3 of the cost in the bank (at least 150m by then).   Ony then can you realistically make a case for an OCS.

Otherwise we compromise and end up with the crappy erector set like the other end of I4.  I'm not willing to compromise.  RJS suits me just fine, personally.

Yeah, I wasn't being serious.  Just trying to get a laugh during one of the ever popular OCS threads.  Guess it wasn't that funny...sorry.

[Knight_Light]

I don't see us selling out the stadium for an entire year with 1-AA teams on the schedule.

ANd this is not exactly a problem for me/

As for any specific threshold for the number of season tickets -- I don't see that as the driving issue either. The economics of using RJS is just far too financially superior to building your own. It will be a while imo.

OCS threads-- they are like gunpowder around here.

Schools look at revenue projections by the DECADE when it comes to on-campus facilities...and while USF does make some $$$$ by playing in RJS...what would be the revenue difference by staying in RJS for 40-50 years vs playing in an on-campus stadium that you OWN and enjoy 100% of all the parking, merchandise, advertising, stadium sponsorship, concessions, suites, club seats, etc...over a 40-50 yr period? (including debt service).

USF will make $$$ staying at RJS...but how many MORE $$$$ would they be able to bring in by playing in a facility that they owned EVERYTHING over a long-period of time (i.e. say 20-50 years).

As schools like Michigan, UF, Penn State, Bama, etc...continue to rake in TENS of MILLIONS of $$$$ (revenue for many teams now now at/above $80 Million - $100 Million plus per year), the ARMS race (i.e. needed $$$$$ to stay competitive in a variety of sports) will only continue to soar.

Would USF get left behind (int he $$$ race) if they continue to stay at RJS for decades while not being able to maximize their revenue stream?

The future of College AThletics looks pretty scary...as more and more $$$$$ are needed each and every year just to keep UP, let alone try and pass folks when it comes to facilities, support, hiring the best staff, etc...

Wow.... a post form a UCF fan that includes logic and complete sentances??? I'm speechless.... Well played sir. Great points and I completely agree.

Like a broken clock, I'm usually accurate twice a day.

That was one.

[E.T.]

Our current lease with TSA is in year 1 or 2 of the 5 year deal. And each year after that to 10 is an option. Don't remember the actual $ figure, but us averaging 50K will help toward the GOAL of an OCS.

Seeing how many buy tix for TN-Martin will indicate somewhat. And remember, butts in seats don't matter. We make money on ticket sales only.

We are only about 2,800 tix away from selling out the lower bowl for TN-Martin and expect quite a few walk-ups. I expect a new Opener record.

An OCS isn't a top priority and the longer we wait, the better the stadium we can build.

Keep donating to help USF football get better.

[Guest]

Some counterpoints Mike.

* USF doesn't lease it's land.  USF is technically the state - there isn't a distinction between the two.

* USF's advertising revenue is limited because the Bucs get every penny from the permanent signs around the stadium.  USF gets revenue from the temporary advertising and from anything on the jumbotrons.  Whatever USF is making from advertising now is at most 1/3rd if not 1/4 of what they could make from an OCS.

* TSA doesn't have a large full-time "staff" for the stadium.  The employees at every game only work those games -- not to mention most concession stands are completely volunteers.  USF pays that cost now, so I would say it will not cost more per event than the current lease at RayJay.  There would be some full-time staff to manage the facility, but those personnel would probably be part of Sun Dome, Inc.

(There is a cost of operating the stadium, but I would say it's less than the cost of renting Ray Jay.)

* Parking revenue would probably not be that much more than USF currently receives.  Most colleges with an OCS only charge for parking close to their stadiums.

* Concessions can be lucrative - 60000 fans x 20 average per person - 1.2 million per game (gross)... with a profit margin of 20% or more (why do you think beer costs $8) - that would be $1.4 million in profit per year... Sure it's less than tickets... but it's enough to use as a revenue stream for debt service.  At the very least, this would be enough to cover the total cost of operating the stadium, from ticket takers to the electric bill.

[Triple B]

I don't see us selling out the stadium for an entire year with 1-AA teams on the schedule.

ANd this is not exactly a problem for me/

As for any specific threshold for the number of season tickets -- I don't see that as the driving issue either. The economics of using RJS is just far too financially superior to building your own. It will be a while imo.

OCS threads-- they are like gunpowder around here.

Schools look at revenue projections by the DECADE when it comes to on-campus facilities...and while USF does make some $$$$ by playing in RJS...what would be the revenue difference by staying in RJS for 40-50 years vs playing in an on-campus stadium that you OWN and enjoy 100% of all the parking, merchandise, advertising, stadium sponsorship, concessions, suites, club seats, etc...over a 40-50 yr period? (including debt service).

USF will make $$$ staying at RJS...but how many MORE $$$$ would they be able to bring in by playing in a facility that they owned EVERYTHING over a long-period of time (i.e. say 20-50 years).

As schools like Michigan, UF, Penn State, Bama, etc...continue to rake in TENS of MILLIONS of $$$$ (revenue for many teams now now at/above $80 Million - $100 Million plus per year), the ARMS race (i.e. needed $$$$$ to stay competitive in a variety of sports) will only continue to soar.

Would USF get left behind (int he $$$ race) if they continue to stay at RJS for decades while not being able to maximize their revenue stream?

The future of College AThletics looks pretty scary...as more and more $$$$$ are needed each and every year just to keep UP, let alone try and pass folks when it comes to facilities, support, hiring the best staff, etc...

Wow.... a post form a UCF fan that includes logic and complete sentances??? I'm speechless.... Well played sir. Great points and I completely agree.

[Southshore26]

I don't see us selling out the stadium for an entire year with 1-AA teams on the schedule.

ANd this is not exactly a problem for me/

As for any specific threshold for the number of season tickets -- I don't see that as the driving issue either. The economics of using RJS is just far too financially superior to building your own. It will be a while imo.

OCS threads-- they are like gunpowder around here.

Schools look at revenue projections by the DECADE when it comes to on-campus facilities...and while USF does make some $$$$ by playing in RJS...what would be the revenue difference by staying in RJS for 40-50 years vs playing in an on-campus stadium that you OWN and enjoy 100% of all the parking, merchandise, advertising, stadium sponsorship, concessions, suites, club seats, etc...over a 40-50 yr period? (including debt service).

USF will make $$$ staying at RJS...but how many MORE $$$$ would they be able to bring in by playing in a facility that they owned EVERYTHING over a long-period of time (i.e. say 20-50 years).

As schools like Michigan, UF, Penn State, Bama, etc...continue to rake in TENS of MILLIONS of $$$$ (revenue for many teams now now at/above $80 Million - $100 Million plus per year), the ARMS race (i.e. needed $$$$$ to stay competitive in a variety of sports) will only continue to soar.

Would USF get left behind (int he $$$ race) if they continue to stay at RJS for decades while not being able to maximize their revenue stream?

The future of College AThletics looks pretty scary...as more and more $$$$$ are needed each and every year just to keep UP, let alone try and pass folks when it comes to facilities, support, hiring the best staff, etc...

Wow.... a post form a UCF fan that includes logic and complete sentances??? I'm speechless.... Well played sir. Great points and I completely agree.

nice...

[USF Bulls Football]

Incredibul, I wasnt saying thats how to finance the stadium . I was just saying that it would be one way to get people more interested in donating. Do you disagree that having your name on the stadium would not be pretty neat 30 years down the road? Just a way to kinda "be rewarded for donating", heck, I would do it. God, get out of the Glazers pants