Stadium

[Knight_Light]

He (KL) also never mentions the costs to maintain the stadium.

Actually, I did mention "debt service" when calculating revenues projections over a 40-50 year time period...and obviously maintenance is one of those line items that every school that owns their own stadium has to support each and every year. 

[BullDoug]

Jim I think you may be a bit high on the concession revenue analysis.  I usually just to drinks and a snack only if the kids are with me.  $80 for concessions for a family of four seems a bit steep but I could be wrong.  Wouldn't be the first time...nor last.

[smazza]

when usf starts winning big east with regularity the state would happy to build them a stadium

until than ray jay is just fine

[SattyBull]

Any idea when the baseball stadium renovations may start? That should be the #1 goal for USF athletic facilities.

The current stadium is comparable to University of Tampa's....

[Guest]

some interesting points and by no means was I trying to say that OCS are a terrible waste of time at some point. My main issue with USF working on that i we are struggling so hard to get the rest of our sports world in order. If you have a tough time paying off the athletic facility for 18 million or scratching together the coin for the various renovation projects for other sports-- how can you really put forth the effort for the football stadium. Seems like the old before the horse/ learn to walk before you run type of thinking.

Now I can see a good argument being made for continuing to invest in football for major gains downstream that help ALL sports-- and perhap the OCS can attain some of those goals. I just wonder if this is a practical use of our already strained human and financial resources. Call me cautious or conservative-- I am more interested in avoiding over  extending the program to the point where if we don't sell X number of tickets or have an off year that we start going in the red like some teams face.

I agree totally with this... Finish the other projects first... look for a stadium when USF is ready for it.

Just wanting to point out that if USF wanted to do it, the costs are not as out of whack as some might think.  It wouldn't be easy, but it might be possible.  The bigger issue, from my perspective, is that USF needs the other facilities -- basketball practice facility/dining hall, softball stadium, baseball stadium, etc... -- USF needs them far more than it needs an OCS for football.  It's $54 million for all of these things, and I think they are somewhere around $20 million into that...

[Guest]

I think the biggest thing would be to consider that an OCS would be used more than just 6 or 7 times per year... Club areas could be rented out for functions... Concerts or other events could be staged in the stadium... etc

From concessions, advertising, naming rights, parking, etc... there would be substanitally more revenue... the operating expenses would be about the same as we are currently spending... but the debt service would eat a lot of the extra cash.  If USF can get substantial donations for a capital campaign, then there would be additional profits.

Clearly, common sense says that an OCS will make more money in the long run than playing at RayJay...

BUT, USF has other priorities.

It's like someone paying off credit cards and student loans before buying a house.

[USFMikeB]

when usf starts winning big east with regularity the state would happy to build them a stadium

Wrong, the State of Florida is NOT going to build USF a football stadium.  Not going to happen.  Ever.

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[Costa]

Im not sure why some of you are saying an OCS would "destroy" us? Aside from the money aspect, it would be great, it would give USF a much better atmosphere. But from the money aspect, I see the reasons why we havent. I agree, softball and baseball should be first, because they play in a dump. Its almost sad.

[SattyBull]

Any idea when the baseball stadium renovations may start? That should be the #1 goal for USF athletic facilities.

The current stadium is comparable to University of Tampa's....

Anyone know?

[cmhatter]

an OCS combined with the new student union would make USF an AWESOME campus...

when incoming freshman come to tour a school they go to schools and see the swamP or doak or the shoe or beaver stadium and say to themselves "wow this is what i want to be a part of, this is where i want to go to school".... I honestly think we would rapidly become one of the schools in the state of florida that most kids would want to attend. An OCS would do wonders for USF imo..