Is it time for OCS?

[Bull Matrix]

 

 

 

USF has to stay competive with the AAC. UCF, SMU, Tulane, Houston, Cincy have or are contructing new OCS. Memphis is pushing to upgrade their football facility. Tulane and Houston could have used the NFL stadiums, but are opting to OCS. That tells you something. Hopefully, there will be something announced within the next few years regarding an OCS. 

 

If its good enough for Miami and Pitt...    USF needs to be competitive on the field. Period.

 

Both Pitt and Miami have terrible atmospheres at their NFL stadiums. Talk to many, and they hate it and would love to have and OCS. With the money that they are going to contiune to rack in with the new system. They will be fine. USF no longer has that luxury of being in a power conference. We are in a low and could be heading even lower as long as we are paying to rent out a RJS that will get about 12K. Don't forget that the Univ of Tampa shut their program down due to lack of interest. USF may get into that danger if we continue this downward spiral. It would not surprise me now the way the landscape has changed. 

 

 

Do you think the state of football is not going to change in the near future? What if paying student athletes is initiated? Then what? Or if they change the game even more due to the head injury risks and it becomes even less appealing to fans? I am just saying don't rush out in this economy, with the sport in flux and spend hundreds of millions.

 

The inequality of spending on athletics vs education at universities is going to come under further examination after the report that just came out.

 

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/12/04/new-database-allows-users-compare-sports-and-academic-spending

 

 

Here's the chart for USF.  From 2005 to 2011 USF increased the spending per full time student 14% while it increased 139% for football players. 

 

http://spendingdatabase.knightcommission.org/fbs/big-east/university-of-south-florida

 

 

As long as the TV networks are paying more and more money, you will always have football. May be only 4 big conferences of the haves. But the money is too good for the TV networks. They control it and will continue to control the landscape. It is all business. 

[TherapyBull]

Another thing that nobody is really mentioning with regards to an OCS is the remaining lifespan of RJS. Looking at the current atmosphere it is not a stretch of the mind at all to think that the Glazers will be wanting a new stadium in the not so distant future. If you look at the age of stadiums around the league you will see that RJS is about middle of the pack with half the stadiums being newer and containing more modern amenities. I hope people aren't still clamining RJS is the nicest stadium in the league, I would recommend traveling and seeing some of these venues.

While I am not saying RJS will be replaced in the next couple of seasons, it will be at some point sooner rather than later. Look at the Georgia Dome and Turner Field, of course that could happen here, who woulnd't think that from the Glazer's. Its also not a given that the stadium will remain in that Bucs traditional Dale Mabry location. The point of the matter is, this would represent a very good time to transition to our own on campus venue.

[slick1ru2]

Ray Jay was voted as having the #2 natural surface field in the NFL. I think their website says it, not sure when the poll took place. I doubt, with Tampa's economy lagging the U.S. they are going to ask for a stadium. They are all a billion plus. Maybe a renovation.

[Bull Matrix]

What makes RJS great is the weather here in Tampa Bay. Also the grass turf. All this would be included with an OCS. I would actually prefer that USF maybe install field turf if they can if it would save money in the long run. 

[MaltLiquorBull]

I thought I would bump this thread again to add another thought related to the "game day experience."

 

It's about time to write that donation check, and then in the spring, it will be time to write the football season ticket renewal check.  It's the season ticket check that is hardest to write.  Why?  Well, because the product on the field is SO BAD that the demand for tickets is EXTREMELY LOW.  With that in mind, I could easily attend each game while sitting in better seats than I have if I used the secondary market to buy my tickets.  I spend $45 a seat + donation and other people I know are sitting in better seats that they get for $10 off of stub-hub.  So, buying the tickets is definitely not a wise financial decision.  I only do it to support the program, and I look at it as an extra donation (with no tax deduction).  I would attend the games either way, but I continue to buy the season tickets to help prop up the team.  I have to think that there are others that are either on the fence or who have stopped buying the season tickets.

 

That being said, if the product included a game day experience on campus, I think the decision to keep season tickets in a down period (when the product on the field sucks) would be a much easier one.  The game day experience is still worth every penny.  You get to return to your campus.  You get to park on campus.  You get a parade.  You get to follow the band into the stadium.  You get a stadium that's green and gold.  Now that's worth something even when the team is bad.  What do you get now?  You get directed into RayJay by parking nazis and then you get to sit in a red stadium that doesn't allow you to bring anything in.  You get a pirate ship.  Whatever.  Cup holders--big freaking deal.

 

Just to speak for myself--I would feel much better about paying for (and paying more for) season tickets if the games were on campus.  Period.

[JTrue]

I thought I would bump this thread again to add another thought related to the "game day experience."

 

It's about time to write that donation check, and then in the spring, it will be time to write the football season ticket renewal check.  It's the season ticket check that is hardest to write.  Why?  Well, because the product on the field is SO BAD that the demand for tickets is EXTREMELY LOW.  With that in mind, I could easily attend each game while sitting in better seats than I have if I used the secondary market to buy my tickets.  I spend $45 a seat + donation and other people I know are sitting in better seats that they get for $10 off of stub-hub.  So, buying the tickets is definitely not a wise financial decision.  I only do it to support the program, and I look at it as an extra donation (with no tax deduction).  I would attend the games either way, but I continue to buy the season tickets to help prop up the team.  I have to think that there are others that are either on the fence or who have stopped buying the season tickets.

 

That being said, if the product included a game day experience on campus, I think the decision to keep season tickets in a down period (when the product on the field sucks) would be a much easier one.  The game day experience is still worth every penny.  You get to return to your campus.  You get to park on campus.  You get a parade.  You get to follow the band into the stadium.  You get a stadium that's green and gold.  Now that's worth something even when the team is bad.  What do you get now?  You get directed into RayJay by parking nazis and then you get to sit in a red stadium that doesn't allow you to bring anything in.  You get a pirate ship.  Whatever.  Cup holders--big freaking deal.

 

Just to speak for myself--I would feel much better about paying for (and paying more for) season tickets if the games were on campus.  Period.

You're in luck, right now you get minimal game-day experience and less than minimal entertainment from the team.

 

Now, did you want to add any more seats to your current allotment?

[namuh-bull]

...and at RJS I know that profits from the overpriced concessions are going to Glazer and the TSA and not my school that I am there to support.

The nicest NFL stadium I've been to is Reliant in Houston. It makes RJS seem dated and inconvenient, which is crazy considering the age of RJS.

The funny thing is I wouldn't even care what we had for amenities in an OCS stadium as long as it was a full bowl and had enough bathrooms and concession facilities for the family to avoid long lines.

Go Bulls!

Edited December 10, 2013 by namuh-bull

[TherapyBull]

I thought I would bump this thread again to add another thought related to the "game day experience."

 

It's about time to write that donation check, and then in the spring, it will be time to write the football season ticket renewal check.  It's the season ticket check that is hardest to write.  Why?  Well, because the product on the field is SO BAD that the demand for tickets is EXTREMELY LOW.  With that in mind, I could easily attend each game while sitting in better seats than I have if I used the secondary market to buy my tickets.  I spend $45 a seat + donation and other people I know are sitting in better seats that they get for $10 off of stub-hub.  So, buying the tickets is definitely not a wise financial decision.  I only do it to support the program, and I look at it as an extra donation (with no tax deduction).  I would attend the games either way, but I continue to buy the season tickets to help prop up the team.  I have to think that there are others that are either on the fence or who have stopped buying the season tickets.

 

That being said, if the product included a game day experience on campus, I think the decision to keep season tickets in a down period (when the product on the field sucks) would be a much easier one.  The game day experience is still worth every penny.  You get to return to your campus.  You get to park on campus.  You get a parade.  You get to follow the band into the stadium.  You get a stadium that's green and gold.  Now that's worth something even when the team is bad.  What do you get now?  You get directed into RayJay by parking nazis and then you get to sit in a red stadium that doesn't allow you to bring anything in.  You get a pirate ship.  Whatever.  Cup holders--big freaking deal.

 

Just to speak for myself--I would feel much better about paying for (and paying more for) season tickets if the games were on campus.  Period.

Great points!

[gainesvillebull]

 

I thought I would bump this thread again to add another thought related to the "game day experience."

 

It's about time to write that donation check, and then in the spring, it will be time to write the football season ticket renewal check.  It's the season ticket check that is hardest to write.  Why?  Well, because the product on the field is SO BAD that the demand for tickets is EXTREMELY LOW.  With that in mind, I could easily attend each game while sitting in better seats than I have if I used the secondary market to buy my tickets.  I spend $45 a seat + donation and other people I know are sitting in better seats that they get for $10 off of stub-hub.  So, buying the tickets is definitely not a wise financial decision.  I only do it to support the program, and I look at it as an extra donation (with no tax deduction).  I would attend the games either way, but I continue to buy the season tickets to help prop up the team.  I have to think that there are others that are either on the fence or who have stopped buying the season tickets.

 

That being said, if the product included a game day experience on campus, I think the decision to keep season tickets in a down period (when the product on the field sucks) would be a much easier one.  The game day experience is still worth every penny.  You get to return to your campus.  You get to park on campus.  You get a parade.  You get to follow the band into the stadium.  You get a stadium that's green and gold.  Now that's worth something even when the team is bad.  What do you get now?  You get directed into RayJay by parking nazis and then you get to sit in a red stadium that doesn't allow you to bring anything in.  You get a pirate ship.  Whatever.  Cup holders--big freaking deal.

 

Just to speak for myself--I would feel much better about paying for (and paying more for) season tickets if the games were on campus.  Period.

Great points!

 

I know this will be the first time in 5 years I will not renew my season tix. I knew of people giving away tickets. That being said prices will go up if the Bulls preform on the field. I would as stated above keep my season tickets if we had an OCS to call our own and not our pirates of the Caribbean themed joke. 

[GaUSFBull]

LOL  ... it always cracks me up to see Bulls fan rag on Ray Jay.  It is a badass NFL stadium.  The Bucs were there first.  Say what you will about the Glazers, even say what you will about the pirate ship (Buc fans love the pirate ship and the cannons, for those that don't follow the Bucs) but as far as the stadium goes, WHEN USF gets their OCS, anything less amenities-wise and there will be many Bulls fans ******** and moaning about how uncomfortable the stadium is. 

 

Also, I guarantee those that were at the 2007 USF-WVU game weren't complaining about the stadium that night.  We just have to get back to that level of play and I'm sure some on here will change their tune about the "joke" of a stadium our Bulls play in.