KnightLight Wrote:

Brick City Pirate Wrote:bit, Doesn't USF have a winning record? If I was a fan of USF, I'd be upset. In case the USF folks haven't noticed, FlaSt & Miami are on the upswing. Recruiting is going to get tougher in Florida and not showing up at the home as well as bowl games is certainly noticed by the recruits. I thought USF was a gamble when they were added to the Big East since they didn't have a seasoned fanbase. It appeared that the gamble was paying off until I saw those attendance stats for this year. Is it going to take a top 15 program each year to get fans to the games? Hopefully it's a blip and attendance will pick up next year. I'm not knocking USF, I'd really like to know what someone like Cuban thinks of USF's poor attendance.

Relax pirate boy.

USF has helped the Big East in many ways (i.e. kept a FLA presence for the conf, helps ALL the other Big East teams in regards to getting more recruiting exposure in FLA, secured a Top 15 TV market for the Big East, etc...).

If there was "any" risk in inviting USF back in 2003 to the Big East...the risk has already been PAID-OFF.

Bingo KL, USF has paid off in a big way. That's why people have talked about UCF being invited to the Big East. Since USF is established people wondered if adding UCF would help increase the Big East's presence here and help fight ACC (Miami and Florida State), and the SEC (Florida). They wouldn't think that if USF was a failure. And a dip in attendance every once in awhile isn't a failure.

Brick City Pirate Wrote:Cuban, They all sound like legit reasons. For all the UCF posters, I don't think it makes one bit of difference how long a school has been playing football. A school that has 50,000 students, located in a large metro area, with a winning record, should pack their stadium. USF is in the big time and it's time their fans show what Florida college football is all about.

I'm sure USF fans appreciate your nice lecture on their attendance, but their attendance is fine.

Brick City Pirate Wrote:USF is not having a bad season. I appreciate your response USFFan. Even though I certainly thought ECU had paid way more dues than USF, I understood the reason USF was invited. I hold no ill will towards USF, since I don't think those yankees that run the Big East will ever invite ECU. It just amazes me that a school with 50k number of students located in a large metropolitan area can't generate a lot more attendance. ECU is located in a town of about 100k. It has a student population of around 30k, and we get 43,000 butts in the seats every saturday.

For one, it's clear that you do hold a grudge over USF getting an invite over ECU. Second, how old is ECU, 3 quarter of a century old? USF is like 10 years old or something. And you're lecturing them on their attendance after it spiked up, what, 20,000 over the last few years!? On a side note, I find it ironic that you're criticizing USF for their attendance and you're praising ECU for putting "43,000 butts in the seats every Saturday". So you're criticizing a program for drawing more then YOUR program!?

Brick City Pirate Wrote:For all the UCF posters, I don't think it makes one bit of difference how long a school has been playing football.

Wow.

CatsClaw Wrote:

Brick City Pirate Wrote:For all the UCF posters, I don't think it makes one bit of difference how long a school has been playing football.

Wow.

I'm not a fan of South Fla (Ha, ha), but it clearly helps to have decades of football under your belt. It starts becoming a tradition for your family and friends to go to the games. That doesn't happen overnight.

I really believe that both UCF/South Fla will both average over 70K in 10 years. I know UCF has close to 12K students a game which will translate into some becoming season ticket holders in the future.

CatsClaw, Good gosh man, if ECU had 50,000 students, we would have between 55,000-60,000 a game. I guess I should have used a Big East school handle to inquire about a school from the Big East, with a winning record, that is losing attendance. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I wish I hadn't brought it up.

Brick City Pirate Wrote:I wish I hadn't brought it up.

Heh, that makes two of us, though it was nice to see UCF fans actually on our side for a change.

I do think, as others have said, you're being purposefully obtuse if you think that the amount of time you've played has no bearing on your attendance. My kids have grown up as Bulls fans. I didn't even know what USF's mascot was when I was a junior in high school. For both USF and UCF, most of our alumni didn't have I-A football when we were students, so as the younger alumni who are used to going to games (with their children) get older and, presumably, wealthier, they'll begin to provide more financial support and future fans who learn the school's traditions as children instead of making them up as they go along...

USFFan

BC
First off USF does NOT have 50,000 students. The main campus has close to 39k with about 10k being graduate students. As part of being in a large city many of our students are older with families and thus not likely to follow athletics. With that said we do have a student section of 12,500 tickets for students which is the largest in the Big East.
Also MOST of our alumni graduated before football started so there is very little attachment to the school athletic program. We will continue to grow as the years go by and more students graduate that have grown used to following football at USF.
If you noticed last year we were at about 53k per game. Next year we will be over 55k unless we flop on the field.
So while we have a larger student population than ECU, I would say if you look at those that are full time students and that are college age you wouldnt see ahuge difference between both schools. Ill say USF probably has 24-25k that fit that demographics.
I would also say that there are probably more older alumni supporting ECU than USF because more have grown up doing so. Top that off with having pro-sports competing for those interested in sports and you can see the reasons for our numbers. USF will have to win to draw but as the years go by you will see our numbers grow.
Right now USF is in top 40 in attendance in college football, Ill say thats damn good for a school with only 11 years of football history and 5 years in 1A

Cubanbull Wrote:BC
First off USF does NOT have 50,000 students. The main campus has close to 39k with about 10k being graduate students. As part of being in a large city many of our students are older with families and thus not likely to follow athletics. With that said we do have a student section of 12,500 tickets for students which is the largest in the Big East.
Also MOST of our alumni graduated before football started so there is very little attachment to the school athletic program. We will continue to grow as the years go by and more students graduate that have grown used to following football at USF.
If you noticed last year we were at about 53k per game. Next year we will be over 55k unless we flop on the field.
So while we have a larger student population than ECU, I would say if you look at those that are full time students and that are college age you wouldnt see ahuge difference between both schools. Ill say USF probably has 24-25k that fit that demographics.
I would also say that there are probably more older alumni supporting ECU than USF because more have grown up doing so. Top that off with having pro-sports competing for those interested in sports and you can see the reasons for our numbers. USF will have to win to draw but as the years go by you will see our numbers grow.
Right now USF is in top 40 in attendance in college football, Ill say thats damn good for a school with only 11 years of football history and 5 years in 1A

Cuban, not to nitpick but this is USF's 12 year, and 8th year as 1A(2001-2008). 97-00 were 1-AA Indy, 01-02 1A Indy, 03-04, CUSA, 05-08 BE. Sorry, pet peeve.

Thx, I threw it up the top off my head.

The Big East has to many.
The number of Thursday and Friday night game has really hurt attendance in the Big East. If the games were held on Saturday attendance would be better. Especially late in the season November games on work nights hurt the attendance. I know I know the TV is to hard to resist but the fact is Thursday and Friday night game are not well attended which is why the Big Ten and Sec has very few games on those nights. Thursday is a work night and Friday is high schools football night.

I think you have it right on the # of weekday games.. it hurts attendence...

Damn reading this thread with USF/UCF fans

All I can think of is the song "Ebony and Ivory"

Strange--go get a room

Seriously, the fan growth has been dramatic at USF--a little step back is understandable

Congrats to Cincy also...Nippert is my favorite small stadium out there
A huge improvement over the atmosphere in the 1990s

As long as USF's decline in attendance doesn't become a trend, I don't see a problem. I appreciate the explanations given. I agree with the majority of what was discussed. I'm also willing to admit that I was wrong about USF's lack of history not being relevant. I think USF was a good addition to the Big East and it makes sense to add UCF as a travel partner. Good Luck with your program!

No problem.

I dont think there will be a decline, our season ticket base has grown yearly. Next year with UM being in the schedule we should get that number to increase,

UofL07 Wrote:

Brick City Pirate Wrote:It just amazes me that a school with 50k number of students located in a large metropolitan area can't generate a lot more attendance. ECU is located in a town of about 100k. It has a student population of around 30k, and we get 43,000 butts in the seats every saturday.

How many other entertainment options are available for students in Tampa versus students in Greenville?

while i have to agree with you to an extent in that there's nothing to do here, our students don't go to games just to have something to do or "hmm i'm bored, i'll check out a game". We may do some sports like that, but to the ECU students, football is more than entertainment, it's part of student life.

Personally i think the longer usf is in the bigeast and builds rivalries, their attendance will grow. Sure there are a lot of fairweather fans, but they're also still pretty young so far as a program goes. I'll bet if we check 20 years down the road, USF students and other fans as well will consider games much more than entertainment.

Many fans of teams that want to be in the Big East seem to think the only criteria for being admitted to the Big East is attendance at football games.

We have seen this "argument" on this board many times. It has been used as an "argument" against UC being in the Big East many times.

Again, not to beat a dead horse, but USF paid attendance went from 53K to almost 50K, A WHOLE whopping drop of 3-4K. Still near top of BE, outside of WVU. Will go back above 53K next yr with favorable home sched, including Miami. Actual attendance dropped after 3 game losing streak as some stayed home against UConn.