Hello folks.

I am working on a project and would love some feedback. As a new member of Big East I would love some information and insight from your fans about your experiences at games. To share with fans from other Big East schools so we have a first hand view of what to expect when fans take impending road trips. Any insight would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Your team:
Describe stadium and atmosphere
Tailgating scene?
How is the surrounding area?
How is the food? what kind of food - in stadium and during tailgate
What are some of the cool traditions before or during the game?
Thoughts on team jerseys
Biggest, most hated rival?
Would you recommend trip to visitors?

Also...maybe you can share your thoughts regarding a potential rivalry with USF in a battle for Florida. Would love to see hear how UCF feels about joining Big East and trying to be best in the state.

Thanks!

(12-12-2011 12:56 PM)thebearcat Wrote:  Hello folks.

I am working on a project and would love some feedback. As a new member of Big East I would love some information and insight from your fans about your experiences at games. To share with fans from other Big East schools so we have a first hand view of what to expect when fans take impending road trips. Any insight would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Your team:
Describe stadium and atmosphere
Tailgating scene?
How is the surrounding area?
How is the food? what kind of food - in stadium and during tailgate
What are some of the cool traditions before or during the game?
Thoughts on team jerseys
Biggest, most hated rival?
Would you recommend trip to visitors?

Also...maybe you can share your thoughts regarding a potential rivalry with USF in a battle for Florida. Would love to see hear how UCF feels about joining Big East and trying to be best in the state.

Thanks!

I'll start from the top and answer bullet style

-The stadium isn't finished yet, as far as expansion prospects and facade. It looks good, but it does look a little cheap. I've heard comparisons to Doak Campbell stadium before it was completed (ours current) and how it looks now (facade complete and everything)

Time lapse before the boston college game





-Here's a good example of the atmosphere




Another here, at the last UCF-USF game. This game was absolutely sold out to capacity but this was taken late in the 4th quarter. A lot of fairweather fans had left already as we were down by about 14 points I think, but a kickoff return, then interception led to 14 points in under a minute, tying it up and forcing OT. Probably the best game I have ever attended.





-Tailgating scene is probably the best in florida, and revolves around the OCS. All parking spots

Refer to this link

The stadium is in the northeast corner, all the parking lots extending around and from the stadium are filled with tailgaters, but the most intense tailgating is done on memory mall where everyone pitches up canopy tents and grills, drinks, parties... etc. Memory mall is the strip of lawn in between the very center of the campus (student union) and the athletic village / stadium

Generally looks like this



-The immediate surrounding area is suburban, family living. Extending about 7 miles east you get into the rural areas that populate everything in florida that isn't within 15 miles of a major city (typical south country), west of the campus is more urban living extending all the way to the city of orlando (about 15-20 miles away) and that's pretty much it. It's about 45-60 minutes to Disney, 30-45 minutes to Universal and the tourist districts, but UCF is connected to all of that via the toll roads 417, 408, and 528 which all connect to i-4 directly. From any of those roads you can reach anywhere in orlando (airports included, of which there are 3 that I know of, Orlando International, Orlando Executive, and Sanford International)

-There is no shortage of food at all. Even just on campus there is Tailgaters (think roadhouse, longhorn, smokey bones, et al.) located in the athletic complex itself, Wackadoos (typical sports bar located in the student union, the student cafeterias which aren't bad, and several small eateries (Jimmy Johns, Kiyotos, Subway, Dominoes) in the athletic village). In a 3 mile radius of the campus there is anything you could want: Hole in the wall bars, hole in the wall pizza joints, upscale pizza parlors, Chinese, Japanese, Sushi, Vietnamese, Seafood... really I cant name everything here...

Inside the stadium is a little more restricted, simply being reserved to concession foods like nachos, pizza, hot dogs, pretzels etc.

-Traditions before the game: The band marches to the stadium, memory mall tailgating and tailgating quite literally all day, and the like. Traditions before game vary from tailgate to tailgate.

-Traditions during the game:

Zombie Nation.




This all started because during the inaugural year, students found out that the stadium bounced when everyone would jump together. Given that zombie nation is a relatively easy song to coordinate to, everyone jumped then, and literally shook the stadium (noticeably on tv). They have since reinforced the stadium, but it still shakes a little.

Other traditions, the UCF First down Joust, the Intro ceremonies with the pegasus horse (akin to FSU Chief Osceola), and such. We used to have cannons but I dont know what happened to them

-Jersey's... I couldn't tell ya, so long as they are black first, THEN vegas gold. The ones we have now are supposedly filler Jerseys that Nike sold to us last minute until we could get something unique. We used to be Adidas but Marcus Jordan refused to wear anything but Nike, considering his dad's brand is a subsidary of Nike. Adidas dropped us, Nike picked us up, and that's that.

-USF. Der.

-Absolutely, that's what Orlando is for is it not?

Aside from the extra money and exposure, UCF's #1 reason of joining the Big East was to at least be on equal footing of USF athletic wise. I can tell you that every single USF / UCF fan will plan months, even years in advance for our inaugural Big East Conference game. The previous series sold out the Citrus Bowl, BHNS, and Raymond James stadium each time. I know the demand for tickets this time around will be exponentially greater, and given time, will rival the UF / FSU game, not only for the amount of graduates each school is putting out each year, but because the populations of Tampa / Orlando is significantly greater than Gainesville / Tallahassee. It will be a city-wide phenomenon.

(12-12-2011 12:56 PM)thebearcat Wrote:  Hello folks.

I am working on a project and would love some feedback. As a new member of Big East I would love some information and insight from your fans about your experiences at games. To share with fans from other Big East schools so we have a first hand view of what to expect when fans take impending road trips. Any insight would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Your team:
1) Describe stadium and atmosphere
2. Tailgating scene?
3. How is the surrounding area?
4. How is the food? what kind of food - in stadium and during tailgate
5. What are some of the cool traditions before or during the game?
6. Thoughts on team jerseys
7. Biggest, most hated rival?
8. Would you recommend trip to visitors?

Also...maybe you can share your thoughts regarding a potential rivalry with USF in a battle for Florida. Would love to see hear how UCF feels about joining Big East and trying to be best in the state.

Thanks!

1. The stadium fits our needs in terms of size. Its new and nice, but nothing spectacular. Atmosphere is great in the lower bowl, student section, and whole west side. The visitor section sucks since it away from all the good sections.
2. Tailgating is very impressive. Everyone from other schools are blown away.
3. Its nice. Its not like most college towns. UCF is a closed off campus which great. The surrounding area is businesses and housing.
4. Normal stuff.
5. Winning
6. Everyone hates our uniforms.
7. UWCF you may know them as South FL
8. I would recommend everyone to come to our games for a great and fun college gameday experience. Heck you can't beat visiting one of the top 3 places to visit in the world. The secret to your visit, Downtown Orlando the place only for the locals. One of the best nightlifes you'll find.

(12-12-2011 12:56 PM)thebearcat Wrote:  Hello folks.

I am working on a project and would love some feedback. As a new member of Big East I would love some information and insight from your fans about your experiences at games. To share with fans from other Big East schools so we have a first hand view of what to expect when fans take impending road trips. Any insight would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Your team:
Describe stadium and atmosphere
Tailgating scene?
How is the surrounding area?
How is the food? what kind of food - in stadium and during tailgate
What are some of the cool traditions before or during the game?
Thoughts on team jerseys
Biggest, most hated rival?
Would you recommend trip to visitors?

Also...maybe you can share your thoughts regarding a potential rivalry with USF in a battle for Florida. Would love to see hear how UCF feels about joining Big East and trying to be best in the state.

Thanks!

Do you happen to have a link or copy of the article you published?