prettyricky Wrote:What's so bad about the citrus bowl .... is it far from the campus?
I remember when UH (houston) used to play in the dome, I actually prefered it. It wasn't so damn hot and in all honesty it was closer to where most people lived. I think that playing on-campus has hurt attendance of the casual fan in Houston, because our campus is in the hood.
I've heard Marshall fans say the Citrus Bowl was in the hood, but I figured it was just smack. I know as a player I would love to play in a big stadium like the citrus bowl
The three main beefs folks have with the Citrus Bowl is its age, location, and money.
The lower bowl was built in 1936 and it looks it...especially the restrooms. The upper deck was built in the later 80's but we rarely use it. There's been renovations in the past, but nothing major.
It's not located on campus. It's a popular thought that with an on-campus stadium, we'll get more student envolvment and a better college atmosphere. We take pride in the beauty of our campus and we want fans to tailgate, stroll around, and shop there.
The City of Orlando gets the $$$ from all the concessions and parking. Simlpy put, we want that money. Our rent for the facility isn't that bad, but why rent when you can own?
The Citrus Bowl isn't a "bad" place, just not the best place. Can't help but to walk around opponents' on-campus stadiums and feel a little envious. I think we'd like a facility where UCF sports takes priority. There's only so much we can do to the Citrus Bowl to make it ours, plus on occasion, we have to schedule around other games such as the annual Florida Classic (Florida A&M versus Bethune-Cookman).
I think most UCF alumni, boosters, and students will agree the ideal situation would be to have an on-campus stadium. Where there's a disagreement is to when. Some want it now (or in the near future), others would like it later (after we tend to our other sports). Our current AD falls to the latter...as do I. One can make an argument either way, but that's for another post. :D