Topic: NHR: USF to build $340 Million Stadium

[Ovaltine Jenkins]

Ready by 2026

https://frontofficesports.com/usf-approves-340m-football-stadium-for-2026-season/

[herd2win]

Notice the size.  35000 with enrollment of 50000 students.  The era of mammoth stadiums is over.

[coalherd]

With their location, hope at that price it includes a roof, either retractable or permanent. 

[MUther]

I wonder what our stadium, as it is today, would cost in today's dollars with supply chain issues and inflated material costs.  I mean a simple baseball field is $20M these days.  Thank God we got the IPF pre-COVID economy.

[Johnnyherd]

They are preparing because they think they'll go to the PAC-12 with San Diego State, but they're not going.

Btw has anyone ever seen the name of USF's band?  So wrong and so unoriginal.

[svherd]

They'll never get an ROI on that. That program will never come close to what it was under Leavitt.

[MUther]

They'll never get an ROI on that. That program will never come close to what it was under Leavitt.

Maybe compared to what they paid to rent TB Bucs stadium.  Increased revenue, on-campus, and not pay rent, plus collect ALL the concession fees and other sales, etc.  Might at least break even over 15-20 years and have their own place to boot during that time.  I'm sure they crunched the numbers and found it was a better situation, even at a moderate loss.

Florida schools have big enrollments and a better economy with more alumni.   Might get it paid for privately down there, who knows?

[puma]

I don't think USF is going anywhere soon but they more than likely have a legitimate shot at the ACC, PAC, or Big 12 in the next several years and that's why they're shoveling money into facilities. Once the GOR is up for the ACC, half of the conference is gone and they're going to infill to survive. The PAC might implode even sooner.

It's kind of weird to think that USF was once the hotshot upstart program not long ago. They never really paid their dues at a lower level and jumped to the P5 very quickly, where they peaked, only to get left behind twice and completely surpassed by UCF. They no doubt they aren't happy about being in a conference with FAU and Charlotte and desperately don't want to be left behind a 3rd time.

What's going to happen with the facility upgrades and big budgets of AAC members once their media deal drops down inline with the rest of the G5 and it gets raided for a 3rd time?

[herd2win]

50000 enrollment and are based in a large city of Tampa.

[svherd]

50000 enrollment and are based in a large city of Tampa.

Where they get overshadowed by the Bucs, FSU, UF, the Lightning, etc.

[herd2win]

Where they get overshadowed by the Bucs, FSU, UF, the Lightning, etc.

But they have student fees to cover these costs.  All of these directional schools have huge enrollments now.

[CJHerdgrad]

In-State tuition for Florida residents is only like $5K to $6K a year, so a whole lot of kids enroll.  Not sure how many finish, maybe they do eventually, but that explains the enrollment being so high at all the public colleges.  As mentioned, USF sports is behind all of the pro sports in Tampa & Florida as a whole, then behind FSU and U of F football and baseball, then UCF football, then MAYBE the local sports will talk about USF football when something interesting happens.  They'll be lucky to get 15K per game, but a half-full stadium doesn't look as bad as a 1/4 full stadium...

https://www.flbog.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Cost_of_Attendance-updated-for-New-College_Nov-2022.pdf

[Bob25526]

That program sucks.

[Johnnyherd]

It was pretty satisfying to play them in the bowl and running the ball down their throat. Highlights below.

[coalherd]

For $350 mil, main question has to be whether the Bulls new "digs" will have the standard, or the upgraded DELUXE, piss troughs in the Men's Restrooms??

Inquiring minds Want to Know!!

[The Big Dawg]

Only about a hour from my place in Winter Haven.  I might run over for a game once it is finished just to see what it is like.  Maybe MU will play them someday.

[chris88]

- Bucs stadium is about 13 miles to USF campus. That alone should help attendance although many more of the students are commuters than say Ohio State.
- They have made a series of questionable coaching hires after Levitt.  They are a good hire away from being an upper division program again considering their location. An on campus facility should help recruiting immensely just like it should help us in baseball

[coalherd]

In-State tuition for Florida residents is only like $5K to $6K a year, so a whole lot of kids enroll.  Not sure how many finish, maybe they do eventually, but that explains the enrollment being so high at all the public colleges.  As mentioned, USF sports is behind all of the pro sports in Tampa & Florida as a whole, then behind FSU and U of F football and baseball, then UCF football, then MAYBE the local sports will talk about USF football when something interesting happens.  They'll be lucky to get 15K per game, but a half-full stadium doesn't look as bad as a 1/4 full stadium...

https://www.flbog.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Cost_of_Attendance-updated-for-New-College_Nov-2022.pdf

If USF is like a lot of other of the bigger Florida schools/universities, they probably have a SIGNIFICANT contingent of foreign students which certainly helps swell their enrollment numbers and revenue.  FIU, for example, has a great number of foreign students, particularly from Central and South America.