TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

On-Campus Stadium Has Benefits, But Ray-Jay Suits USF Just Fine

ADVERTISEMENT

By BRETT McMURPHY, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 9, 2007

Updated: 10/09/2007 12:44 am

TAMPA - When the University of South Florida played its inaugural season in 1997, former athletic director Paul Griffin said the school never seriously thought about building an on-campus stadium.

'The economics made little or no sense,' said Griffin, now a senior associate AD at Georgia Tech. 'We had a state-of-the-art stadium Raymond James Stadium that required no upfront money. It was an easy business decision.'

The No. 5-ranked Bulls certainly have come a long way from that first season, but the possibility of an on-campus stadium seems as likely today as it did 10 years ago.

'Right now we have one of the best facilities in the country to play in,' USF AD Doug Woolard said. 'It's an NFL stadium and it certainly has as good of amenities as any place in the country for coaches, players, fans and media.'

USF just signed a five-year extension with the Tampa Sports Authority to continue playing at RJS through 2011 with an option for five more years through 2016.

The deal also allows USF to terminate the contract - without penalty - by providing a two-year notice if the school decides to build an on-campus stadium.

USF must pay TSA at least a $105,000 license fee in 2007. That fee is based on TSA's estimated direct costs for each USF game and includes only the operating expenses for use of the stadium's lower bowl.

The deal does not specify the license fee when USF uses the upper deck, which it will for the final four home games.

In 1997, USF played its home games in Tampa Stadium, the final year of the 'Big Sombrero,' before moving to brand-new Raymond James Stadium in 1998. And just like then, the biggest obstacle today for USF building an on-campus stadium is funding.

'If we were to build one, we want to make sure we do it the right way,' Woolard said. 'In the long run, an on-campus stadium would be an advantage for the university to do it at some point. But only if it was done the right way.'

While UCF is playing its first season in its new on-campus stadium (cost $65 million, 45,000 seats) and Florida Atlantic is scheduled to build one in 2010 ($62 million, 30,000 seats), the University of Minnesota is a more realistic example of the type of stadium USF would prefer.

The Golden Gophers are scheduled to open a 50,000 seat on-campus stadium in 2009.

Cost: $288 million.

The naming rights - TCF Bank - alone sold for $21 million.

The reality of it is as much as some USF fans may want an on-campus stadium - just think: no more Bucs flag logo at midfield - the Bulls have more pressing needs.

'We've previously identified things to improve as quickly as we can,' Woolard said.

Those items are a new athletics district, which would include desperately needed new stadiums for softball, baseball and soccer, a new track and tennis facility, renovating the Sun Dome, basketball practice facility and new football practice fields.

USF football coach Jim Leavitt also has openly lobbied for a new dining hall.

While the projects could be done individually, the total cost to complete them all would be about $50 million.

In May 2006, Frank Morsani donated $3 million - the largest single gift for USF athletics - to go toward building new football practice fields and a new softball stadium, but there has yet to be any dirt moved on those projects.

As far as playing at the home of the Bucs and the site of Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, Raymond James Stadium has been a huge recruiting tool for USF.

'If somebody wants to build a stadium, I'm not going to say no,' Leavitt said. 'Until that situation arises I embrace Raymond James Stadium.

'We have a great venue to play in. Think about some of the teams without on-campus stadiums that have won national championships and done pretty well: Pittsburgh plays in Heinz Field, Miami the Orange Bowl and USC - they play in the L.A. Coliseum.

'My point is it's all there. We have a great venue to play in.'

Of the 66 BCS schools, USF is one of nine that doesn't have an on-campus stadium. And that likely won't change any time soon without some major financial gifts.

'That would certainly get things focused on the radar screen a lot more for us,' Woolard said. 'That's the big key to it - the funding for it.

'An on-campus stadium has a lot of benefits. But without that being present, we are playing in one of the best facilities in America.'

It's just not located on campus.

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928 or bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT