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Bulls Rush Brings Stadium Cash

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By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 16, 2007

TAMPA - The University of South Florida Bulls football team isn't just beating odds and opponents - it's beating profit projections for home games.

The result? The Tampa Sports Authority is poised to turn a profit for only the second year ever. The sports authority operates Raymond James Stadium, home to the Bulls and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bucs reap the biggest windfall from the publicly owned stadium's success. The contract for the facility gives the team the first $2 million in profits from parking, concessions and merchandise at any non-NFL events.

Buoyed by surging attendance - and spending - at Bulls games, authority officials expect to break the $2 million mark again this year, Mickey Farrell, the sports authority's director of stadium operations, said Monday.

Last year, the authority netted $2.03 million from non-Bucs events, allowing it to pocket about $15,000. It was the first time the authority exceeded the $2 million threshold.

That milestone was accomplished mainly because the stadium earned $352,000 hosting a daylong concert headlined by country music star Kenny Chesney.

The sports authority didn't expect to repeat the feat this year.

Enter the surging Bulls, who have played to sold-out houses during the team's past two home games versus West Virginia and University of Central Florida.

The sports authority logged $336,525 from the West Virginia game. Saturday's UCF game earned an estimated $301,765. Stadium officials had estimated only collecting up to $120,000 for each of those games.

The stadium estimates it has collected more than $1.2 million in revenue for non-Bucs events since Feb. 1.

'Look what winning does,' said Hillsborough County Commission chairman Jim Norman, who sits on the sports authority's oversight board.

The Bulls have two home games left this year, and there are other events scheduled that likely will bring in large crowds. Those include a monster truck rally and the Outback Bowl in January.

The authority will count revenue through Jan. 31 when determining whether it breaks the $2 million mark.

The stadium makes most of its money from concessions. That revenue has jumped from $126,000 during the Bulls' game against the University of North Carolina on Sept. 22 to an estimated $294,000 during Saturday's UCF game.

About 26,000 more fans attended the UCF game, which came as the Bulls were highly ranked in national polls. The Bulls now are ranked No. 2.

'Hopefully, the Bulls keep winning,' Farrell said.

Reporter Anthony McCartney can be reached at amccartney@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7616.

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