USF investment in football and basketball is paying off at the gate

One aspect of the renaissance of USF football is the steady increase in attendance at home games.

Last Saturday’s home opener against Bethune-Cookman University drew 36,694 fans, including about 6,000 boisterous supporters in the student section. It was the largest turnout among the so-called Group of 5 schools.

Even more, it exceeded the crowds at nine power conference schools – Houston and Kansas in the Big 12, California, Wake Forest, SMU, and Duke in the ACC, Maryland and Northwestern in the Big Ten, and Vanderbilt in the SEC. It also exceeded the turnouts for independents Oregon State and Washington State.

Here’s something else to note: the crowd for USF’s opening game exceeded the planned capacity of the on-campus stadium. The groundbreaking is set for homecoming week in October, with the opening scheduled for the 2027 season.

The Bulls’ next two home games are against Miami and Memphis, so it is highly likely both crowds will be well above the 35,000-seat threshold.

This is a big deal.

Low attendance has plagued the program from time to time, especially during the recent stretch of lean years on the field. Getting students interested in driving past downtown Tampa to Raymond James Stadium has been a problem, too.

That began to change last year when the Bulls started winning games and playing an entertaining brand of football. That’s part of the reason, but I’ll also credit the USF marketing department’s role in the upsurge.

The turnout for the Bethune-Cookman game graphically illustrates the wisdom of investing in an on-campus stadium – something I have long believed was necessary for the long-term health of the football program.

Even though the crowd was impressive, it still left many empty seats inside the 65,000-seat stadium. The previous administrations at USF resisted those who wanted an on-campus stadium, insisting that the Bulls should play in an elite NFL stadium like Ray-Jay.

Well, Ray-Jay is a fine venue for football. The Bucs play there, of course, and it has been the site of multiple Super Bowls and the College Football National Championship Game.

The Bulls have occasionally drawn good numbers there, too. A crowd of 65,138 turned out last year to watch USF battle Alabama.

Most of the time, though, there’s no urgency to get tickets because fans know they can always make a last-minute snap decision if they want to attend. It might seem contradictory to build a stadium with far fewer seats, but I’ll argue it makes sense.

Start with the fact that had the Bethune game been staged in the new stadium, it would have been a full house with a great atmosphere. That would be a tremendous marketing tool for a growing university.

Plus, it’s never a bad idea to create demand for tickets. Assuming the Bulls continue on their upward trajectory, the demand will be there.

Let’s not forget what Amir Abdur-Raheem did last year with USF basketball, either. For many nights prior to last season, the Yuengling Center was as quiet as a library. When the Bulls started winning, victory-starved fans started filling the place.

By investing heavily in top-shelf coaches and athletic facilities, USF’s current administration has unleashed the potential that was always there.

With apologies to Kevin Costner, if you win, they will come.

And when they see they’re part of something fun and special, they’ll be back.