Florida schedules USF for three-game series in football

[T REX]

You have to think Strong influenced this

 

[Bait'n Gator]

I noticed that they pay us $250,000 for the game in Tampa. Is that normal for a lesser team to pay the other team like that? I know its normal for the big boys to pay the little guys to come get their ass whipped, but don't think I've ever seen this type scenario.

 

[TheDouglas78]

I noticed that they pay us $250,000 for the game in Tampa. Is that normal for a lesser team to pay the other team like that? I know its normal for the big boys to pay the little guys to come get their ass whipped, but don't think I've ever seen this type scenario.

The visiting team gets paid in these games, to help offset the lost homegame.

 

[TLB]

We gain absolutely nothing from this.

USF and UCF are competitors whether we like it or not.

You both sidestep several obvious things to gain:

Gaining traction with recruiting in the area. If we win, and win big, USF appears as the little brother they have always been and if a 5* player wants to play in the big league it would be UF over USF. You don't see F$U or MIA trying to recruit those areas beyond sending coaches to HS campuses. This puts us front and center for those kids to see the program and come away impressed. Note - it does have the great chance to backfire if we get our butts kicked, but it's a recruiting gamble the program feels is worth taking in order to win back the top players in the state. For that, it wouldn't surprise me to see us schedule UCF in other years, or get MIA back on the schedule more.

For the UF fans, there are a lot who can't make the games. This is a perfect chance to bring the program closer to those fans, those boosters, and reward the loyal fans in the state that can't make it to BHG. Aside from the kids, this is a great chance to (re)grow our name and reputation around the state, not just with the kids.

Anyone want to btch about $$, can consider it isn't an away game requiring as much expense as anyone else would for OOC. This is a very small point, IMO as the savings aren't much and our program shouldn't be hurting for funds or nickle-and-diming at this level. Even Foley didn't play this card for financial reasons.

Personally, I'm ambivalent. USF is about as close as BHG for me when I live half a dozen states away. However, to say this does nothing for us is wearing blinders. To say we can't gain when playing your competitors...when you're as down as we are, you need the initial steps to rebuilding the program's prominence - this is the type of steps you take. Really, what can we lose at this point? And there is much to gain.

I get the benefit of playing a premier program in a season opener, but we saw last year how much that can do for a program like ours when you aren't ready for that big of a stage. If, by the time the USF games roll around, we have regained national prominence, we can keep USF as a cupcake like we used to have to open the season or get out of the contract in favor of premier matchups. Let's not sign up to show our ass on national tv again like with did with MICH until we are ready.

 

[78]

Wondering if we've played a regular-season game in Tampa since the opener against Miami in '84, which was about as good as it gets.

 

[KronoGator]

You have to think Strong influenced this

Which is funny because there is little chance he will even still be there, if he does well he will bail out, if he does badly he will be fired by then.

 

[KronoGator]

Wondering if we've played a regular-season game in Tampa since the opener against Miami in '84, which was about as good as it gets.

Played MSU down there in 89, it was an MSU "home game".

 

[78]

Played MSU down there in 89, it was an MSU "home game".

Wow, clutch answer. I don't remember it. What prompted, a hurricane?

 

[KronoGator]

Wow, clutch answer. I don't remember it. What prompted, a hurricane?

They sold the home game off to make cash, just like in 91 when we played them in Orlando.

 

[TheDouglas78]

Good call Krono, forgot about those.

 

[GatorInGeorgia]

Played in Miami in 2013. We are still waiting on a true out of state non-conference road game since Syracuse.

Are we not counting the Michigan game last year in Texas?

 

[TheDouglas78]

Are we not counting the Michigan game last year in Texas?

Neutral Site games are not considered true road games. We were not playing before the other teams home crowd.

 

[78]

They sold the home game off to make cash, just like in 91 when we played them in Orlando.

We obviously got the better end of that deal.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Meh I'd rather play UCF......Got club passes whenever I want/need them......

 

[Alumni Guy]

We should never travel to USF. When FSU played there, we dogged them for how far they fell. Well, that's us now.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

We should never travel to USF. When FSU played there, we dogged them for how far they fell. Well, that's us now.

We are hoping to get back into the Big Four in Florida.

 

[lizardbreath]

I just hope we can win two out of three - this is truly a "no-win" proposition."

 

[78]

We are hoping to get back into the Big Four in Florida.

You live for moments like this where the sarcasm can shine through like a beacon of light.

#metoo

 

[MJMGator]

We’ll always shy away from leaving the state for non-conference games due to playing the Semis every year and the Dwag game in Jax.

 

[TheDouglas78]

We’ll always shy away from leaving the state for non-conference games due to playing the Semis every year and the Dwag game in Jax.

Have since Syracuse ran us out of the gym in 1992.