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School gives UF a break

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 26, 2001

In a kind gesture, the South Florida men's basketball team likely will move the start of its Dec. 8 game against Florida from 9 p.m. to the afternoon.

It will be moved because the Gators might be playing that night in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game in football. (The SEC title game was moved back a week because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.) Now, Florida fans can watch the basketball, which will be on ESPN2, and football games.

In a not-so-kind gesture, USF is putting the squeeze on local Gators fans who might want to go to the basketball game. There are four ways to get a ticket, and none accommodates UF supporters:

Buy a USF season ticket ($155).

Buy a USF six-game ticket package ($90).

Be a member of the USF Alumni Association and buy a special ticket package for the Nov. 3 homecoming football game and the USF-UF basketball game.

Be a USF student.

"It's the game that has the most intriguing effect on basketball fans in the area, and we're looking to maximize revenue," USF director of sales Jim Louk said of the creative plan.

Florida's ticket allotment is about 100. In other words, Gator fans virtually will be shut out, with no loopholes in sight. Louk said if the 10,400-seat Sun Dome isn't sold out, season-ticket holders can purchase the remaining tickets.

It might be unfair to Florida, but it certainly is beneficial to USF, which won't have to worry about a sellout home crowd half-filled with chomping Gators.

BIG TIME: The women's basketball team will play Connecticut, the 1995 and 2000 NCAA champion, on Dec. 28, 2002, at the Sun Dome. USF will play at UConn in the 2003-04 season.

"(It) is a year away, but we're already looking forward to the chance to showcase women's basketball at the highest level," coach Jose Fernandez said.

BIG TIME II: USF purchased the domain name MarquelBlackwell.com for a possible Heisman Trophy campaign next season for the quarterback.

SUPERSTAR: Junior outside hitter Michelle Collier continued her stellar play Tuesday as the Bulls swept Central Florida in volleyball. The reigning C-USA player of the year paced USF (13-7) with 20 kills, and Kelly Mathiasmeier added 11. The Bulls will try to improve their 6-3 C-USA record at 7 tonight against TCU and at 2 Sunday against Houston. Both matches are in the Corral.

RECRUITING JUMP: A story this week by Jamie Newberg of BorderWars.com has USF football fanatics frothing.

Dishon Platt of Punta Gorda Charlotte, one of the nation's top-rated wide receivers, earned a qualifying standardized test score and said USF is his favorite school, ahead of Florida State. Platt said he also will visit Clemson and Georgia.

Platt attends the same high school as five current USF players and is rated the nation's No. 2 receiver by the Sporting News. He easily would be the most prominent recruit to sign with the Bulls.

FREEBIES: Children 16 and younger get a free ticket to Saturday's USF-Liberty game with every regular $16 seat purchased.

GOOD START: Freshman Christa Benton, a Keswick Christian graduate, consistently has been one of the top finishers for the cross-country team. She has a best 5,000-meter time this fall of 17:45. The Bulls compete Saturday in the C-USA championships at East Carolina.

-- Pete Young covers USF sports. He can be reached at (813) 226-3346, or via e-mail at

young@sptimes.com.

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