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

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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.'

BRETT McMURPHY, The Tampa Tribune