(SB) Ongoing UF Softball Commentary

Well, that number was then. I don't know if it is the same now. But, they put the Duke game on when they also broadcast gymnastics and baseball the same night. That raises more questions then I can answer as it is not in line with what I was told and believe. I have already reached out asking for a one on one conversation regarding the issues I would like to discuss. Will see if I get a response.

 

Agreed with almost all of that. And there are plenty of "fans" who object to spending much of anything on "minor" sports. Fixing the broadcast facility and bringing it up to par with the rest of the league requires a relatively small amount of funding compared to what is spent elsewhere. And it benefits every fan of every sport except football, baseball, gymnastics and basketball. As for spending a billion to renovate the Swamp, as is apparently intended, all you need to do is put a winning team on the field and 90,000 will show up every week, renovation or not.

 

The bang for the buck argument is a reasonable debate. But I don't know how the priorities have been established. And rather than a bandaid expenditure maybe they want to save for a more lasting and impactful upgrade.
As for Ben Hill.....renovation isn't really an option at this point. There are real structural issues and they can't kick the can down the road much longer. So once that project starts they might as well do it right. People haven't stopped complaining that the O dome redo was not adequate

 

That's not the way they look at it. How will it benefit the program(s)? There are a ton of ways they could do things to benefit fans that are relatively cost neutral, BUT they don't do them because they don't have a sufficient return on the investment. I'm not saying that's right, just saying that's how it is. I think the above point about filled capacity is a good one. It's harder than it should be to get a decent seat to a softball game unless you know somebody.

Everybody knows this. That's not the issue, in my opinion, it's mostly about upgrades that you can charge more money for (did you guys see that ridiculous survey for season ticket holders? yikes). They are gradually taking away free parking options, and it's a real shame, but that's all for another thread.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

 

UF is screwing you, lol. No sense of entitlement there. All these fans who are getting screwed can’t figure out how to fill a stadium that holds less than 3k people on a regular basis. Where are all these fans? You feel like you’re owed something. For what? Because you watch games on your tv?

What am I wrong about? UF doesn’t want to spend the money. Yes, that is a choice. I never said it wasn’t a choice. I never said they don’t have any money. I don’t know or care how every other school funds their broadcasts. I simply know that UF has given you their reason for why these games aren’t aired. If you ask them for a dollar amount and cut them the check, I have a hard time believing you won’t get the games aired. Rick is saying that number was in the 10mill range a few years ago. Better cash in those savings bonds.

I think this will happen naturally at some point anyway. It’s a few games a year that you don’t get now. You used to get zero games, or maybe a few games in total. Now you get almost all of them, but it isn’t enough. You’re skipping even more games than you have to now because you won’t spring for an espn+ sub. How important is this, really? You’re not even taking full advantage of what they’ve already made available to you.

 

If the UF athletic department spent money based on successful programs the softball team would be playing in a retractable/domed stadium and the football team would be playing at PK Yonge Field.

 

To do what you want costs money....and those funds would come at the expense of something else and make another fan complain. Can you reasonably debate it's a good use of funds? Sure. But the tone here is that it's an easy and simple action...which it clearly isn't.
Again, it's all about allocation of resources. You have your opinions, and many on this board agree. I get it. But there are plenty that would use those resources elsewhere.
We have people yelling for beach volleyball. Hoops boards hottest topic for a while was moving camera pits to highlight the student section, I'm a tennis guy and frustrated there is no video on our indoor courts, my football tics are in section 13 and the bathroom adjacent flooded 4 times last season, video boards at Ben Hill are horribly dated and inadequate. So while I am sympathetic to your issue I can argue for more pressing needs

 

Honestly, have them present that to the Athletics Department and see what the response is. If it's just money, then you can at least have an answer and go from there. If it's more than money, this type of presentation would let you know as well.

Do you think this is a thing that bothers them?

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

 

Why doesn`t someone start a thread called " The great TV time broadcast debate" and leave this one to talk about players ,coaches and playing the game .

 

I'm guessing this is within the OP's idea of "How about a thread where we can have an ongoing discussion as the season unfolds?"



Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

 

Bottom line....The Florida softball team has been the most successful softball program in the SEC and some fans rightfully so are questioning why there aren't as many Gator games televised as the rest of the SEC. Too-bad-too sad. Unfortunately it is what it is. Let's move on to Arizona and kick ass.

 

The $10 million is what Alicia Longworth told me it would cost to bring our broadcast facility up to par with the rest of the league after she inspected the facilities at a couple other SEC schools. While that should be done, obviously we could do more than we do since we broadcast the Duke game while also broadcasting gymnastics and baseball the same night. I am trying to find out how that was done given what Alicia told me. I have reached out and asked for a phone call. Will see if it happens.

 

One of my favorite Gators...Katie is now a head coach:

 

I can’t believe what this thread turned into.
Maybe we need a separate one for the actual team.