Judy Genshaft

This argument about the use, or no-use, of Raymond James Stadium for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship games or University of South Florida games seems to me to be unnecessary. Just work it out.

We have a sports commission to go get sports events and the ACC agreed to bring its title game here in early December 2008 and ‘09. Neat. They did their job. The title games of that conference will be held in Charlotte the following two years. Lots of places out there to play these bigdeal games, like Atlanta. Michael Kelly is the associate commissioner of the ACC. He put on our last Super Bowl game here. Likes Tampa . And, Reid Sigmon, his associate in past productions. now chairs the Tampa Super Bowl sports commission. 

USF, a member of the Big East Conference, now doesn’t want anyone to interfere with their love affair, scheduling rights and use of Raymond James Stadium as its home football games. Nobody does, at USF.

Mayor Pam Iorio met with most involved this week past and said she doesn’t want such conflicts to happen in the future and wants to sign a new, long-term contract with USF for the future nailing down of USF’s early December claim to RJS. She said she’s happy with the signed deals for this and next year but “it’s not a tournament we’d like to go after in the future.’’ The ACC title game is scheduled Dec. 6 this fall. The contract gives the ACC rights to RJS four days prior to Dec. 6, thus the conflict. Thus the problem. And, by the way, the Buccaneers are fine in all this.

Judy Genshaft, now performing in a fine, fair, dutiful way as USF president and thankfully, admiring of its athletic program, including the football products of Jim Leavitt, met with all involved and is simply trying to protect her own. Fine. And, she will. But in the process of this dispute, she left voice mails to community leaders, our most qualified man on the beat, Brett McMurphy reported, saying forced, she might have to move conflicted games to Tropicana Field - an indoor baseball field in St. Petersburg - or build an on-campus stadium at USF, a bold and costly suggestion. RJS is a pretty neat and admired home for these Bulls, who had a first, heady sellout there this fine season past against West Virginia. Great night for all involved, at the game or not. A landmark event for USF, for Tampa, for Leavitt, for the Bulls, for RJS, for dreaming of the future.

Leavitt’s reaction, well, “we have played games in two nights at stadium before.’’ Sure have.

Once we had no stadium. Got one admired now. Don’t need another. Surely it can be home to the Bucs, the Bulls, the Outback Bowl, and special games and events, such as the ACC title game, this Super Bowl and more ahead, hey, the
Southeastern Conference title game down the line, you young guys out there.

Appreciate your support, President Genshaft, head of the great USF, so young, so successful, and same for Pam Iorio, whose intellectual dad was a prof out there and an engaging man, and same for the Sports Authority, the Sports Commission, and most of all, you out there who have supported the growth of all this so far and will from now on, I know. Been here. Seen than. Hasn’t been easy, with the difficulties at the start of it all, USF.

But, now work this new problem out now. And the one ahead tomorrow.