USF reports increase in football season-ticket sales

More than four weeks before its season opener at home against Elon, USF reports its 2018 football season-ticket sales total already has whizzed past last year's.

And if history is any sign, the number should continue growing.

The school announced Thursday it has sold 15,698 season tickets, more than 2,500 of which were sold to first-time season-ticket buyers. More than a week into August 2017, that number barely eclipsed 14,000.

August typically is the most successful month in terms of season-ticket sales.

While the program's 21-4 record over the past two seasons likely represents the greatest impetus to the robust sales, school officials also point to a couple of wildly popular promotions.

They include $99 season tickets, located in the lower level of Raymond James Stadium around the southeast tunnel (from which the Bulls emerge). Dr. Andrew Goodrich, USF's senior associate athletic director for external relations, said Thursday only about 85 of the 1,300 tickets on sale for that price remain.

Also hugely successful: the giveaway of surplus Under Armour USF football jerseys (USF has a new apparel deal with Adidas) to those who renewed their season tickets the first day they could do so.

"Literally hundreds of people renewed the first day," Goodrich said. "I've long held the belief that the earlier people renew, the earlier they tell their friends they've renewed, they start getting in the mood and say, 'All right, I've got to go out and buy tickets.'"

USF also experienced another surge with the giveaway of limited-edition Matt Grothe bobbleheads to anyone who purchased a season ticket before July 1.

"We're actually gonna turn it into an annual tradition," Goodrich said. "So at some point in the middle of this year, we're gonna let the current season-ticket members vote on who will be included in next year's season-ticket-member (bobblehead) package."