UCF Athletics Charter Flights?

[UKnight]

Question? UCF Football of course charters. UCF Basketball is starting to Charter a few flights but needs more charters.

One things that makes us look small time and hurts us big time in recruiting against UF, FSU and other major programs is that we can’t sell private charter for all of our athletic programs. I know it’s not cheap but it would be really great if UCF could find a corporate jet manufacturer to donate us even a used corporate jet that some billionaire trades in. UCF could partner with other donors to cover more of the cost of operating the plane. Bombardier manufactures corporate jets right over here in Melbourne. Has UCF even tried to partner with them.

Like I said I know it’s not cheap and we probably couldn’t do all the sports right away but our biggest and more successful programs could start first. Football doesn’t count but we could start with all Basketball games, I think baseball should be in there for many games. Women’s soccer, men’s and women’s Golf. I think this would help get them even better recruits. Probably tennis as we know have a legitimate tennis program with USTA and that will help Roddick get better players. They could also make it into a competition between the programs. The more games and conference titles you win your sport get more chartered flights.

I know it’s just something UCF needs badly to make the next jump in recruiting.

 

[Knight Strength]

Low return on investment. I know its a step down from some programs but think we'd be better off spending all that money on facilities and equipment. Northwestern is an outlier but that indoor will get recruits by itself. We'll also need new uniforms by 2020. We'd be better off upgrading elsewhere.

The budget game is always going to be about bang for the buck.

 

[Happy Hands]

Why would we need charters for recruiting if we already have charters for the only sport that matters?

I don't care if the women's softball or the baseball teams have to fly commercial. Those sports don't make money and owning and maintaining a plane big enough for 100 people is super expensive.

Knight strength is right, put those millions into stadium upgrades.

 

[UKnight]

My niece played basketball for UGA and they had a private corporate jet that seated about 40 people. All the non-revenue teams shared the jet including basketball.

I get your point. However, some of our non-revenue teams don’t need more facilities like softball, tennis, soccer, golf. But added charter flights might yield better recruits. I’m personally getting tired of our teams playing well enough to just win the American but then we aren’t strong enough to make runs in the NCAA championships. Sometimes you can get a huge bang for your buck by just finding ways to get your competitive sports a few more advantages to be National powers in their particular sport. I think with a few more resources UCF women’s soccer, golf and tennis could challenge for a National Championship immediately. Women’s Track and Field was getting their till we lost our old coach to USC.

I know we have limited dollars but would be nice if some rich dude would step up and assist with that or make a huge gift to athletics. UCF needs a game changer donor like 100,000,000 over 10 years.

 

[Knight_Light]

More than half of the AAC Hoops use charters and UCF did 2 or 3 charters this year while teams like SMU, Memphis, UCONN, Cinci etc...fly charter everywhere..just like P5 and Big East..and that's a HUGE recruiting advantage.

 

[407Knight89]

UF, FSU, UGA and many other historical programs are located in somewhat remote markets with limited commercial flights. We actually have an advantage being in Orlando with so many non-stop options that save UCFAA a lot of money vs chartering. Those remote programs don't have as many options with their schedules or have to connect multiple times so chartering makes more sense... and they have the tv money to pay for it.

 

[Knight_Light]

UF, FSU, UGA and many other historical programs are located in somewhat remote markets with limited commercial flights. We actually have an advantage being in Orlando with so many non-stop options that save UCFAA a lot of money vs chartering. Those remote programs don't have as many options with their schedules or have to connect multiple times so chartering makes more sense... and they have the tv money to pay for it.

Wrong.

Everytime UCF Basketball had to play a road night game (or even an afternoon game in Tulsa this year), that trip is 3 days/2 nights...as they can never get a late night flight back to Orlando where they can be at airport 2 hours in advance to fly Commercial.

That's why Charter flights are basically a necessity for any Top 100 team as virtually all can guarantee their players will be back in their dorm/apartment after EVERY road game.

All teams use to use that against UCF in recruiting and it took BEGGING by Dawkins to DW to get 2-3 charter flights this past year but that number has to go WAY UP so teams can't use that against us anymore.

 

[Poolside Knight]

it may hurt recruiting but a lot of the student athletes in the olympic sports don't mind those extra overnights

 

[UCFhonors]

I bet the players rather be paid than fly in a small plane.