USF Gets Funding for Sun Dome

The Sun Dome is finally going to get a facelift after 30 years.

While everyone was enjoying Pro Day on campus, USF got some great news from the vote by the Board of Governors. The Board decided to vote in favor of funding $35 million to help renovate the Sun Dome. But there is a catch in the funding approval, USF must set aside at least $20 million to help cover the loan or if there are other expenses. USF had not prepared for this and will have to vote to whether or not to allocate this money. The amount can be reduced if USF is able to prove it will not cost that much to rehab the Dome.

The Sun Dome has become an eye sore and a pathetic excuse of a stadium. The Bulls are one of the worst venues in the Big East, ranking nearly dead last in attendance and suffering from it. With all of the new facilities, the Dome has to be redone.

USF has been losing money on the Dome for years and not just from games, but other events that draw in revenue to the area and with the bad economy, every person that attends an event at the Sun Dome helps the community. Right now the Dome looks abandoned and going inside is even worse (the Dome isn't even ADA approved right now).

USF will probably vote in favor of putting the money behind the renovation project and supporting the funding the state is giving USF which means the Dome will be redone. USF already has bidders lined up to begin designs on the Sun Dome and there is a lot of exciting ideas going into the new plans. The Dome is scheduled to be done by December, right during the beginning of basketball season and the winter graduations, so it will be done fast and should be incredible. (from Greg Auman and TBO.com)