USF Creates Rewards System To Boost Student Attendance

The USF athletic department is embarking on an effort to "coax students to sporting events" that includes "offering the chance to win a new car," according to Joey Knight of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. Per the offer announced late last week, students who "attend USF sporting events will build points toward a variety of prizes including a 2019 Ford EcoSport SE." This comes after "student attendance at home football and basketball games has ranged from solid to sparse in recent years." To enter the points competition, students "must download and activate the HerdPerks app," where their attendance will be "logged via geofencing." Students generally will "earn 15 points for attending a contest, though some games will be deemed double- and triple-points events." Points also will be awarded for attending "ancillary athletics events such as pep rallies, radio shows and away-game watch parties." The car will be awarded at the end of the '19-20 season along with other prizes, including a "complimentary campus meal plan and a spring-break getaway" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 11/16).