Should the Bulls reach a bowl next season, Student Government will again designate money to help send students to the game.

With a 9-2 record, the USF football team had an outside chance of receiving a bowl invitation in December. SG soon followed that lead and took $50,000 out of unallocated reserves to fund attendance for 500 students. However, USF’s bowl aspirations were never realized and the $50,000 was never utilized.

According to Student Senate President Mike Berman, the $50,000 will go back to the unallocated reserves fund.

“We’re doing all of the budgeting now,” Berman said. “The funds will be rolling into next year’s budget. I went ahead and drafted up a memo to our business manager David Armstrong to request we do this again next year.”

Armstrong approved of SG using the reserves should the Bulls reach a bowl game next season, Berman said.

After receiving the news that USF would not be going to a bowl game, Berman’s first reaction was disappointment.

“I was naturally disappointed,” Berman said. “They played their hearts out this year. With a 9-2 record, we had the best record in Florida outside of Miami, and FSU was a real stinker. I’m also disappointed for the student body.”

Berman said he was surprised at the attention this opportunity received. After advertising on campus and in The Oracle, e-mails and phone calls began to flood Berman’s office.

“The reason we got this attention was the students wanted to go. Somewhere between 200-250 people contacted me alone,” Berman said.

When USF enters Conference USA next year, the Bulls will likely receive a bowl bid depending on their final record. With an unofficial record of 4-0 against C-USA teams this year, a bowl bid seems likely for the 2003 season. And if it happens, the Senate will be ready, Berman said.

“We’ll have a really good idea for next year,” Berman said. “It will be all planned out and more organized.”

Contact Thomas Carrigan at oraclethomas@yahoo.com