Florida State Credit Union to sponsor 2006 Bowden Tour

By Charlie Barnes, Executive Director - Seminole Boosters

What winter we have here in Florida is departing again without having displayed much enthusiasm. Spring can’t wait to get here; it’s already coaxed the blooms out too early and the balmy weather teases Seminole fans with sweet echoes of glories past.

We don’t want to wait till September to see Coach Bobby Bowden in action, and because of his annual golf tour, we won’t have to.

Bobby Bowden looks fantastic. It’s easy to see why recruits and their parents are enthralled by home visits from the legendary coach, and why young stars — ambitious to win championship rings — choose Florida State. Rivals try to make much of the age issue, but to an 18-year-old, everyone between the ages of 30 and 100 falls into pretty much the same category. Being 76 may not be as much of a hindrance in recruiting as you think.

This year’s upcoming freshman class was born in 1988, Bowden’s 13th season as Seminoles head coach. That also was the year of the infamous “Seminole Rap.” It was the season we lost to Miami in the opener, and then, won the next 11 games and finished No. 3 in the nation. We were two years into The Dynasty before most of these young men first opened their eyes.

This April and May, we Seminoles are looking for signs of a return to those Dynasty days, and everyone who attends an event on the Bobby Bowden Tour will have the chance to ask Coach Bowden about it. If you live somewhere along the lines between Pensacola and Jacksonville, and between Atlanta and Miami, then Coach Bowden will be coming to a city near you.

Much has changed since we first began The Bowden Tour in the late 1970s, criss-crossing the state in a Buick Skylark packed to the roof with cardboard sleeves of Seminole golf hats. Today, our traveling party cruises in several vans, and much of Bowden’s travel is via private aircraft.

Building on a tradition begun two years ago, all the winning foursomes from all the Bobby Bowden Tournaments converge on a football weekend in Tallahassee for the Tournament of Champions, chaired by Max Zahn. Zahn is the architect of the annual Jacksonville Seminole Boosters golf tournament, which made $25,000 for the club last year through a combination of patrons, activities and contributors.

And this year, for the first time, we’ll be giving some lucky Seminole a two-year lease to a brand new 2006 Nissan Titan. Any Seminole Booster can sign up to win the full-size, garnet truck with a Seminole head on the hood. Hill Nissan and the FSU Credit Union created the promotion to encourage new membership with the Seminole Boosters and the Credit Union.

The garnet Titan will accompany Coach Bowden on our spring tour and will be on display at every golf tournament and every dinner, as well as on Langford Green this fall. The lucky winner will be announced at the last home football game.

Seminole Boosters produces the annual Bobby Bowden golf tournaments and dinners, and our primary tour sponsor is the Florida State University Credit Union. Its extremely generous annual donations help us bring Coach Bowden to the Seminole Clubs on a timely schedule, offsetting the costs of transportation. Anyone with an FSU affiliation can take advantage of the Credit Union, and becoming a Seminole Booster is the best way to gain access to their financial programs.

Go the Credit Union Web site (www.fsucu.org) to find the location of the Bobby Bowden Tour stop closest to you. See the Seminole Boosters Web site for photos and more details about the Nissan Titan and the Bobby Bowden Tour (www.seminole-boosters.com).

The annual Bowden Tour always coincides with the mailing of football season ticket packages. This year, especially, there may be a lot of questions about changes to the Point Priority system that take effect in 2006. Personal letters were mailed, beginning in January, to all season ticket holders explaining in detail how each donor is affected. Jerry Kutz, who directs the Boosters Annual Fund, reports that we’ve gotten a very good response so far.

“Boosters understand the program,” he said. “People realize that our ticket prices and Booster giving categories are generally priced lower than our competition.”

But Kutz and all of us in Seminole Athletics are also aware that many of our Boosters have to spend money to travel to Tallahassee on game weekends, whereas our rivals’ supporters do not. There are nine million people within 150 miles of Gainesville. I doubt that we even have that many livestock within the same radius of Tallahassee.

Kutz said there’s no doubt that our Seminole fans tend to be more loyal and generous.

“I do want to thank all our Boosters who have responded,” he said. “Our donors seem to understand. As the cost of scholarships goes up, we’re the ones who have to pay the bills or the Athletics program.”

One way we can reduce the financial burden on season-ticket holders, Kutz suggested, is to add more numbers of new Seminole Boosters.

“Every Booster ought to take it on himself or herself to bring a friend to the Bobby Bowden Day and sign them up to be a new Booster. If they sign up on the spot, they’ll also have a chance to get that two-year lease on the Nissan.”