TAMPA, Fla. — USF alum and Bulls football fan Suzanne Ward went to the program's first-ever game in 1997, and she's been to every one—home and away—since.
The 1986 grad said her love for the team started innocently, and she asked herself, "If home games are so fun, why not try a few road games."
"Oh! Never been to Notre Dame. Oh! Never been to Auburn. You know what I mean?" Ward said while remembering the start of her football travels. "It was the uniqueness of it. I’m very goal-oriented, so at some point, it was like, 'You can’t miss one now, haha!'"
She's 318 out of 318. The only game she missed doesn't really count. It was the season opener of the 2020 season when no fans were allowed at Raymond James Stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Ward, who moved from Tampa to Portland, Oregon in 2003, hasn't slowed down. She's followed her favorite team across the country and sacked up plenty of memories.
"When we played at Wisconsin [in 2014], the air traffic controllers were out," Ward said via video chat before the Bulls game at Memphis on November 4th. "So I had to fly into Minneapolis and drive down. And so, okay, that’s a five-hour drive."
She had smoother travels last season when the Bulls played at Tulsa. She watched USF quarterback Byrum Brown complete his first 21 passes, something his father, Drew, wasn't totally aware of.
He didn't know about Ward's fandom, but he learned very quickly.
"She’s like, I think your son has the record for [most consecutive] completions?" Brown said before Saturday's win over Temple. "I said I don’t think so? She said, 'Look at the scoreboard!' So that was a good time."
The football program's had a roller-coaster past couple of seasons, but the elder Brown said it's always good to have fans give the players unconditional support.
"These kids need someone that’s definitely going to support them through thick and thin. Because there have been some rough times," Mr. Brown added. "You definitely want somebody that’s going to be there, win or lose."
Suzanne's friend group has grown to include fans who communicate via social media to coordinate tailgates and help people find tickets to games. No matter where she is, Ward said that it's a lot of work putting all the different names with all the different faces of the people she meets.
"I have a secret," she joked. "I take pictures of people, and everybody’s in my phone book under "USF," then their name, and where I met them."
"She is USF lore," Bulls fan Adam Hymowitz said at a tailgate before the Temple game. "She is by far the nicest person you’ll ever meet. She says hi to everybody. She knows everybody’s name and goes to not just football. People don’t realize she was at lacrosse on Tuesday. She was at both basketball games the last two days and volleyball. And she doesn’t even live here!"
She can work her schedule around other sports but don't invite Suzanne to any functions on a USF football game day.
"I actually call and complain because we’re like the last to announce our football schedule," Ward added. "So I had to call USF, and I go, 'I’m still waiting.' Because I post it, this is where I will be. No questions asked."
That's about as aggressive as Suzanne gets in her approach to the Bulls. She's only interested in spreading positive energy.
"I want everybody to play. I want everybody to stay healthy. I want everybody to have fun. So, no, I don’t get into the negativity of it. Because it’s just not worth it."
Suzanne has three more regular season games to make it a cool 321 total.
"Maybe, in 30 years, maybe somebody will be carrying me to my seat," she said with a laugh during last weekend's tailgate.
USF's (5-5) next game is Friday night when they travel to UT-San Antonio (7-3). Suzanne will be there, where she hopes her beloved Bulls will earn bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018.
Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. If you aren't able to meet up with Suzanne and the other Bulls fans at the game, it will air on ESPN 2.
