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The USF football team attempted to promote its upcoming home matchup against the Rice Owls with a large billboard in Tampa. Unfortunately, it failed miserably.
The marketing gaffe has caused confusion amongst college football fans as they attempt to decipher its true meaning.
South Florida is off to a 1-2 start this season, most recently losing to Alabama. The Bulls hung tough with the Tide, but eventually fell 17-3. This, after losing the season opener to Western Kentucky.
Those losses are behind the team now, and next up are the Rice Owls. The meeting will be the conference opener for both teams as they look to get off to a strong start in AAC play.
To raise awareness and excitement for the home game, the USF football program put out a #BeatRice billboard for fans to see as they make their daily commutes in Tampa. Unfortunately, the message was written in all caps, leading to a confusing image for passers-by.
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) September 20, 2023
With no spacing and a lack of lowercase letters, the billboard appears to read like the name, “Beatrice.” Many were quick to comment.
“Who’s Beatrice?” one follower asked.
“Someone really misses her,” another said.
“Is she doing the halftime show?” this person wanted to know.
“If for no other reason, win for Beatrice,” someone else said.
“If you see ‘Beatrice’ before ‘Beat Rice’ you’re not thinking about USF football enough.” a Bulls fan quipped.
We’ll see if South Florida’s play on the field is more effective than this marketing tactic.