New Rule Changes Dynamics For UF-UM

[Brad]

New Rule Changes Dynamics For UF-UM

By ANDY STAPLES

astaples@tampatrib.com

GAINESVILLE - Florida and Miami will meet again in football, the schools' athletic directors said Thursday, but a new NCAA rule could force a change of date, venue or both.

Miami athletic director Paul Dee said the schools ``were prepared to play'' in 2008, probably at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, Orlando's Citrus Bowl or Miami's Dolphins Stadium. But after the NCAA's board of directors voted Thursday to allow Division I-A schools to schedule a 12th regular-season game beginning in 2006, the possibilities are wide open.

The Gators and Hurricanes could elect to play a home- and-home series as they did in 2002-03, or they could go ahead with plans for a neutral- site game, which would allow the schools to split the gate receipts. Only one thing seems certain: don't expect an annual Florida-Miami meeting.

``We agreed that when it passes, we'll talk,'' said Dee, in Tampa on Thursday for a Hurricane Club meeting. ``We already have a basic understanding that it won't be an annual game. We will play regularly on an intermittent basis. In other words, we might play twice every six years.''

Foley said Thursday that he and Dee haven't discussed the game for ``about six months'' and that the Gators won't start scheduling new opponents until Foley can meet with first- year coach Urban Meyer and hammer out a scheduling philosophy.

``It's too early to tell,'' Foley said. ``Obviously, I want to sit down with Coach Meyer and put the schedules up on the board and do what's best for our football team.''

Area Miami fans shouldn't despair if the rule change eliminates the possibility of Hurricanes-Gators at Raymond James Stadium. The 12th game actually could bring Miami to RJS even sooner. USF is due a return date for its scheduled Oct. 1 appearance at the Orange Bowl, and the new rule could allow the Hurricanes to come to Tampa as early as 2006.

``[uSF coach] Jim [Leavitt] and I will get together and get with Miami and see which year makes the most sense,'' Bulls athletic director Doug Woolard said Thursday.

More than Florida or Miami, USF - which must fill five out- of-conference schedule slots each season beginning in 2006 - also may examine a corollary to the 12th-game rule that will allow schools to count one win a season against a Division I-AA opponent toward bowl eligibility. Previously, schools could count one such win every four years.

The idea of a 12th game rankled the American Football Coaches Association and members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, but the measure passed Thursday by a vote of 8-2-1. College presidents comprise the NCAA board.

``I don't really want a 12th game,'' Miami coach Larry Coker said. ``With a conference championship game and a bowl game, we're talking 13, 14 games.''

Though NCAA leaders said the proposal wasn't passed solely to fill athletic departments' coffers, AFCA director Grant Teaff said in an interview earlier this month that the coaches believe ``it's a financial deal.''

NCAA president Myles Brand did not deny that, but he said his staff's research did not indicate a negative effect on players' academics in a 12- game regular season. The NCAA last allowed 12 regular- season games in 2002 and 2003 because 14 Saturdays fell between the first and last permissible playing dates.

However, Brand did warn that a 12th game is not a license for athletic departments to continue runaway spending.

``These institutions need additional revenue for the commitments they've made. ... The presidents in I-A saw this as one way to increase that revenue,'' Brand said in a teleconference. ``I still think we have the problem - and it hasn't gone away - with control in terms of the rate of increase in expenditures.

``This does not solve that problem.''

The NCAA also must decide whether to make six or seven wins the minimum for bowl eligibility. University of Kansas president Robert Hemenway said the board has asked the NCAA management council to study the problem and suggest a number.

Story Link

[TripleB]

The overwhelming majority of coaches don't want the 12th game ...

[Knight_Light]

The overwhelming majority of coaches don't want the 12th game ...

Football Coaches don't "pay" for Women's Volleyball, Golf, Track & Field scholarships, etc...

The Presidents' and the ADs' need to bring in additional revenue to help continue funding minor sports.

It's all about the $$$$$.

KL

[Guest Toolio]

The NCAA also upped the scholarship numbers for  women in gymnastics, soccer, volleyball and track and field.

So if schools want to compete, they'll have to spend more on those programs.

This will also help tip the Title IX table since football causes such a drastic number of men's scholarships.

[smazza]

why would they play the game in bull country

not much respect for usf

[DawgPound]

The Big Three really don't respect any of us smaller Florida schools.  They only talk about playing in Tampa or Orlando cause neither of us own our respective stadiums.

[UCF_Cardinals]

The overwhelming majority of coaches don't want the 12th game ...

Would you want work more and not get paid for it?

[TripleB]

Would you want work more and not get paid for it?

I don't blame them at all although I'm not sure the more work for same pay is a driving source of their displeasure ........... Maybe it is.