College football catches up to Fla.’s Big 3

[knight_fan]

True, that's part of the equation as well. But other schools like Louisville have recruited in Florida for ages, and it didn't hurt the Big Three in the late 80s-early 90s.

What was the timing of the scholarship reductions?  If the fact that the big three could only keep 85 scholarship players on roster coincides with the drop off in supremacy, then I think the original article has prove its point.

[Guest S.  Bien]

What was the timing of the scholarship reductions?  If the fact that the big three could only keep 85 scholarship players on roster coincides with the drop off in supremacy, then I think the original article has prove its point.

Actually, the last cut in scholarships was 1988 I believe, and that was only like a 5-10 reduction, it had a residual effect, but that fall-out was felt throughout 1-A, and it is why more out-of-state schools can mine FL for the top talent because they know the big three can only keep so many.

The issue is probably more than just talent, and is actually quite subtle.  Everyone presumes the issue is only talent, which it is to an extent.  Before when UCF was 1-AA, USF, FAU, and FIU were all nothing, and in the early 1990's the state of FL while albeit was a good recruiting location, it wasn't the hot commodity it is today.  For years, schools like UF, FSU, and Miami were getting walk-on athlete like look at Andre Wadsworth, Matt Frier, Clay Rebol...all walk-ons at FSU and the list is long and distinguished.   Twenty years ago those kids go to FSU, and spend four years developing into a stud.  Now, all three would either be heading out-of-state, or be playing for one of THE OTHER FOUR- UCF, USF, FAU, FIU.

Also, let's look at timing- on the flip I believe scholarship limits HELPED UF, FSU, and Miami.  FSU and Miami grew as independents in the 80's, before the 80's all FL schools were average, not a champion among them.  They became powerful programs, as scholarship limits began lowering starting in 1975, and ending in 88, because they could keep more FL talent, and you didn't have programs like LSU, Alabama, and Texas keeping 125 scholarship athletes a piece.  Also, FSU and MIami didn't have to hang onto major conference rivalries like UF did, which hurt UF's ranking.  Then once FSU and Miami joined conferences they jumped into two very weak conferences, Miami hopped into the Big East after WVU's latest run, Pitt had fallen, and Syracuse was inconsistent.  FSU jumps into the ACC once Clemson had fallen, and GT, while the rest were basically chumps.

They all spent the late 80's, and through the 1990's on an unprecedented run.

What's happened now is all these FL schools in 1-A has hurt their walk-on status.  They now occupy conferences where their conference foes have built up their football programs.  It's sad, but if Miami goes 9-2 in the ACC, with a 6-2 conference record it isn't that bad considering they had to probably beat FSU, Vtech, NCST, and Virginia- that may not get them into a BCS, but it could have meant they are better athletically then some of their early 1990's and late 80's programs however the scheduling and conference has improved so much that there's less margin of error.

[KNIGHTTIME]

neither UCF or USF are even in the same league as the Big 3 yet.

UCF/S. Fla would love to be at 10% of UF, Miami, and FSU.   Hopefully things will change.   The day you see our clothes at all Wal-Marts, Malls, and Gas Stations is the day we dent the Big 3.   The Big 3 fans are mostly bandwagon losers that never went to college.   I'm bitter....I know...

[KnightsRule]

Technically, we are in the same league as the national championship miami squad!

oh wait.  You meant FIGURATIVELY speaking.  Nope.  Nowhere near em.  USF is closer than UCF, but not by a great deal.  Its fighting for 4th at the half way point when the first 3 are already finished with the race.

USf is going into the ACC?