Congrats UCF. You win. Permanently. I'm done.

[Galloway]

11 hours ago, FazaUSF said:

Understandable frustration from the OP. Yes, this is exactly how UCF fans felt in 2003 when their team had 30 years of doing nothing under its belt, and USF was invited to the Big East with 6 years of football under its belt. Yes, UCF has gone all-in and sold out in favor of football success, and it has worked for them. It has also tarred their institution's reputation greatly, and conference realignment aside, political and educational circles in the state will always respect USF far above the diploma mill to the east. 

The revamped Big 12 will be the latest iteration of the tallest midget conference, and USF will for a time be relegated to a lower status. My hope is the AAC does not invite FAU or FIU, especially because Taggart is likely to have FAU on a winning spree soon. But, now is not the time to deprive USF Athletics of the support of its most staunch supporters in its time of need.

True, Mark Harlan and Charlie Strong really set us back. But Michael Kelly is the real deal. Jeff Scott and crew will have the football team back in shape soon. And if the last 20 years and beyond have taught us anything, there will be realignments every several years or a few times a decade. The focus has to be on improving ourselves for the time the next round comes. If we have an IPF, football success, continued academic success, and the RayJay starts getting better attendance again for a winning team with a winning culture, we can position well for the future.

I'm as unhappy with the news as any. But I'm not surprised. I think we were one coaching hire away from a different result, had Harlan chosen better than Strong. But things still look great for USF's future, even if it has been a decade of setbacks lately.

Go Bulls!

All Bull fans should read this fan's above post. UCF supporter here checking in to provide some perspective. Patience! UCF faced this same scenario in 2003 and look where we are now. The footprint has been set! Get better, recruit better, move up the AAC ranks. You don't have to go through UCF or UC anymore. USF can compete and beat Memphis and SMU and it can happen fast. The path is easier to be top dog in G5! ESPN and the national press love the underdog, just look @ the press the UCFs, UCs, BYUs and now Coastal Carolina gets. It's not far fetched you could be knocking on the CFP door as there will be access for a G5 team. Heck it could be easier for USF than UCF! But, I live in Tampa and success starts @ the top and USF has to do better with marketing and leadership. Build a culture, find a way to get butts in the seats. The program needs to create a niche and separate themselves from the Bucs. Image is everything. Really, an on campus stadium changes everything. Your donors need to step up, pull some strings in Tallahassee. You guys laugh @ UCF's cheap stadium, but guess what it may not be fancy but it moved the needle for the program back 2007. Cut some corners, if the right people work the systems you can generate $150 million and build a nice stadium. UAB just opened a nice one for around that price. Right now there's only one way to go for USF and that's up! 

Edited September 5, 2021 by Galloway

[bullsbucsfan426]

10 hours ago, FazaUSF said:

Understandable frustration from the OP. Yes, this is exactly how UCF fans felt in 2003 when their team had 30 years of doing nothing under its belt, and USF was invited to the Big East with 6 years of football under its belt. Yes, UCF has gone all-in and sold out in favor of football success, and it has worked for them. It has also tarred their institution's reputation greatly, and conference realignment aside, political and educational circles in the state will always respect USF far above the diploma mill to the east. 

The revamped Big 12 will be the latest iteration of the tallest midget conference, and USF will for a time be relegated to a lower status. My hope is the AAC does not invite FAU or FIU, especially because Taggart is likely to have FAU on a winning spree soon. But, now is not the time to deprive USF Athletics of the support of its most staunch supporters in its time of need.

True, Mark Harlan and Charlie Strong really set us back. But Michael Kelly is the real deal. Jeff Scott and crew will have the football team back in shape soon. And if the last 20 years and beyond have taught us anything, there will be realignments every several years or a few times a decade. The focus has to be on improving ourselves for the time the next round comes. If we have an IPF, football success, continued academic success, and the RayJay starts getting better attendance again for a winning team with a winning culture, we can position well for the future.

I'm as unhappy with the news as any. But I'm not surprised. I think we were one coaching hire away from a different result, had Harlan chosen better than Strong. But things still look great for USF's future, even if it has been a decade of setbacks lately.

Go Bulls!

Faza, having known you since middle school, that is encouraging. But you worked hard to get where you are. 

I want USF to succeed. I badly want it. But I've been taken body blow after body blow for supporting this program, and the situation isn't the same as it was 18 years ago when we got the Big East invite. I really want to hope that the Big 12 is the new tallest Midget conference, and we will be back...but until we earn it on and off the field, it's all fools gold. 

Jeff Scott is looking more Chad Morris than Dabo Swinney at this point. 

As for FAU, their admin decided to support athletics and it has helped them, especially with a win at all costs mentality. They have a pretty decent stadium too-one that was more than buildable had we taken on debt for it even 7 years ago. They are doing a lot of the same things we were doing years ago to get to Preeminent status. 

But based on what some have said here over the past couple of days, we are facing a potential chicken-egg paradox, and it goes back and forth. Here's what I've essentially heard the past few days:: 

There are parts of the BOT that do not want to make athletics a priority and are trying to hold back any kind of athletics expansion. 

We cannot build anything without fully funding it-a statewide policy, which coincidentally, harms USF. UCF's borrow and build strategy is not available to us and has not been since at least July of 2018 (start of Genshaft's last year). If not for this an IPF could have gotten built then. I can understand that it would have been very challenging to keep the lights on during a pandemic had we gone the debt route-it would have been around 2.4 million a year in debt service assuming a 30 year note. 

On a more financially related note-while the 2020 990 for the USF Foundation is not available as of yet, the 2019 one is (keeping in mind that the 2019 990 is used for a year ending in 06/30/20). Of that $636 million in endowment assets reported on the 990s, approximately $15 million is unrestricted.  I suspect most of that is working capital for the foundation and would not be available to fund something else, or even to be borrowed against. IF we want the USF foundation getting involved in athletic fundraising, we will need to see them take a much more hands on role. The foundation raised around $70 million last year and had around 45 million in investment income. They are more than capable of making this happen. 

 

 

 

[BulledOver]

I must be a gluten for punishment or just paying for past sins..I just keep hanging in there season after season, disappointment after disappointment. But, if I were going to pull the plug on my USF support or interest I think I would just fade away. But, after last season I was hopeful for this season hell, I even ordered a new USF flag 2 sided had to pay up for it..it flies proudly out on the house but, I do hear people walking by saying.......where is Southern Florida University.     I've got to stay a fan it's the alum thing in me

[CIHISI]

This program has been on a slow death since Lee Roy passed. Terrible athletic directors and even worse coaches. 
 

Now the fans must save the program and continue to be engaged. Whatever USF athletics,  I worked in your athletic department…good luck with that. A school that cared nothing about it’s supporters now want the supporters to hold up this turd. 
 

You did this to the program and now must pay the consequences and I say well deserved. Another deer in the headlights coach to go with the funeral package. What a effing joke this program became. CWT should’ve been rehired in a heart beat. But y’all have a way of making sure you hire failure and have a terrible complex of thinking you’re a 10 when you’re really a 5 at best. 
 

The fact y’all think Scott is the answer shows you why this school will continue to be a laughing stock in football. Is it ladies basketball season yet? 

[Bull Nut]

51 minutes ago, CIHISI said:

This program has been on a slow death since Lee Roy passed. Terrible athletic directors and even worse coaches. 
 

Now the fans must save the program and continue to be engaged. Whatever USF athletics,  I worked in your athletic department…good luck with that. A school that cared nothing about it’s supporters now want the supporters to hold up this turd. 
 

You did this to the program and now must pay the consequences and I say well deserved. Another deer in the headlights coach to go with the funeral package. What a effing joke this program became. CWT should’ve been rehired in a heart beat. But y’all have a way of making sure you hire failure and have a terrible complex of thinking you’re a 10 when you’re really a 5 at best. 
 

The fact y’all think Scott is the answer shows you why this school will continue to be a laughing stock in football. Is it ladies basketball season yet? 

[CIHISI]

2 minutes ago, Bull Nut said:

That’s the stapler UCF is sealing  it’s Big 12 application with!!! 
 

Wait they’re modern, they probably bind there’s. I’m sure USF faxed there’s over with the PowerPoint titled Why it’s better to play in an NFL Stadium. 

[Bull Nut]

1 minute ago, CIHISI said:

That’s the stapler UCF is sealing  it’s Big 12 application with!!! 
 

Wait they’re modern, they probably bind there’s. I’m sure USF faxed there’s over with the PowerPoint titled Why it’s better to play in an NFL Stadium. 

It was more of a metaphor for a disgruntled employee...

Congrats on potentially being accepted in to a conference that is on life support. The fact remains that the college football landscape is heading towards a power 4 conference structure and the Big 12 will be on the outside looking in just like the AAC. Thinking anything different is as delusional as your national championship. Nothing will change and UCF will still complain on how unfair they are being treated.

[CIHISI]

2 minutes ago, Bull Nut said:

It was more of a metaphor for a disgruntled employee...

Congrats on potentially being accepted in to a conference that is on life support. The fact remains that the college football landscape is heading towards a power 4 conference structure and the Big 12 will be on the outside looking in just like the AAC. Thinking anything different is as delusional as your national championship. Nothing will change and UCF will still complain on how unfair they are being treated.

I’m not a UCF fan Dude. Though I am changing my thought process and tell my family member not to consider USF and take the UCF offer, because this program is trash .
 

I’m a pissed off USF fan that poured his heart into that place when I attend and worked there. Now I don’t even recognize what that department is doing in terms of football. 
 

Scott has to go. Use the conference payout money and peace. I’m sure somebody on the staff can do the same job and find a better coach in the off-season. What I’ve seen is crap.

[Bull Nut]

My bad, you just came off as a troll by how hard your bashing the program. I know where you're coming from, but I don't think more turnover is the answer at this point in time. Best thing to do is let the season play out and go from there. Bottom line is we have been outmatched from a facility standpoint for years and hopefully this changes over the next few.

[Brad]

There are a some trolls but @CIHISI is not one.  We've been troll zapping, so leave it to us to take care of.