Wikipedia Article Speculates about USF Rivals...

[No_Willie_Jokes_Yet]

While I am not a big fan of calling USF a rivalry, geography has EVERYTHING to do with the word Rivals. The word origninals fram a latin word I beleive Rivalis which translates into stream. Rivals share the same stream. In modern times you could say that we share the recruiting stream with them. But as for the origin of a rival, geography has everything to do with it.

Thanks for all you do for my beloved alma mater Katie, and congratulations on a great performance by the Sun Dolls at nationals.  But for the love of God UCF is NOT OUR RIVAL!

Geographic proximity does NOT make a rivalry.  Competitive games on the field do.  And for DECADES through all sports, we have consistently been superior to UCF on the field across the board and in every sport excluding baseball.  I'll give UCF that it is a wonderful rivalry in baseball, because both programs are at about the same level, and all the credit to Jay Bergman and his team.  But in every other sport, we have proven to be in a higher class over time.  This isn't a once or twice thing... this is an overall decades long beatdown... we all know the numbers.  

And then we finally played football last year.  We call off the dogs at 28-0, and they get a cheapy against our 2nd and 3rd string to put up 7.  Owned and 17.  Let's get next year over with, hopefully no riots ensue in the parking lot (which looked like Baghdad after our last encounter), and put this "rivalry" to bed until UCF can consistenly compete with us over time.  When they do, hey I'm all for playing them every year.  But until then, let's emphasize games with teams that compete with us year in and year out.  

Ask our coaching staff and players... Louisville can become a great rivalry.  There have been some recruiting battles, some veiled shots over the bow from both sides, and of course the beatdown at Ray Jay last year which will be on their bulletin boards before Nov. 11 this season I'm sure.  THAT is what can make a rivalry.  

The Red Wings and Avalanche have no geography in common, and turned into one of the NHL's best rivalries for years.  Notre Dame and USC have nothing in common at all... except incredible and memorable games on the field.  THAT is what makes a rivalry... if it was just geography we would have been talking about Stetson and Bethune Cookman in the same breath before we got football.

And its not just a "we're BCS and you aren't" superiority.  If we could have played Southern Miss again I would have been all for it.  Because they beat us on the field, and we beat them, and the games were great, and both teams really don't like each other.  But after a while the chiuaua that keeps biting your heels gets really annoying, and you get tired of having to step on it over and over.  

Sorry, I had this argument at the Student Bulls Club meeting today so its fresh in my mind.  When UCF raises their product on the field, I say play them every year and hey if a rivalry develops all the better.  But until then... can we as Bulls Nation please stop this talk?  Its like putting Alpo on our shoelaces for the chiuaua.  

[BULLfreak]

if you read the artical USF is the youngest in the big east being founded in 1956 and is by far has the highest enrollment. way  to go bulls

[USFCollin]

OK, let me try this again...

One of the most painful weekends of my life as a Bulls fan was in 2001, when our volleyball team and basketball team played in the O'Connell center on consecutive days.  Volleyball was the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament.  And as the Gators are putting the finishing touches on their 4-set victory in a hard fought match, one of their students held up a sign that still makes me queasy thinking about it.  

Rivals Win Sometimes.

Ouch.  That hurt.  But he was right... because we haven't competed on the field with UF over time.  Our softball team certainly has, we play in their tournaments and they play in ours, and I think both sides would consider that a rivalry game.  But school to school?  Sure, we're in the Big East and I think we can get there someday.  But that day simply hasn't arrived yet.  

It's the same argument I make regarding UCF.  Can it be a rivalry someday?  Sure, if they raise the quality of their product on the field.  

And why was I talking about UCF at a meeting today?  Because one of our students mentioned that "we have to play UCF every year, right?"  So I told him the same things I put here.  And quite frankly you're right, UCF does get a little under my skin... and a lot of that is because the UCF fans I meet in person and on this board can't stop talking about us.  The fact that you're on a USF message board to refute what I say is just an example.  Do you know how many times I've been to a UCF message board?  Exactly one, and that was after our game last year.  I just had to see the carnage because I know how much you had built it up.  

I give you all the credit in the world for an amazing turnout at Ray Jay, that's seriously impressive for a team that hadn't won a game in 693 days.  But that's the whole point; you HADN'T WON A GAME IN 693 DAYS!  

Someday?  Sure, it would be a great thing.  But that day simply isn't now.  

[Kyle]

Ironically enough, I think people like Collin who try so hard to avoid such a thing only add fuel to the rivalry fire.

I hate UCF and I know a bunch of UCF students that really dispise USF...if that's not what a rivalry is all about, I don't know what is.

[TyBull]

I'm still not convinced. Still for UCF.

WOW, don't let this statement be taken out of context....

[DawgPound]

Colin, Southern Miss and Alabama consider themselves to be football rivals even though Bama wins on a consistant basis.  They are GEOGRAPHICALLY close and both schools are jacked up for the game.  There is a mutual dislike for each other and they both play hard.

Yeah, we hadn't won in close to two years at that point, but we went on to win 8 games.  You really can't use that as a reason not to play.  Remember, Florida did not want to play Florida State many years ago and now look at that rivalry?  It was forced and it blossumed.

[FreaKnight]

people will show to see usf play, regardless of who it is, your fans need a reason to go watch you all play.  for the conference-usa championship game you all couldn't fill the stadium and it was YOUR OWN STADIUM.  it was brought up and then shot down, the only people making it seem like a rivalry are your fans.  you all need a reason to show up to a game.  if you want to think its a rivalry then go ahead and think that, but us on the other side know the truth.  katie, you probably don't see it, because you haven't been around usf that long, if you knew the history and were at these games, you would understand

We had 52,000 for the Noon kickoff that was the CUSA championship game.  This is about 20,000 more than the USF / Louisville game, and the UCF / USF game had about 12,000 more than the USF / Louisville game.  And the Louisville game was the first Big East game at home for USF and they came in ranked #9 in the country!

USF needs the UCF game, and vice versa.  It just makes sense economically.

[dabull80]

UCF may need the game but USF doesn't need it.

[FreaKnight]

UCF may need the game but USF doesn't need it.

With a 7 game conference schedule and a 12 game season the UCF game would certainly help.  And it was just about the highest attended game of the year for you guys.  Wouldn't you rather have UCF than a IAA?  Or someplace where you might have to travel halfway across the country?

[Knight_Light]

I'm still not convinced. Still for UCF.

Katie...easy way to find out who is right...just ask:

Which game will more USF Fans travel to see USF play at next year?

1) at Louisville

2) at UCF

That's all.

You will find your answer right there.

KL