Wikipedia Article Speculates about USF Rivals...

[Joe]

Lets quit kidding ourselves, if anything is going to pull causal fans to RJS its the rivalry between USF and UCF.

For months I've seen threads on this board asking about how we can improve attendance or how we can get the "casual fan" to show to a USF game. One way! Pump the living SH&T out of this rivalry.

Ask any current student who USF's biggest rival is! I'll put $100 down that 9 out of every 10 say UCF. What game was most intense in RJS history? Personally I think UCF. As great as the Louisville game was, for kickoff against UCF 90% of the stadium was at their seats, most students had moved away from the pirate ship and into the stands and the crowd (even the casual fans) were anticipating the kickoff.

No rivalry! Is that why the mention of a rivalry gets USF fans stirred! You think if UC, Syracuse, or FIU came on this board and said "the rivalry that is USF and UC/Syracuse/FIU is good." we'd react the same way?

You think guys like ____ Eats It would have his avatar relating to UCF? Or other guys knocking UCF at every shot they get!

This is a rivalry, even if UCF hasn't won yet, it might not be an intense rivalry, but it is a rivalry.

[Jihme]

Calling out the rivalries like that just makes it that much easier to completely hate every other team than USF

[Triple B]

Ask any current student who USF's biggest rival is! I'll put $100 down that 9 out of every 10 say UCF. What game was most intense in RJS history? Personally I think UCF. As great as the Louisville game was, for kickoff against UCF 90% of the stadium was at their seats, most students had moved away from the pirate ship and into the stands and the crowd (even the casual fans) were anticipating the kickoff.

If true, this is why our football program has a loooooooooong way to go and our students need to get their shít together. If they were more excited about an 0-16 team coming in here than our first ever BE game, against a Top 10 team, that speaks volumes about the work that needs to be done.

Neither UL or UCF is a rival right now but the potential is greater for UL unless UCF joins the BE.

[Mission9]

 

On a side note, the article mentions further BE expansion and names UCF, ECU, Memphis, and Navy as potential picks.

Someone, please tell the media to stop suggesting that the Putrid Purple Pirates of EZU (or Least Carolina) belong in the Big East.  They belong in the Southern Conference.

[Joe]

Triple,

Obviously they were, there were maybe 20,000 people there for Louisville, and by that i mean ACTUAL bodies, not "tickets distributed attendence number."

Whereas for UCF there was legitimately 40,000+ actual bodies...

You tell me what sprung people's attention more...

There is a potential for an "on the field" rivalry between USF and UL, but between fans, no...we're not making UL jokes and saying "he must go to UL" when talking about someone doing something not so smart. Part of a rivalry is the fans just as much as the players. The biggest rivalries (minus ND/USC) are regional its the way it works.

Top Five Rivalries based on TV ratings last 10 years:

1) Michigan/Ohio State - Regional

2) Auburn/Alabama - Regional

3) FSU/ Florida - Regional

4) Miami/FSU - Regional

5) Oklahoma/Texas - Regional

I see a pattern.

While I'm not saying we won't develop a rivalry with UL, I think it could be like a VT/Miami or UT/UF a good interconference rivalry, however my firm belief NO MATTER how much MANY of you will deny it, is UCF. I think attendance makes the point.

[Guest rueben_horowitz]

Triple,

Obviously they were, there were maybe 20,000 people there for Louisville, and by that i mean ACTUAL bodies, not "tickets distributed attendence number."

Whereas for UCF there was legitimately 40,000+ actual bodies...

You tell me what sprung people's attention more...

There is a potential for an "on the field" rivalry between USF and UL, but between fans, no...we're not making UL jokes and saying "he must go to UL" when talking about someone doing something not so smart. Part of a rivalry is the fans just as much as the players. The biggest rivalries (minus ND/USC) are regional its the way it works.

Top Five Rivalries based on TV ratings last 10 years:

1) Michigan/Ohio State - Regional

2) Auburn/Alabama - Regional

3) FSU/ Florida - Regional

4) Miami/FSU - Regional

5) Oklahoma/Texas - Regional

I see a pattern.

While I'm not saying we won't develop a rivalry with UL, I think it could be like a VT/Miami or UT/UF a good interconference rivalry, however my firm belief NO MATTER how much MANY of you will deny it, is UCF. I think attendance makes the point.

Amen.

NO question we are rivals...

[USFreak]

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.  

OK Collin.  You've convinced yourself.  Now you just need to convince all the USF fans and students that will drive to the Citrus Bowl.  And if a return game happens again in 2007 you'll have to stop all the UCFers (many with that silly little thing called hope in their eyes) from showing up too.

I used to say the same things, but you know what...I stopped caring because it turned out a lot of people do like this game.  It isn't overwhelming number like UF vs. FSU where 100% of the fans hate the other team, but it is a decent number of folks.  

The market will decide this one.  If the Citrus Bowl sells out and there are a ton of people on both sides in attendance I imagine it will be tough to stop.

And God forbid if UCF wins....well, then you'd probably have to choke down all the words you wrote above.  I'd say the chances of it happening are slim, but with Hall off the roster, a lethargic offensive scheme and a new quarterback it certainly isn't impossible.

[USFan]

UCF and USF.. it's a rivalry.. I REALLY dislike UCF. LETS GET IT ON!

[Sir Robert Peel]

The way I read this post, it seems as if MOST of the USF fans agree with the UCF fans that this really is or could be developing into a rivalry and is a good thing.  Especially for attendence.

Just because UCF and USF have only played 1 game in football doesn't mean that the schools do not already have a rivalry.

As mentioned above, they have played each other in sports for years, were both founded at about the same time, and compete for students every year.

With the attendance showing last year in Tampa and IF there is a large showing in Orlando, it would be STUPID of the administrations not to continue the game.

Leavitt himself said if the attendance is there it is a good idea.  Follow your leader....

[Rabbi Bull]

i will be going to the game only to see usf play, i could careless who the team is we are playing.  as long as usf is playing i will be there.  freaknight, by the looks of the citrus bowl from the t.v. it sure looked like there were less than 52,000, no way you all had that many there and the stadium looking empty like it was.  maybe tickets sold were 52,000 but people in the stands much less.  knight_light, you can't go by that.  the student bulls club will most likely try and do our roadtrip to louisville, which was the overall agreement by everybody at our meeting.  people are going to drive over to the game only because usf is playing and we are diehard usf fans.  rivalries don't always have to be regional, and ucf is definetly not a rival