Fenelly: "USF Dropping The Ball If It Drops UCF"

[Bull Dozer]

You dont have to be from central Florida to go to UCF.  Im sure there are recruits in south and north FL considering both schools.  Contrary to what most people here see (with their green and gold goggles) our programs are pretty much viewed as at the same level by people nationally, UCF may even be starting to pull ahead there (of course building a OCS and especially having O'Leary help ALOT).  So if a kid knows he prolly wont sniff playing time at the big 3 till hes prolly a senior and wants to stay in state and play soon its us and them.    

Ummmm, I'm a recruit.  CUSA championship game or chance at a BCS bowl?  Dang I'm stumped.  Now which is better - coach dedicated to his university for life b/c he's from that area plus he started the program from scratch vs a coach that would lie on his resume to coach at a top flight BCS school?  Don't fool yourself either.  If VA, UNC, Arkansas, CO or TX Tech offer, he'd go.  I use these schools 'cuz the are competitive in thier BCS coonference.  The conference elite would not consider GOL.  The ones mentioned might.  Last one, play in a tinker toy 45K OCS or a 60K+ NFL stadium?  Sorry, I know my selection.

O'Leary>>>>Jim in the eyes of the media, even with the scandal.  Kids watch ESPN and see segments about what hes doing at UCF, wheres anything about Leavitt and USF :-?  Hate to break it to you but ESPN runs the sports world for most casual fans, including recruits.  When they see UCF on TV because of O'Leary that means something CUSA or not.  Your purely speculating about him leaving for those other programs, especially with him signing that extension reccently.  The BCS elite wouldnt consider him? So the fighting Irish arent a major program eh?  If he doesnt lie on his app hes still coaching them right now.  He wasnt fired because of lacking what he lied about he was fired on the principal or the whole thing.  Having your OWN stadium shows dedication of building the program reguardless of size.  Renting a stadium from the city or a NFL team doesnt have the same ring as an OCS to a recruit as they want to play in a NFL stadium IN THE NFL NOT COLLEGE!!!  College stadiums are different then NFL stadiums from design and tradition, theres just something about playing in YOUR SCHOOL'S stadium on campus. The only real edge we have in this whole thing is the BCS if you cant see that your fooling yourself.....

[Joe]

These would all be better opponents on the field than Indiana, Illinois, etc. Especially TCU since we have a history with them. But everywhere else they would be a flop. Their fan bases are even smaller than USF's, no one would travel here or there, and except for TCU none of them are in a fertile recruiting area. If you want to build a national image, you don't go play in Boise or Fresno or El Paso. Even playing here in Fort Worth is borderline because almost no one here cares about the Frogs.

What are you talking about Fresno & TCU averaged more fans than us last year and Boise sold out every game except 1...and they brought over 10,000 fans to the Liberty Bowl in 2004

If there is anything that USF has proved this year it's that our fan base isn't very good. Thus the reason the UCF game is good for this program, it brought a legit 40,000 to RJS.

And again I point out that the ONLY BCS vs. non-BCS rivalry played every year is Colorado-Colorado State. I don't see Illinois and Illinois State playing very often. How about Ohio State and Bowling Green/Toledo? North Carolina and East Carolina?West Virginia and Marshall? Ole Miss and Southern Miss? LSU and Tulane? I could go on and on.

East Carolina has agreed to four meetings each against North Carolina (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) alternating on a home and home basis.

Marshall v. WVU is in but on some crazy formula created by the state(and state mandated)

Ole Miss won't play So Miss cause they kept losing. Instead Ole Miss plays Memphis (another CUSA team) annually home and home.

LSU and Tulane have signed an alternating annual through 2016.

[BullsHater]

I have this question.  Besides UCF and USF fans who will care if we beat USF?  I say no one.  Which means we don't have a lot to gain by beating you all.  If we beat UF yes, but beating USF means little.  UCF isn't going to go bragging to everyone how we beat a BCS team, because as soon as we tell them who it was they will laugh.  No one would care if UCF beat a Rutgers or a Duke, just like no one will care if we beat you all Saturday.  People care when you beat Top 25 teams as you all did last year, but not when you beat the 50th ranked team in the nation who happens to be BCS.

Exactly nodody cares, ie....not a heated rivalry, nothing more than a game between teams near each other. I'm glad you pointed out how this game serves no purpose  

It would though if your fans attended your games.

[BULLheaded]

Because they want it to be an annual 1 for 1 series, by definition equal, and we have people demanding that it be known as a rivalry (usually something's rival is? You guessed it, its equal) from its onset.

This actually brings up another issue with the argument on all the incredible revenues this game will bring in. Not only do I think it will be just a modest bump in attendence but it will also only be every other year so the actual benefit to the bottom line will probably be negligable over the 1 and 1 series. One good payday at any BCS school will probably bring in more profit that several go rounds of the little two showdown.

BullHeaded,

Look at the seats during the 1st two games this year. We were lucky if we brought 20,000 to those games, the actuall attendance for UCF was 40,000 last year.

For Louisville, who was ranked 9th in the nation with National Championship hype, we brought 28,000 actual fans...that's a difference of 12,000 people. That's a lot of money.

the comparison against McNeese and FIU just don't make sense unless you think I'm talking about scheduling those types of teams...which I'm not. So let's look at louisville and UCF, what were the reported numbers for both? Since we get zilch in concession revenue that is what matters if comparing the financial benefit. Also, last year was the first game and as such was a novelty for those in the area that had some curiousity about which team was better, do you think that interest is strong enough to last the test of time? Keep in mind that UCF is a team that most just don't care about watching and what I'm getting at here is that there is no interest in the team itself, do you think once the novelty is worn down that the average fan in Tampa will be flocking to Ray Jay to see this game? I just don't see it. In the end I don't think we'll see anything more than a modest financial boost from it yet we'll be giving them the opportunity to "prove" they are a better team. This could also open up a door for them to prove to various conferences that they are worthy to join if an opening happens to appear, I'd just assume not give them ANY ammunition whatsoever. Let them try to justify ass whooping to florida and wins against villinova when they want to get ahead.

Back to Louisville, I think that is a great rivalry brewing. We've beaten them both times they've come to ray jay and once while they were ranked and hoping for a nationat title run and we got whipped by them when we went to papa johns. Unlike the UCF game THIS is a team that I can see gradually building up to something big over time. As long as they stay a good and ranked team there will be interest in watching them play for the average fan and as long as we can win big games against them like last year it will get nice and heated between us. THAT rivalry is exciting to think about....UCF, well they are close but who the hell cares about the actual game against them...yaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwnnnn.

BTW, what was the attendence vs FAMU....pretty darn close to UCF wasn't it? Maybe that would be a natural rivalry as well...I mean they drew well, their band was fun and they are still in state, sounds natural enough to me  :

[DawgPound]

I have this question.  Besides UCF and USF fans who will care if we beat USF?  I say no one.  Which means we don't have a lot to gain by beating you all.

Let's see, you say you don't have a lot to gain by beating us. We don't have a lot to gain by beating you. The majority of our fans, for whatever reason, don't care enough to go one hour east to watch us play you. It appears the only reason to have this game is so UCF fans can have an away game every other year that's within short driving distance so they can come here, trash our parking lot and verbally abuse every Bulls fan within earshot........  No wonder the USF admin is doing what it's doing.

Thanks for simplifying this for everybody.

Trip, your fans don't even travel to RayJay.  I think the lack of ticket sales for away games is a problem that needs to be solved at home first.

[BULLheaded]

BullHeaded why play at FAU or FIU then? We stand to lose A LOT more if we were to lose to them. And if anything, the game this past weekend shows it's not out of the realm.

Those are 2 schools that aren't even fully D-IA teams, they are on a trial membership that runs out at the end of next season. They don't bring fans to our stadium, and the 2 for 1 deal with them just creates problems if either team is demoted because they don't fulfill their deal.

If anyone was talking about having a long term 1 and 1 with either of those teams hoping to build a rivalry I'd be completely against that for the exact same reasons. Sounds pretty rediculous even considering that doesn't it? Well the only difference between FAU, FIU and UCF is that UCF is a little closer. That just isn't a reason to create a rivalry.

[Guest]

...but ignoring you benefits only OUR team,

Can you clarify this a bit?? I'm not saying you're wrong, but I don't understand how USF benefits from NOT playing the game.

[Guest]

Well the only difference between FAU, FIU and UCF is that UCF is a little closer. That just isn't a reason to create a rivalry.

Actually, no.  UCF is in a better conference and has a better team.

Also, there has been competition between USF and UCF in other sports and in other ways for quite some time...

Fifteen years ago there was the same disdain between USF and UCF... that was before USF even started down the path to a football...

[BULLheaded]

I have this question.  Besides UCF and USF fans who will care if we beat USF?  I say no one.  Which means we don't have a lot to gain by beating you all.  If we beat UF yes, but beating USF means little.  UCF isn't going to go bragging to everyone how we beat a BCS team, because as soon as we tell them who it was they will laugh.  No one would care if UCF beat a Rutgers or a Duke, just like no one will care if we beat you all Saturday.  People care when you beat Top 25 teams as you all did last year, but not when you beat the 50th ranked team in the nation who happens to be BCS.

Exactly nodody cares, ie....not a heated rivalry, nothing more than a game between teams near each other. I'm glad you pointed out how this game serves no purpose  

It would though if your fans attended your games.

LOL, did a UCFer just mention attendence? WOW! stunned....

truth is, nobody gives a **** about you in orlando so what makes you think we'll care about you in Tampa?

[BULLheaded]

Well the only difference between FAU, FIU and UCF is that UCF is a little closer. That just isn't a reason to create a rivalry.

Actually, no.  UCF is in a better conference and has a better team.

Also, there has been competition between USF and UCF in other sports and in other ways for quite some time...

Fifteen years ago there was the same disdain between USF and UCF... that was before USF even started down the path to a football...

Do you really think the average fan in Tampa 1)looks at UCF any differently than the other two? and 2)cares at all about any games we've played in soccer or tennis? No I don't see anything about this that will generate a lasting interest in the area.

I'm sorry if it bothers a few people that being part of the "little two" is less then exciting, I'm just glad our program is just as uninterested.