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

[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.

[Knight_Light]

These guys at the Trib really need to understand what USF is trying to do in the big picture and not try to impart their shortsighted, small minded wisdom.  If things were as they wish, we'd still be in the Sunbelt conference.

Well, usfgrad84, if those future schedules come out like we think they might, what USF is trying to do is rather puzzling, wouldn't you say?  Ball State??  Buffalo??  Western Kentucky?!?!?!?!?!!!!!

Why is it puzzling to increase your presence and  exposure within the area of your own conference?  Bowling Green, KY is a little over an hour's drive to UL and a little over 2 hours hours or so to Cincinnati.  Muncie is about a 2 hours drive to UL and Cinci.

Like I said in another post, our exposure in this region doesn't hurt for BB recruiting either.[/

quote]

How far is Orlando again to USF?   ;D

Grand Slam!! Home Run!!!

Wow...never thought a post like that would be SOOOOOO easy!

KL

It's only simple for a simple mind son.

What does this game actually do for USF.  More exposure in Central Florida?????? Big deal!!!!.  I am not opposed to the game against UCF, but I really do not see what it does for USF.  

Ok...understandable if you don't know/see it.

Here's a few that Leavitt mentioned in his Tuesday Press Conference:

1) It makes financial sense. USF/UCF game had approx 20,000 more fans at that game compared to the USF-FIU game. Say 20,000 extra tix X $25 (some costing more, others costing less) = $500,000 difference.

2) It makes financial sense. Yes, USF can just charter the same buses they use for their home games (Friday night to Saturday Night) and have the same expense of a home game (Friday night hotel as usual) as this road game just 70 miles away....save for a few $$$ on gas.

3) Benefit of playing UCF: (Leavitt's quote from Press Conf): "On the benefit of playing UCF … “Probably financially, everybody would look at it, you don’t have to travel too far. You don’t have to get on an airplane. The crowd is probably going to be a pretty good crowd. It will be important for both schools, the excitement there, I think for the alumni, the fans.† 

4) On whether the players a feeling more hyped to play UCF as opposed to a McNeese State … “Well, I don’t think that there is any question about that. I think that those are the things that you get concerned about with playing a team like McNeese. Since you prepare for those two (McNeese State and FIU), and even though McNeese is a pretty good I-AA team, I don’t know how they did last week but I think they are a pretty good I-AA team. Now you’re playing against a team that is supposed to win Conference USA, we never won Conference USA, and they’re picked to win the conference.

5)

On whether there are any bad reasons to play UCF … “Well, I don’t think that if there were a lot of bad reasons, I don’t think we would have gone four games.

6) On healthy a traditional rivalry would be with UCF … “It could. We have them (UCF) four years in a row so we’ll se how it plays out. It could.â€Â

Of course...we can also add some USF Football player comments as well:

UCF coach George O'Leary said he welcomes an annual USF series.

"I'd like to continue the series each and every year," O'Leary said in July. "I can't get a 12th game better than South Florida. From a distance and fan base standpoint, I think it's an ideal game to play."

USF's players agree.

"Both cities are off I-4, two teams are trying to get a rivalry like Florida-Florida State, why not play?" USF junior Trae Williams said. "Why it shouldn't be played? I can't think of a reason why."

Added USF junior Mike Jenkins: "It's already like a rivalry. A lot of guys know each other, a lot of trash talking. I would rather play UCF than a Sun Belt or Mid-American team."

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Add to the fact that USF will be bringing their largest road traveling group to ANY regular season game in your history.

Oh...and how this year's game is on National TV. (Which I'm sure USF will easily get in the future for their games vs Ball St, Buffalo and Western Ky.)

I hope this information helps you with your baffling question on how does this game benefit USF.

KL

[Joe]

I can assure you it wouldn't Illinois and Indiana are Big 10 teams, but they're also the 2 worst teams in that conference.

Indiana has their second best season in 10 years last year...they went 4-7...In Illinois last 3 seasons they are 6-28. The media will create a win over the C-USA Divisional Champ much more than a win over those guys.

[Joe]

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.

[Knight_Light]

I can assure you it wouldn't Illinois and Indiana are Big 10 teams, but they're also the 2 worst teams in that conference.

Indiana has their second best season in 10 years last year...they went 4-7...In Illinois last 3 seasons they are 6-28. The media will create a win over the C-USA Divisional Champ much more than a win over those guys.

Great point.

Illinois has had only 2 winning seasons about of the past 11 years...and looks like they are set for their 10th losing season out of the past 12.

Indiana has had NINE straight losing seasons.

Remember how most of the country use to view Rutgers (12 straight non-winning seasons prior to last year) &  Temple (losers forever), etc??

I honestly can't remember any team "bragging" that they beat a BCS Team like Rutgers or Temple.

Illinois and Indiana are in the same boat.

KL

[puc86]

You must not have been a very big fan back when we were independant 1-A and transitioning to C-USA, if you told someone that you beat a UCF team that went 8-5 in C-USA they would tell you they only follow 1-A football. I know for a fact that people value the conference far more than the record because I had to endure so many of these conversations before we moved to the Big East. UNC is not the cream of the crop in the ACC but my friend in Clemson cannot wait to see how we fair against them, not because they have a great record but because they play in the ACC. You may find someone that is impressed by 8-5 in C-USA  and a loss in the Hawaii Bowl but I am pretty confident that I can find 10x as many who are impressed with the Big 10 and a team that they can at least recognise.

I can assure you it wouldn't Illinois and Indiana are Big 10 teams, but they're also the 2 worst teams in that conference.

Indiana has their second best season in 10 years last year...they went 4-7...In Illinois last 3 seasons they are 6-28. The media will create a win over the C-USA Divisional Champ much more than a win over those guys.

[puc86]

How about C-USA or more in particular UCF?

I can assure you it wouldn't Illinois and Indiana are Big 10 teams, but they're also the 2 worst teams in that conference.

Indiana has their second best season in 10 years last year...they went 4-7...In Illinois last 3 seasons they are 6-28. The media will create a win over the C-USA Divisional Champ much more than a win over those guys.

Great point.

Illinois has had only 2 winning seasons about of the past 11 years...and looks like they are set for their 10th losing season out of the past 12.

Indiana has had NINE straight losing seasons.

Remember how most of the country use to view Rutgers (12 straight non-winning seasons prior to last year) &  Temple (losers forever), etc??

I honestly can't remember any team "bragging" that they beat a BCS Team like Rutgers or Temple.

Illinois and Indiana are in the same boat.

KL

[Joe]

puc,

I'm a HUGE fan of college football, I've followed it relentlessly since I was very young. I live in Big 10 country.

Indiana almost lost to Ball State this past Saturday, they squeaked games out last season against Central Michigan and Nicholls State, they have avergaed 1.7 wins in the Big 10 the last 10 seasons.

There is no doubt in my mind that a win over UCF is worth more in the media's eyes than a win over Indiana at this point.

[puc86]

If you told Joe average fan from around the country that you beat Indiana  they would say "Oh ya", UCF they would say "who"?

[Joe]

Puc,

The average fan doesn't matter. They aren't ranking teams, or determining who goes to what bowl game, or even reporting on ESPN Gameday (which is how most SIDs, coaches, and AP voters get their collective knowledge on teams).

There has been more on George O'Leary and UCF from those collective outlets (O'Leary is VERY well respected amongst his peers) than anything from IU in the past year. Hell Lee Corso picked UCF v. UF to be his game to look out for because he thought O'Leary's coaching would keep the game close.

Amongst the average fans UCF might not be known, but in the circles that do matter in College Football (a very very media driven sport) UCF has respect. Therefore, yes, a win over an 8-5 UCF team is worth more than a win over a team who hasn't been to a bowl game and averaged 2.5 wins since 1993.

This game does make sense...