Just because it is the off season

[ProudBull]

There have been a lot of talk about the expansion of the Big East, and I don't want to get into the details of how it will happen, but I want to ask, what do you think will happen with the talent (recruits) for USF if UCF gets into the Big East?  Would UCF finally get to our level or would our level come down?  This is sort of a loaded question since it would involve the recruits choice of campus, OCS or Pro stadium, possible academics, etc, etc. 

Personally I think it would take UCF a few years to start competing with us, simply because I don't think GOL is that great of a coach.  His overall win-loss is just about 50/50 ad he had loaded teams in with GT.  I think he is better at recruiting starred players, but I think CJL can get better athletes.  If it came down to two teams with the same talent I would pick CJL to win every time. 

Just wanted to see what you all thought, if this did become a reality

[Triple B]

The State of Florida Board

[twillybull]

UCF being added to the mix would bring both us and the Big East down a notch.  Remember they have had the opportunity that USF now has for over 25 years, but due to funding scandals and poor business choices they continously "miss the boat".  The talent level in this state is good enough that UCF should have been a national contender 15 years ago.  

It was **** or get off the pot for UCF 10 years ago before a USF QB took his first snap.  What have they done since?  They're building a glorified high school stadium that's way over budget (while the city of Orlando is dumping millions into renovating the Citrus Bowl).  They built an indoor practice filed (potentially nullifying the conditioning advantage of being a Florida school and practicing in the heat / weather).  They paid millions to "lock up" O'Liary (a coach that still hasn't proven himself and no-one in a BCS conference would touch).  The longer that overhyped and overpaid fatman stays at UCF, the better for us.  And just where is this money coming from?  They certainly don't see 6-figure payouts like teams in the BCS conferences do.

I would much rather have ECU, Memphis or Southern Miss if we're going to invite a team from C-DOA.  Hell, I'd invite Army and Navy first.      

[NormalBull]

This topic =  :Asleep  Can we just move on?

Normal

[Bull Martin]

I would actually like to get Southern Miss in if they're inviting another team in.  I'd like the opportunity to have a "close" opponent in conference.  I dont really think UCF should get in, but I admit it's merely out of spite.  I think a Souther Miss or TCU would be cool though.

The only way I could legistically think the Big East could move another football school in would, be to just let in the football team in the Big East or throw out a basketball school (Notre Dam). Or they should tell Notre Dam that if they want to remain in the conference for everyother sport they have to join for football as well.  That'd be sweet.

[ProudBull]

There are a lot of other teams that i think would be a good fit in the Big East and came make an Immediate difference and Southern Miss. is one of them, but that is not what i am trying to ask here.  As Twilly has so nicely pointed out there are plenty of threads to debate that.  I am trying to ask, what effect would UCF becoming part of the Big East have on us?  Being completely honest, do you think it would hurt recruiting?  Would it hurt both of us if we are splitting the talent?, obviously it would create a full blown rivalry, so than what about UM?  It's less about UCF than it is about having another Florida school in the BCS and having to compete with that. 

[Bull Martin]

if UCF did get the Big East invite it would most definately hurt our recruiting.  They do have the OCS lure, but from what I hear a lot of USF recruits like the NFL stadium. We may not fill it, but we get some mad homecrowd mojo. That place could be deadly "More Deadly than now" to opponents in a few years if we keep up the pace.

Sure we'd lose a few recruits to toon town, but immediately players would only go from USF to UCF for playing time, so up front it may not hurt us too bad, but if they got the invite, then they'd improve and we would eventually settle at about the same level.

[Joe]

Two words:

Television Market. The Big East does not have the sexy names to earn them the big time TV deals, what they will do when expansion comes (and it will come one day be it 5 years or 30 years) they will go for the markets that will open the Networks to better advertising dollars.

I put TCU at the top of that list. Good football program, decent fan base, large market...The only thing holding them back is distance.

However, any expansion is going to have to happen after the split of the basketball conference (which I also think will eventually happen)

[Guest]

People fail to realize that the Big East is a lot more than just football.

USF football is not why USF is in the big east.  USF had more Conference USA championships than any other school while we were a member -- that means our other sports were competitive in a decent conference.

UCF's teams, until they moved to C-USA were playing in the Atlantic Sun conference... and not very well, either.

Finally, this debate is relatively moot.  Nothing will force realignment of the conferences anytime soon.  The football schools would not want to lose the basketball points - and the dollars they represent - by breaking away.  The basketball schools would not want to share revenue with a 17th university.

The Big East would do better to bring Villanova or Georgetown up to I-A, get a mixed Army-Navy half-membership, or find the power to bring Notre Dame to the table...

Otherwise, this discussion is reatively moot.

We might as well start talking about what happens when FSU shuts down it's football program.  ;-)

[BDYZR]

Bingo ProudBull - We were invited in to keep the Fla. connection, as I understand it.

I think that IF they invited UCF in it would definately hurt not only our recruiting, but all the other Big East schools as well, because of the presence we and the BE has in this state.

GO BULLS!