And you all say we are not rivals... The USF Alumni Magazine must disagree

[CitizenofLeavittTown]

As you find rivalries come and rivalries go, as a program changes the direction that they would like to go in. Since, USF's inception into the collegiate football world there has been a direction of emphasis put in place. That is no different today. The thing that people who accept UCF as our rivalry for eternity is that they fail to realize that this program is doing something that does not happen in the collegiate football world. That is, grow with talent and great coaching to a higher and higher level in such a short frame of time in terms of what the collegiate world is accustomed to. It's taken programs like UF and FSU and UM multiple decades to find the success that we have had as football program in 11 years. This is not the norm, however, it is exciting as a USF student and fan of collegiate football. Because our program has accelerated the growing curve so should our past, current, and future skill level of opponents. 10 years from now, those of you who show your reservations towards thinking of UCF as a rivalry will look back and see that this can only be a positive direction given the rate that our football program has grown.

Here is an analogy for you all. If I live in a 1500 sq ft home make 52,000 per year with 3 kids and a wife currently. Let's say that I put a small amount in investments or a purchase a lottery ticket from time to time in hopes that I make it big. Well one random week I have stumbled upon 6 lucky numbers that match the numbers they are showing on as the winning numbers on the 10 o'clock news. Do you think that I am going to forever stay content with my 1500 sq ft cramped house with 3 kids? The chances are very slim that I will stay content with my house and I would most certainly use some of my earnings to purchase maybe a 2500 sq ft home to make life just a little easier to live by.

Now taking that with a grain of salt maybe just maybe you can see that our program is outgrowing this UCF rivalry. Outgrowing the competition level, outgrowing the coaching level, and outgrowing the return that we get from playing UCF. Because at the end of the day what does USF really have to gain from playing a Sunbelt Conference non-BCS opponent? Nothing. Now, in the past we may have used those games and wins to win over some mid-state recruits. But that is not the case anymore. If a recruit is in the Orlando area and wants a shot at go to the National Championship game they are going to go to a BCS contender. Whereas, if they want to promised a starting role before even proving themselves than they will go to UCF, and if that's the case then they don't deserve to be Bulls anyway.

[On_the_Chip]

Jezz....if it has to be debated....then we are NOT rivals.  When it's a rivalry.....there's no question about it.

[Paisa el Toro]

Our fan base, as reflected by this message board, sure has become snobby since our inclusion in the BCS-affiliated Big East. I'm all for continuing the series with the Knights, since it makes sense from a monetary stand-point. As soon as it's not financially lucrative to continue the series, then just nix it.

[CowbellBandit]

Our fan base, as reflected by this message board, sure has become snobby since our inclusion in the BCS-affiliated Big East. I'm all for continuing the series with the Knights, since it makes sense from a monetary stand-point. As soon as it's not financially lucrative to continue the series, then just nix it.

It's not snobbery, it's being mindful of how college football works. If we lose to a BCS opponent, our stock drops a bit, but it doesn't necessarily end our season. If we were to lose to UCF, our season would be done. And I know we play non-bcs teams, but not many, and none with a "rivalry" mentality that they have.

If beating them becomes worth something more than a W, which we could get from scheduling ECU, or etc., then we continue the series and it becomes a rivalry. Until then, losing to them is too big a risk.

[Bull Martin]

Our fan base, as reflected by this message board, sure has become snobby since our inclusion in the BCS-affiliated Big East. I'm all for continuing the series with the Knights, since it makes sense from a monetary stand-point. As soon as it's not financially lucrative to continue the series, then just nix it.

We're virtually there monetarily.  We'll see how the crowd goes this year, but I think we won’t be needing UCF to sell out Ray Jay in the very near future.  I mean they didn't get us to sell out ray jay in our first game with them.  Last year I think the ranking and us beating WVU had more bearing on the sell out than did us playing UCF.  If we beat Kansas I see most of our games at home being 58K plus (like the Cincy game last year).  That's only 7k from a sell out.  We won’t need UCF for an additional 7k any more.

[BullsOnThaRize8]

lol Like I said, they need us. We don't need them. The hype of the UCF game is made up by UCF fans. The whole message board wars, and grothe facebook pokes, and other little things they try to do to make us hate them. They want the rivalry. I don't blame them. CJL has ended this debate as soon as he nixed the series.

[Mr Irrelevant]

All things being equal, meaning no conference games. Pretend USF was an independent this year. If there was one game that you really really don't want to lose it's UCF. That's a rivalry. You guys can say whatever you want, but the there is a difference in the atmosphere when we play UCF no matter the records. That's a rivalry They are not an Elon, or Western Kentucky, or FAU. There is a sense of pride when you see a UCFer and you say you went to USF. Thats a rivalry. Whether you like it or not....its the truth.

[BullsOnThaRize8]

Honestly the atmoshpere at the ucf game was pretty weak lol. It was more intense at the fau game. Fau gets me more upset then ucf. Ucf is not our football rival. They may be the school we like to hate,much more competitive in baseball, but not in football man.

To qoute a great movie Mean girls, "stop trying to make fetch happen"...lol

[Jamie]

All things being equal, meaning no conference games. Pretend USF was an independent this year. If there was one game that you really really don't want to lose it's UCF. That's a rivalry.

The reason no one wants to lose is that after this year, assuming USF wins again, we don't have to deal with any more of their crap. They wanted to play, we played (not entirely by choice, mind you), and we won every game. Get lost, forever. That's not a rivalry, that's an annoyance. It's like being forced to take in the neighbor's dog that pees on the carpet all the time and digs up the garden.

You guys can say whatever you want, but the there is a difference in the atmosphere when we play UCF no matter the records. That's a rivalry.

Right, because if USF wins, that's one less chance they will ever have to beat us. That's not a rivalry.

There is a sense of pride when you see a UCFer and you say you went to USF. Thats a rivalry.

No, there's a sick desire to see them melt down and start dropping F-bombs. That's not a rivalry.

[CowbellBandit]

All things being equal, meaning no conference games. Pretend USF was an independent this year. If there was one game that you really really don't want to lose it's UCF. That's a rivalry. You guys can say whatever you want, but the there is a difference in the atmosphere when we play UCF no matter the records. That's a rivalry They are not an Elon, or Western Kentucky, or FAU. There is a sense of pride when you see a UCFer and you say you went to USF. Thats a rivalry. Whether you like it or not....its the truth.

Not when we end the series. Then any talk of a "rivalry" becomes moot.