Sentinel: UCF-USF rivalry may be resurrected at St. Petersburg Bowl

[E.T.]

If USF plays there ... I'll be there ...

I don't care who we're playing, it would be a C-USA team and I'd be there to SUPPORT my Beloved BULLS !!!

[BULL-UT]

OrlandoSentinel.com

University of Central Florida Knights: UCF-USF rivalry may be resurrected at St. Petersburg Bowl

By Iliana Limón

SENTINEL STAFF WRITER

October 27, 2009

The war on I-4 might rage on after all.

USF ended its series with UCF at the end of the 2008 season, canceling a hot and heated rivalry.

The Knights (4-3, 2-2 in Conference USA) and the Bulls (5-2, 1-2 in Big East) may clash again this year, with both teams emerging as strong candidates to earn invitations to the St. Petersburg Bowl.

"We would be happy with whoever we got in our bowl," St. Petersburg Bowl executive director Brett Dulaney said Monday. "If it's UCF and USF, that's great. We're looking forward to hosting a great bowl game with representatives from Conference USA and the Big East."

Dulaney said there are no rules in the bowl charter precluding UCF from facing USF in the game despite the Bulls' desire to stop playing the Knights. USF Coach Jim Leavitt repeatedly said it was time for his team to take on other in-state teams, including Florida State and Miami, to help establish the Bulls as one of the Big Four elite programs in the Sunshine State.

Dulaney added that there is nothing in the bowl charter precluding the St. Petersburg Bowl from picking USF for a second consecutive season. The Bulls beat Memphis 41-14 in the bowl game last year.

While many bowls are emphasizing the selection of teams within their region, Dulaney said it's not the only criteria St. Petersburg Bowl officials are considering.

"Regional ties aren't a big negative or a big positive," he said. "As long as we have two good teams, we'll be happy."

He stressed it is extremely early in the bowl selection process, and St. Petersburg officials haven't picked any favorites.

UCF and USF still have work to earn bowl eligibility before they can be considered for the St. Petersburg Bowl.

The Knights have four wins, with at least five regular-season games remaining. UCF plays Marshall, at No. 3 Texas, No. 15 Houston, Tulane and at UAB.

"Even though you can be eligible with six wins, I think it's so competitive that we really need seven wins to make sure we get a spot in a bowl game," UCF Athletics Director Keith Tribble said.

While the Knights would love to earn an invitation to the Liberty Bowl as a reward for winning the Conference USA championship, Tribble said UCF isn't picky about its postseason destination.

"We're going to be happy as long as we win enough games to get into somebody's bowl," he said. "We really don't care where it is as long as we get a chance to play in a bowl game."

USF needs at least seven wins to earn a postseason invitation because NCAA rules state a team can only count one of its two wins over a Division I-AA opponent toward bowl eligibility.

The Bulls have four bowl-eligible victories, with five regular-season games remaining. USF plays No. 21 West Virginia, at Rutgers, Louisville, No. 19 Miami and at Connecticut.

Iliana Limón's Knights Notepad blog on UCF sports can be read at OrlandoSentinel.com/

knightsnotepad and she can be reached at ilimon@orlandosentinel.com.

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bullsht..... youll have no one staying in the city's hotel if this occurs

[smazza]

dont kid yourself this is a big rivalry and would be a sellout

it makes no sense to not to play them instead of 1aaaa every year

leavitt has some problem with ftu/ou.oc or oliar--who knows why he doesnt why to play such a natural rival

[Triple B]

ARE YOU GUYS SERIOUS???

Not going actually hurts the Bulls more than people here are thinking!!!

Imagine if we bring a small crowd out because of its location/destination

What about next year if we are eligible for a bigger, better bowl?

Why would a bowl selection committee pick a team that couldn't even partially fill up a bowl stadium in their own back yard???

:Bang :Duh :Bang

I think 9/26/09 showed how well Bulls fans travel to meaningful games .... besides I didn't say the tix wouldn't be used. There's been at least one poster on here that doesn't care enough for the program to pay full price for a bowl ticket so I'm sure I could find a home for them.  

[CoolRod97]

Personnally I'd rather stay home and play in the Phone Jack bowl in lieu of spending money in another city. I went to both the Pizza and Muffler bowls and was not terribly impressed. The only exception would be if we make it to a BCS bowl, but we all know that is not happening this season.

[Brad]

dont kid yourself this is a big rivalry and would be a sellout

it makes no sense to not to play them instead of 1aaaa every year

leavitt has some problem with ftu/ou.oc or oliar--who knows why he doesnt why to play such a natural rival

You clearly don't know.

I'm not sure USF fans will get all amped up to play UCF (whom we've beaten four times) in St. Pete.

You constantly mock and demean UCF and say they should shut their program down.  You really think USF has anything to gain from playing them?  Then again, you constantly mock and demean USF...

I think Charleston Southern may be the only team we've beaten more than the Tinmen.

I don't think it could sellout without heavy USF fan support.

[cophbulls]

I've been to all the bowls and the St Pete Bowl was the worst of the four. I don't care for that atmosphere in there be it football or baseball. With that said, if we become bowl eligible and get the honor of playing at the St Pete Bowl I would be quite pleased if we played UCF. I think a lot of the country place us and UCF in the same bucket talent-wise and it would be fun to smack the poop out of them on ESPN and end the argument nationwide once and for all.

[bullsbucsboltsrays]

the St. Pete Bowl is OUR bowl game.. it's designed for US because of our annual midseason slumps.. we kinda have to go because it's made just for us..

kinda makes you realize how invalid being bowl eligible really is.  but this is USF football and, from what people on this message board are trying to make us realize, is our best postseason outcome.

[eebullman]

Something a little disapointing about a bowl game being closer to your house than your home field... That being said its nice not to have to drop a few grand to go to a bowl game when your team has an off year. 

[Brad]

the St. Pete Bowl is OUR bowl game.. it's designed for US because of our annual midseason slumps.. we kinda have to go because it's made just for us..

kinda makes you realize how invalid being bowl eligible really is.  but this is USF football and, from what people on this message board are trying to make us realize, is our best postseason outcome.

Classic.

Well afterall there's a whole other group that is trying to make us realize we won't win another game.  I guess this is a happy space.