This year...

[NewBullBacker]

I understand that football and MBB have been absolutely horrible this year. However, that being said our soccer team was an overtime win away from the sweet 16, our women's basketball team is on the verge of a NCAA tourney birth and the softball team is ranked in the top 20 with a full season left. I understand that football and MBB are the moneymakers and those are the ones that everyone pays attention too, but great athletic events have been there to go to this year and overall has been a decent amount of success. If soccer was switched with football and MBB switched with women's basketball everyone on this board would be happy, just shows how two of the many teams that play for USF can automatically make an athletic year great or horrible.

[usfgrad84]

That was last year. With the exception of Ladies BB, every one of our major sports started the season with high expectations and tanked badly. Football was a disaster. MBB is a disaster. Soccer was disappointing (started the year ranked in top 5. Reached #2 I believe) then finished 2nd from last in their division). Softball is off to a disastrous start and then there is baseball. I'll leave that one for another discussion.

Any way you look at it, as great as last year was for Athletics, this year has been a train wreck on and off the fields of play. Let's hope Jose can lead the girls to some success.

[FatDaddyBull]

Last year was great despite the football failure. This academic year has been miserable, with ladies basketball all we seem to have left (softball can always finish strong I guess).

Regardless those two sports aren't going to make a buzz around town.

[Triple B]

That was last year. With the exception of Ladies BB, every one of our major sports started the season with high expectations and tanked badly.

High expectations for MBB .....really?? I don't think anyone expected just 1 conf win at this point but high expectations would have been unrealistic.

[Mike Stuben]

No doubt it has been a rough year. WBB is the only team that have exceeded expectations.

 

Football and MBB are pretty close to disasters compared to expectations. (Football was expected to be around 2nd in the Big East, in the 8-10 win range .... MBB picked middle of Big East, may end up dead last).

 

Men's Soccer had a solid year, but a small step below expectations. Nothing to complain about.

 

Too soon to say about softball and baseball, but a slow start for both.

 

15=20 years ago we always had winning olympic sports. Volleyball, Baseball, Men' Soccer, Softball, Golf and Tennis competed for NCAA berths every year.

 

When expectations are factored in, a person could certainly argue that this is the all time low point for USF Athletics. (yes I realize last in the Big East may be better than some of those Sun Belt/ Metro years where we were middle of the pack)

 

The good news is hope for the future, with a new football coach and a big time MBB recruiting class coming in, both of those sports have hope for a better future. Men's Soccer and Softball I have no worries about our future (as long as we retain the Head Coaches for those sports). WBB has a great future as long as we keep Coach Fernandez.

 

I also think we have bright futures, thanks to good coaches in many other sports. Of course, our conference home will make a huge impact to the ceiling of what we as a program can achieve.