Conferences

[dabull80]

Don't put wins far down the list of importance.  Yes it is money driven but for those following the Bulls before the BE you have to remember how very important it was for us to beat a ranked Pitt team.  Both UCF and USF were on the radar for a BE invite but that game proved that USF could play with the big boys while UCF had a miserable record against BCS teams and I believe they still have never beaten a BE team.

Sorry, but the win over Pitt was not that important.  USF did not get into the Big East because of football success.  We were invited because we had success in other sports -- winning more Conference USA championships than ANY OTHER SCHOOL at the time.

Having a Top 20 TV market was another major factor.

If it was about football UCF would have been invited.  Their problem was their other sports were in the Atlantic Sun conference... and not very good either.

My friends, we may all love football and basketball... but the volleyball, softball, baseball, tennis, golf, track, cross country, and other varsity sports deserve a lot of the credit for getting us into the Big East.

No way - the other sports teams were of little importance.  Our basketball team was bad in C-USA and you think moving to the BE was going to help them ?  How has that worked out ?  Lord, I hope they never looked at our Baseball facilities - that alone might have changed their mind.  Maybe it was "The Claw" -naw that is horrible compared to the Rio Pinar - home of the Knights.  And all those NCAA champioships those golf,baseball,tennis rowing etc teams have won , maybe that did it.  How many were there ?

Being a top 20 or whatever it is TV market absoulutley was critical but UCF is no slouch in the ratings either - not far behind Tampa.  I wonder on one hand you can say being a top 20 TV market was a major factor but then turn around and say golf,track etc was important ?  Not much coverage on those sports - we couldn't even get coverage for our womens NIT championship game.

I also don't understand why you would say if it was about football they would have picked UCF ?  Why ?

Trust me on this one - the Pitt game was a big deal and if you research you will see it was mentioned by the BE selection committe.  It was "all" about football and recruiting and one important factor was UCF always stumbled with BCS games and the young upstarts at USF had just proven they can be play with the better teams.  The BE liked our "potential" and having that win got rid of the "they can't beat anyone" line.

[Knight_Light]

The Sun Dome and the fact that USF was playing Hoops in a pretty good conf (CUSA) was the deciding factor on why USF got the Big East All-sports invite.

USF had a 10,000 seat on-campus arena already built...plus played in a pretty good hoop conf as UCF was stuck in the lowly ASUN, playing in front of sparse crowds in a tiny gym.

Bot Tampa and Orlando were Top 20 TV Markets...but the Big East Members gave the nod to USF almost soley because of their basketball arena and how they played in a much better hoop conf than the ASUN.

PS. In 2001, Pitt lost their first 5 Div I-A Football Games played that year (including USF). Believe Antonio Bryant was injured or suspended for the USF game too (not that it mattered).

[KyleC]

I can't see any of this happening.  The SEC will not allow us to join (they already have 12 members and I can't think of any team leaving the SEC).  The only possible thing that could happen is the Least10 (Big10) wanted to expand to 12 teams and took Mizzou from the Big12 and Arkansas left for the Big12.   

We should look at expanding our current conference, with solid CUSA talent (ECU,Southern Miss).

[Costa]

I can't see any of this happening.  The SEC will not allow us to join (they already have 12 members and I can't think of any team leaving the SEC).  The only possible thing that could happen is the Least10 (Big10) wanted to expand to 12 teams and took Mizzou from the Big12 and Arkansas left for the Big12.   

We should look at expanding our current conference, with solid CUSA talent (ECU,Southern Miss).

Arkansas should be in the Big 12. SEC can take FSU and replace with USF.

[Guest]

Don't put wins far down the list of importance.  Yes it is money driven but for those following the Bulls before the BE you have to remember how very important it was for us to beat a ranked Pitt team.  Both UCF and USF were on the radar for a BE invite but that game proved that USF could play with the big boys while UCF had a miserable record against BCS teams and I believe they still have never beaten a BE team.

Sorry, but the win over Pitt was not that important.  USF did not get into the Big East because of football success.  We were invited because we had success in other sports -- winning more Conference USA championships than ANY OTHER SCHOOL at the time.

Having a Top 20 TV market was another major factor.

If it was about football UCF would have been invited.  Their problem was their other sports were in the Atlantic Sun conference... and not very good either.

My friends, we may all love football and basketball... but the volleyball, softball, baseball, tennis, golf, track, cross country, and other varsity sports deserve a lot of the credit for getting us into the Big East.

No way - the other sports teams were of little importance.  Our basketball team was bad in C-USA and you think moving to the BE was going to help them ?  How has that worked out ?  Lord, I hope they never looked at our Baseball facilities - that alone might have changed their mind.  Maybe it was "The Claw" -naw that is horrible compared to the Rio Pinar - home of the Knights.  And all those NCAA champioships those golf,baseball,tennis rowing etc teams have won , maybe that did it.  How many were there ?

Being a top 20 or whatever it is TV market absoulutley was critical but UCF is no slouch in the ratings either - not far behind Tampa.  I wonder on one hand you can say being a top 20 TV market was a major factor but then turn around and say golf,track etc was important ?  Not much coverage on those sports - we couldn't even get coverage for our womens NIT championship game.

I also don't understand why you would say if it was about football they would have picked UCF ?  Why ?

Trust me on this one - the Pitt game was a big deal and if you research you will see it was mentioned by the BE selection committe.  It was "all" about football and recruiting and one important factor was UCF always stumbled with BCS games and the young upstarts at USF had just proven they can be play with the better teams.  The BE liked our "potential" and having that win got rid of the "they can't beat anyone" line.

and if you research you will see the overall sports program was mentioned more promintently as for the reason USF was admitted.

UCF had more success before 2003 than USF ... so if you think it was purely football, then UCF would have been selected.

I didn't say our other FACILITIES were better... I said the other TEAMS were better.  USF won more conference championships than any other school in C-USA during the 8(?? or so) years we were a member of that conference..

[bulls96go]

we are in the BE to stay until there is a BB / football split

[Guest hm101]

maybe playing FSU and Miami is a secret conspiracy to test our ACC competitiveness

[BullsFanInTX]

Don't put wins far down the list of importance.  Yes it is money driven but for those following the Bulls before the BE you have to remember how very important it was for us to beat a ranked Pitt team.  Both UCF and USF were on the radar for a BE invite but that game proved that USF could play with the big boys while UCF had a miserable record against BCS teams and I believe they still have never beaten a BE team.

Sorry, but the win over Pitt was not that important.  USF did not get into the Big East because of football success.  We were invited because we had success in other sports -- winning more Conference USA championships than ANY OTHER SCHOOL at the time.

Having a Top 20 TV market was another major factor.

If it was about football UCF would have been invited.  Their problem was their other sports were in the Atlantic Sun conference... and not very good either.

My friends, we may all love football and basketball... but the volleyball, softball, baseball, tennis, golf, track, cross country, and other varsity sports deserve a lot of the credit for getting us into the Big East.

No way - the other sports teams were of little importance.  Our basketball team was bad in C-USA and you think moving to the BE was going to help them ?  How has that worked out ?  Lord, I hope they never looked at our Baseball facilities - that alone might have changed their mind.  Maybe it was "The Claw" -naw that is horrible compared to the Rio Pinar - home of the Knights.  And all those NCAA champioships those golf,baseball,tennis rowing etc teams have won , maybe that did it.  How many were there ?

Being a top 20 or whatever it is TV market absoulutley was critical but UCF is no slouch in the ratings either - not far behind Tampa.  I wonder on one hand you can say being a top 20 TV market was a major factor but then turn around and say golf,track etc was important ?  Not much coverage on those sports - we couldn't even get coverage for our womens NIT championship game.

I also don't understand why you would say if it was about football they would have picked UCF ?  Why ?

Trust me on this one - the Pitt game was a big deal and if you research you will see it was mentioned by the BE selection committe.  It was "all" about football and recruiting and one important factor was UCF always stumbled with BCS games and the young upstarts at USF had just proven they can be play with the better teams.  The BE liked our "potential" and having that win got rid of the "they can't beat anyone" line.

Ding, ding, ding.  We have a winner.  FB potential AND success was absolutely HUGE in getting into the BE.  (Let's not forget that not only has we come off that Pitt win, but had just gone 9-2 in 2002.  Teams were running scared, dropping USF off their schedule, after they thought they had an easy win when they first scheduled the 1-A newbie.  Only to find out the newbie was actually good. 

[BullsFanInTX]

In 2003, USF was just coming off 9 and 8 win seasons, after just having gone 1-A in 2000.  THAT was a major factor in getting into the BE.  Not that the BB facility wasn't a factor in getting the nod.  USF was seen as having big "potential" in FB.

[dabull80]

The Sun Dome and the fact that USF was playing Hoops in a pretty good conf (CUSA) was the deciding factor on why USF got the Big East All-sports invite.

USF had a 10,000 seat on-campus arena already built...plus played in a pretty good hoop conf as UCF was stuck in the lowly ASUN, playing in front of sparse crowds in a tiny gym.

Bot Tampa and Orlando were Top 20 TV Markets...but the Big East Members gave the nod to USF almost soley because of their basketball arena and how they played in a much better hoop conf than the ASUN.

PS. In 2001, Pitt lost their first 5 Div I-A Football Games played that year (including USF). Believe Antonio Bryant was injured or suspended for the USF game too (not that it mattered).

Sun Dome ?  Your kidding right ?  Been there lately.  i don't mind the place but those 25 year old plastic seats are just special. 

Pitt was ranked when USF played them and thats all that counts.

Oh, what is the difference between sparse crowds in 5,000 seat areana(barn) or a 10,000 seat Sun Dome.  Empty is empty.