orlandosentinel.com/sports/college/knights/os-ucf-usf-big-east-1207-20111206,0,3407660.story

OrlandoSentinel.com
Big East expected to finally announce expansion Wednesday, uniting UCF and USF
Knights slated to start competing in the rebuilt Big East in 2013
By Iliana Limón, Orlando Sentinel

10:22 PM EST, December 6, 2011


UCF and USF are poised to finally restart their rivalry series.

The Knights and Bulls, who gave Central Florida a taste of what their clashes could be like during a recent four-year football series, will be one of the showcase rivalry games in the rebuilt Big East.

The Big East is scheduled to announce Wednesday that UCF has been added as a new member of the conference in all sports in 2013, according to reports by a variety of media outlets including CBS Sports and The Associated Press. Big East officials need to resolve a few final outstanding issues Wednesday morning. They are tentatively slated to announce expansion news via a teleconference late Wednesday afternoon, a source told the Orlando Sentinel.

Conference USA members UCF, SMU and Houston are all expected to be introduced as new members in all sports, while Mountain West Conference members Boise State and San Diego State will be joining the league as football-only members in 2013. Mountain West member Air Force and independent Navy are still expected to eventually join the Big East. If Air Force opts not to join the Big East, CBSSports.com reports Temple would be the next candidate to join the Big East.

UCF President John Hitt said he has been thrilled by a thawing of once-frigid relations with USF, opening the door to what he sees as a partnership that can be mutually beneficial.

USF opted to end its football series with UCF after four games, indicating it would prefer to play higher-profile opponents to help boost the standing of the school. While there still seemed to be plenty of room in the Bulls' nonconference schedule for the Knights, it was apparent USF didn't want to do anything that might contribute to its regional neighbor's rapid growth.

The relationship changed dramatically when Syracuse, Pittsburgh, TCU and West Virginia all announced they were leaving the Big East to join other conferences. No other leagues expressed interest in USF, forcing the Bulls to consider the best possible ways to help the Big East rebuild.

USF President Judy Genshaft told Hitt in October she sponsored the motion to consider adding the Knights to the league. UCF and USF officials have had positive conversations about potentially restarting the rivalry series in 2012, but Hitt said it would be tough to accomplish due to scheduling conflicts.

However, he's happy the two schools are working together.

"We can have a fantastic rivalry and it doesn't have to be a nasty rivalry," Hitt said. "There's no reason we can't have a good rivalry where we fight it out on the field, but there's a lot of mutual respect."

A Big East announcement Wednesday would end a protracted delay for the Knights and fellow Conference USA schools SMU and Houston. The three schools were ready to make the move a month ago, but the Big East and the schools both were interested in announcing the move at the same time as Boise State. The Broncos were holding off an announcement until another western school agreed to join the league. When negotiations with independent BYU fell through, the Big East shifted its focus to adding San Diego State.

"There are just a lot of moving parts," Hitt said in November. "Just when you think everything is set, another little question moves up involving a different school. There's an agreement in principle. And I know it's frustrating to people — I get a little frustrated myself — but it's going to happen."

ilimon@tribune.com or 407-650-6353. Read Iliana Limón's blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/knightsnotepad.


Copyright 2011, Orlando Sentinel

Have UCF and USF only played 4 times?

Only 4 in football.

Wow. I thought it was a longstanding rivalry.

(12-07-2011 11:02 AM)piratefan1975 Wrote:  Wow. I thought it was a longstanding rivalry.

Ya, it was cut short. There has been about a 5 year break since the last time we played...

(12-07-2011 11:07 AM)KnightNasty Wrote:  

(12-07-2011 11:02 AM)piratefan1975 Wrote:  Wow. I thought it was a longstanding rivalry.

Ya, it was cut short. There has been about a 5 year break since the last time we played...

We last played in 2008.....

UCF has only missed playing us 3 seasons since then. FYI....USF has only been division I-A or FBS for 11 seasons (2 years independant, 2 years CUSA, 7 years Big East)

(12-07-2011 11:02 AM)piratefan1975 Wrote:  Wow. I thought it was a longstanding rivalry.

LOL....you'd think so the way the ucIF Golden UKnights talk about it.
They can play for the "Commuter Cup."

Unless our schedules are complete for 2012.....

I say lets get USF & UCiF back together next year....

Why wait?

Let the hate begin........

Ty

(12-07-2011 11:24 AM)TyBull Wrote:  Unless our schedules are complete for 2012.....

I say lets get USF & UCiF back together next year....

Why wait?

Let the hate begin........

Ty

I think this was discussed but the schedules don't work for next year.

Where does the hatred come from for both sides of the rivalry? Is it just due to geographic proximity? You've only played 4 times. Have you ever been in the same conference?

Has either team dashed the other's championship dreams, knocked them out of the Top 25, etc? Are your workplaces split evenly between UCF/USF graduates with die hard allegiances to either school?

Were you born with this hatred? Was it learned from your parents and grandparents? Did your parents tell you they would pay for any college other than UCF/USF respectively?

I'm intrigued by two very young schools, having only played 4 times yet have such a heated rivalry. I have a deeply rooted hatred for anything light blue and red (light blue especially). Admittedly, it's probably an unhealthy hatred, but one I come by honestly. It has been acquired over three generations of Pirates in my family. I would never pay for my daughter to attend either school (UNC especially). Where does the hatred come from for ya'll?

So, there's no rivalry yet, and they won't play until 2013.

Can someone fill me in on why USF fans call UCF "UCiF"? Not trying to stir the pot...just genuinely curious.

UCif...

How about: "IF you had a 7 year head start in a BCS football conference and an elite basketball conference and a relatively easy to win baseball conference where you get to host the tournament each year...

IF you had all of that...

What would you do with it?"

Just goes to show the word "Rivalry" is thrown around way too much these days.

(12-07-2011 11:02 AM)piratefan1975 Wrote:  Wow. I thought it was a longstanding rivalry.

Well since both have only been playing 1A football for about 7 years, 4 times does constitute a "longstanding rivalry".

(12-07-2011 11:19 AM)NoQuarter08 Wrote:  

(12-07-2011 11:02 AM)piratefan1975 Wrote:  Wow. I thought it was a longstanding rivalry.

LOL....you'd think so the way the ucIF Golden UKnights talk about it.
They can play for the "Commuter Cup."

Are you under the impression that UCF is a commuter school?

(12-07-2011 11:33 AM)piratefan1975 Wrote:  Where does the hatred come from for both sides of the rivalry? Is it just due to geographic proximity? You've only played 4 times. Have you ever been in the same conference?

Has either team dashed the other's championship dreams, knocked them out of the Top 25, etc? Are your workplaces split evenly between UCF/USF graduates with die hard allegiances to either school?

Were you born with this hatred? Was it learned from your parents and grandparents? Did your parents tell you they would pay for any college other than UCF/USF respectively?

I'm intrigued by two very young schools, having only played 4 times yet have such a heated rivalry. I have a deeply rooted hatred for anything light blue and red (light blue especially). Admittedly, it's probably an unhealthy hatred, but one I come by honestly. It has been acquired over three generations of Pirates in my family. I would never pay for my daughter to attend either school (UNC especially). Where does the hatred come from for ya'll?

It definitely doesn't have the tradition or generations worth of rivalry, but it is such a heated rivalry. The majority of it comes from the fact that they are so close in proximity, and both came onto the FBS scene recently and are vigorously clawing against each other to get into the "big boy club" and be included in the conversation with the other big 3 in our state. Plus, having such huge enrollments and young alumni bases contributes to the passion and intensity. It gets so heated between the 2. In only a couple years the rivalry blew up beyond anything anyone could have expected. Students HATE each other... it's rowdy.

I don't think either school is going to appologize for being relatively new compared to schools with 50+ year traditions... b/c passion from 50 years ago doesn't have any relevance to how passionate they are right now.

It's interesting how the explanations for this relationship differ so much between USF and UCF students. USF seems to view their 'rivalry' with UCF much as Miami views it's 'rivalry' with USF... Moot point though, a rivalry will bloom as the two are now (for the first time) in the same conference.

This will be good for both schools. It will add another team to cheer for each week (your team and the one that plays your rival). You get an easy conference road trip every other year too.