(01-04-2014 01:01 PM)St. H. Gink Wrote:  The road to the championship in C-USA always went through Orlando. UCF won the division and played in the title game in their very first year in the conference. Sound familiar? The Knights went on to win the division four times and win two conference championships in four tries. Tulsa won the other two against UCF. In UCF's down years, ECU and Southern Miss split the other four division titles.

Then with UCF out of the conference, Marshall finally got their shot at a division title.

It's funny that we were able to win the division 4 of 8 years despite having losing records against both ECU and USM. We just didn't lose many games to the other guys. 8-0 against both Marshall and Memphis, a couple losses to UAB, and we beat up on the western teams fairly well.

(01-04-2014 12:38 PM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  

(01-04-2014 12:27 PM)KnightLight Wrote:  

(01-04-2014 12:19 PM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  

(01-04-2014 11:57 AM)Gray Avenger Wrote:  

(01-04-2014 10:24 AM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  I always said that I was not convinced that the rivalry between UCF and USF would have any relevance on a national scale.

No reason that it can't. I am old enough to remember when Florida State and Miami were practically unknown in college football and later developed one of the best-known rivalries on TV. Geographic proximity plus high rankings are the key.

FSU-Miami only became important because of the rankings...they were both Top 5 or Top 10 programs...for awhile. As soon as they failed to be that good, the only state that REALLY cared was Florida. Even now they are in separate divisions in the ACC, so the game has less importance.

Its good to have that rivalry USF-UCF within the conference, it can sell out stadiums and bring opposing fans together, but my prediction is it has about as much impact as UNC-NC State has nationally...AT BEST. Being in the same division may help, as well as playing every year, but it has no history or tradition yet. USF has to get up off the floor and beat someone OOC, which their recruiting is going well, so maybe they will.

This will be UCF's 2nd time in the last 4 years that UCF will finish ranked in the Top 20.

The last time UNC finished a season ranked in the Top 25, let alone the Top 20 was 1997.

The last time NC State finished a season ranked in the Top 20 was 2002.

Both UNC and NC State are BASKETBALL schools....football draws very little attraction outside their area.

Saying UNC/NC STate football rivalry doesn't mean much nationally would be like comparing the same to USF/UCF Basketball rivalry...as both would be correct.

NORTH CAROLINA is a COLLEGE BASKETBALL STATE.

FLORIDA is a COLLEGE FOOTBALL STATE.

I'd take the bet that UCF/USF Football rivalry will mean more nationally over the next 20 years vs what UNC/NC State Football rivalry will mean nationally over that same time period.

That's not a bad point...but UNC and NC State both have bigger stadiums and bigger fanbases than UCF-USF. You may be right that it may be bigger becuase Florida cares about football more than basketball....I think the markets are probably similar because UNC-NC State pulls for the Triad and Charlotte as well as Raleigh. We'll see.

Yet Duke has one of the smallest basketball arenas...yet they are known nationally.

UCF now has more living alumni than NC STate.

In just another 10 years, UCF will have more living alumni than UNC.

Bottom line...UNC and NC State have been conference mates since 1907...and basically have played conf games on a yearly bases since 1919 and yet after 100 years...no one outside of Triangle Area knows much about UNC/NC State football rivalry

USF and UCF have played just ONE Conf game...

I'll gladly take USF/UCF's future vs what UNC/NC State have put up after 100 years.