Jul 1, 2005

USF Needs To Follow UM's Big East Plan
JOEY JOHNSTON


TAMPA - After today's ceremonial moment - the raising of a Big East Conference flag in front of the administration building - University of South Florida athletic officials can justifiably raise their arms in triumph.
Then what?

Longtime Big East members must love the return of road trips with sandy beaches and palm trees. They should be delighted to add the Tampa Bay area's television market and resume a recruiting identity in Florida.

Beyond that, USF remains a curiosity until proven otherwise.

And believe me, the Bulls have plenty to prove. Their hope for Big East success is not a rubber-stamp proposition. This new neighborhood requires patience. It requires a sound plan.

It requires money.

``Whatever South Florida is envisioning for its budget, I can tell you right now, it's going to be higher in the Big East,'' University of Miami athletic director Paul Dee said. ``Add a zero to the end [of the budget total].''

It's the price of playing ball. But UM made the investment - and it paid off. The Hurricanes, entering their second ACC season, were best known for two things during 13 years in the Big East.

Championship football.

Men's basketball reaching respectability - and beyond.

Precisely what is most coveted - and needed - for USF athletics.<

The Big Chill

As the Big East officially arrives on the west coast of Florida, it's a perfect time for USF to dig up Miami's blueprint.

Lonesome USF might still seem an odd geographic match for the Northeast corridor. Miami, too, had to muscle its way into a new culture. But once the Big East extended an invitation to USF, the pondering was over.

``South Florida absolutely made the right move,'' Dee said. ``You always seek to improve your position, and they have done exactly that.''

Point blank, Dee was asked for his No. 1 piece of advice for USF.

He smiled. Ever been stuck in an airport?

``You wouldn't believe the amount of travel, and that's a big reason for [an increased budget],'' he said. ``The key is having a great airport, which [Tampa] has. But you are now going into the Northeast. This is different.

``You will miss more class time, much more, than you expect. Getting in and out of Syracuse in the winter, that's a new challenge. You might be trapped in the airport, unable to get home, and you'll have to make academic adjustments. Or you may be trying to get into town for a shoot-around at the [opposing] arena, and you can't get into town. These things can really be frustrating.''<

Lessons From UM Basketball

Frustrating? That once was a way of life for UM men's basketball in the Big East. The Hurricanes opened with a 1-17 mark in the league - and that was not the worst of times. Two seasons later, UM went 0-18.

``Zero-for-January, zero-for- February, zero-for-March ... a record that will never be matched, I don't think,'' Dee said.

But there was a plan. Coach Leonard Hamilton, now with Florida State, built with defense. He established a recruiting network and kept home the good players in Dade County. Contention once looked impossible. Eventually, progress was made.

Five years after going zero- for-Big East, the Hurricanes nearly won the league title and became a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

``We never had the players that UConn, Georgetown, Villanova and Syracuse had,'' Dee said. ``The constant was the effort our players gave, and people will accept [building a program] if they see effort. They [game officials] are going to let you play in the Big East, so you can take it up a few notches on defense. And defense was Leonard's way of getting there.

``That's a tough task, that new [Big East basketball] league. There's going to be a feeling-out process in that power structure.''

Big East football must also be redefined with the addition of Louisville, Cincinnati and USF. Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese, for one, is ready for some new story lines. Last season, with Miami and Virginia Tech gone, the Big East seemed like a BCS conference in name only.

``I think we have a chip on our shoulder about football,'' Tranghese said during a springtime visit to USF. ``I'm sick and tired of listening to all the crap we heard last year.''

Dee said the perception is wrong. Big East football is worthy.

``Try going to West Virginia and winning there,'' he said. ``Try playing in the snow at Pittsburgh. Syracuse is indoors, but there's 50,000 [fans] and it's like 200 degrees because there's no air conditioning in the place. It's a much tougher thing than how it's being billed. South Florida will have a real challenge.''

There's no turning back.

USF has a vehicle to reach the highest levels of college athletics. Getting there will include bumps and bruises. But the Bulls should know it can be done, even far from the Northeast power base. Miami already composed the blueprint.<

<a href='http://www.tampatrib.com/Sports/MGBZ0M1LLAE.html' target='_blank'>Tampa Tribune</a>

The big difference between our enterence in the Big East and Miami's enterence in the Big East is that Miami already had established itself as a national power in football during the 80s. Overall, I agree with the article. I think it will take awhile before we become a key player in the Big East.

1st - we must improve our fan base quickly. There is more Bull stuff around Tampa as compared to the past, but there still seems to be a lack of school spirit on campus - mainly because the set up, and a lack of support from our own local media. The Gators, Noles, and Canes still get better coverage than we do.

2nd - we will need to increase our budget. I believe that we will have one of the lowest athletic budgets among the football members in the Big East. From what I understand, we will lose money this upcoming season even with the BCS money, which was the same that happened to Miami. Travel and other costs....

3rd - we need to get our games on national TV for recruiting reasons in our state. Being behind FSU, Miami, and UF is a tough road, so we need all the exposure we can get.

4th - basketball will struggle for a long time (3 to 5 years) in the Big East. There is just something about Florida schools playing against the northeastern schools and the lack of basketball success. Our recruiting will improve, but it is going to take some time to win more than 3 to 6 games within our conference schedule.

5th - we just need to win.

Quote:1st - we must improve our fan base quickly. There is more Bull stuff around Tampa as compared to the past, but there still seems to be a lack of school spirit on campus - mainly because the set up, and a lack of support from our own local media. The Gators, Noles, and Canes still get better coverage than we do.

-- Am I correct in saying that USF does not have any weeknight games? That could really be a positive when building a fan base......its good for fans (especially kids) to have the noon on saturday kickoffs..

Quote:3rd - we need to get our games on national TV for recruiting reasons in our state. Being behind FSU, Miami, and UF is a tough road, so we need all the exposure we can get.

-- You guys still have the BE game of the week....which I am sure will be broadcast in Tampa and accross the Eastern seaboard....I know its not ABC but its better then nothing

Jackson

We (UofL, UC, USF) all have a lot to prove moving into the Big East. Basketball contributions should come right away from some off us but it's the football contribution that's really going to make or break. It seems from here that USF should be able to build a great football program quickly....even with Fl.St., UF, and Miami bc there just seems to be so many good recruits in Florida and with USF in a BSC conf. now, the kids that would have left state to go to a lower ACC, Big 10 etc., should begin staying around at USF. This is starting to happen for UC. We are not going to get the players in football that O$U gets but we can get the best of everyone else. Ohio is a hot bead for hs football players as well and once OSU gets theirs, instead of splitting the rest between Miami OH, Toledo, Ohio U, etc., UC should and has started to get these because UC is the only other BSC school in the state. I expect the same type of thing should happen for USF. Go Bulls!

Bearcats#1 Wrote:We (UofL, UC, USF) all have a lot to prove moving into the Big East. Basketball contributions should come right away from some off us but it's the football contribution that's really going to make or break. It seems from here that USF should be able to build a great football program quickly....even with Fl.St., UF, and Miami bc there just seems to be so many good recruits in Florida and with USF in a BSC conf. now, the kids that would have left state to go to a lower ACC, Big 10 etc., should begin staying around at USF. This is starting to happen for UC. We are not going to get the players in football that O$U gets but we can get the best of everyone else. Ohio is a hot bead for hs football players as well and once OSU gets theirs, instead of splitting the rest between Miami OH, Toledo, Ohio U, etc., UC should and has started to get these because UC is the only other BSC school in the state. I expect the same type of thing should happen for USF. Go Bulls!

Don't be so sure you won't pull a few upsets here and there on the recruiting trail against tOSU. I'm thinking you will and there may come a time when you surpass tOSU especially if the laundry list of sanctions that should come down them ever does. The sanctions list there would probably put them at a 10 year disadvantage if it was done to the fullest extent. USF will have it tougher however because they have the other 3 of the Big 4 ahead of them plus all the other teams that recruit hard and well in Florida like UL, RU, the ACC, ND, among others. Yet they'll be fine I fully expect them to pull a few upsets here and there over the other Big 4 schools. BE, SEC, and ACC schools because of their Florida access will consistently have an easier time than say a Pac 10 or Big 12 school who don't have the consistent access.