I know it is kinda to early to say it, but I feel like I need to post something I thought these days to share with my fellow UCF Knights. We are a family, right? I can't forget that day when we beat University of Florida at Amway Center and everybody was chanting "U-C-F" after the game. From that day on, I know my addiction to UCF especially UCF Hoop is not alone. I always thought I was a minority or maybe a kinda weird nerd who has an affection for UCF hoop.I always thought I am alone. But from that day on, I know I have you guys. I am not alone.
Football is king in Florida. But has anyone think to be more creative? Instead of competing against UF, FSU in football which they had a long tradition with, why not establish us as a prime, No.1 basketball program in the state or maybe SouthEast? That's an identity we are talking about. That's when we make a name for ourselves. When people talk about UCF, we want to let them know who we are, not another school in the state of Florida. But UCF. We are not an alike SouthEastWest Florida school who is solid in football maybe above average at hoops. We want to make us known for something. All I am saying above is the "Identity" we want others to see us as.
But can we do that? Is it possible to do that in a football based Florida where most of fans are football fans? As we all know, Florida has two NBA teams, Magic and Heat. And pro sports like NBA are all market based. When you have a big market, you have big franchises, LA Lakers, Boston Celtics etc. Florida has two franchises. Should it tell us something, Florida is a destination for hoops, big time basketball can exist in Florida. We have Hoop Market here in Florida.
This is why I think Big East is a lot better fit for us. Big East is known as the nation's prime basketball conference. We have Coach Jones and the school's commitment to the basketball program and a top recruiting class of freshmen from the state of Florida. It seems Big East is just a natural fit for us and it is the direction I would like to see us heading .
Here are some more suggestions and points I'd like to make:
* UCF still wants a top football program. Big East should go aggresively after Notra Dame, Houston, SMU etc for football invite. The league should stablize things first and then pursue Service Academies, Army, Navy, Air Force. Personally I really want them to join. They have huge fan base. They would add young blood to Big East for good.
* Big East basktball can do something really creative here. Whether it is 16 or 18, break it up into more than two divisions, with top 3-4 teams of each division to qualify for Big East Tournament. It is a reward for regular season and it shouldn't award mediocrity just like NCAA tournament shouldn't let underachieving teams in either.
* Big East is going into the new TV contract negotiation with ESPN, NBC etc. Why not market Big East football as a "sport". Big East Basketball is not a conference of College Basketball. It is a sport. It is just like NBA, MLB etc. It is a sport. Let ESPN market Big East's conference games like that, which will only benefit both sides. I know this is a long shot. But hey, brainstorming and ideas forming are all about this right? I'd be very willing to take your constructive criticism.
* If there are 18 or 20 basketball playing members, how should the schedule be look like? You can't play everybody once each year. So how to decide who plays who? Here is my idea: why not having a ballot show on TV at the beginning of the season. YES! A ballot drawing show. Just like FIFA World Cup. Each school will know who plays in the same division. Each divison lineup changes everyyear to make it fair. The TV show can generate extra money for the league and with ESPN on the line, the new season of this sport can get everybody hyped up.
This is just my opinion and I could be wrong totally. But I'd like to see your comment and your constructive criticism. After all, we are a family, right?
I know I am almost ready for Big East. I am almost ready for Big East Basketball, are you?
This post was edited on 10/8 12:32 AM by Knightrogen
This post was edited on 10/8 12:36 AM by Knightrogen
This post was edited on 10/8 12:37 AM by Knightrogen
This post was edited on 10/9 5:03 AM by Knightrogen
Football is king in Florida. But has anyone think to be more creative? Instead of competing against UF, FSU in football which they had a long tradition with, why not establish us as a prime, No.1 basketball program in the state or maybe SouthEast? That's an identity we are talking about. That's when we make a name for ourselves. When people talk about UCF, we want to let them know who we are, not another school in the state of Florida. But UCF. We are not an alike SouthEastWest Florida school who is solid in football maybe above average at hoops. We want to make us known for something. All I am saying above is the "Identity" we want others to see us as.
But can we do that? Is it possible to do that in a football based Florida where most of fans are football fans? As we all know, Florida has two NBA teams, Magic and Heat. And pro sports like NBA are all market based. When you have a big market, you have big franchises, LA Lakers, Boston Celtics etc. Florida has two franchises. Should it tell us something, Florida is a destination for hoops, big time basketball can exist in Florida. We have Hoop Market here in Florida.
This is why I think Big East is a lot better fit for us. Big East is known as the nation's prime basketball conference. We have Coach Jones and the school's commitment to the basketball program and a top recruiting class of freshmen from the state of Florida. It seems Big East is just a natural fit for us and it is the direction I would like to see us heading .
Here are some more suggestions and points I'd like to make:
* UCF still wants a top football program. Big East should go aggresively after Notra Dame, Houston, SMU etc for football invite. The league should stablize things first and then pursue Service Academies, Army, Navy, Air Force. Personally I really want them to join. They have huge fan base. They would add young blood to Big East for good.
* Big East basktball can do something really creative here. Whether it is 16 or 18, break it up into more than two divisions, with top 3-4 teams of each division to qualify for Big East Tournament. It is a reward for regular season and it shouldn't award mediocrity just like NCAA tournament shouldn't let underachieving teams in either.
* Big East is going into the new TV contract negotiation with ESPN, NBC etc. Why not market Big East football as a "sport". Big East Basketball is not a conference of College Basketball. It is a sport. It is just like NBA, MLB etc. It is a sport. Let ESPN market Big East's conference games like that, which will only benefit both sides. I know this is a long shot. But hey, brainstorming and ideas forming are all about this right? I'd be very willing to take your constructive criticism.
* If there are 18 or 20 basketball playing members, how should the schedule be look like? You can't play everybody once each year. So how to decide who plays who? Here is my idea: why not having a ballot show on TV at the beginning of the season. YES! A ballot drawing show. Just like FIFA World Cup. Each school will know who plays in the same division. Each divison lineup changes everyyear to make it fair. The TV show can generate extra money for the league and with ESPN on the line, the new season of this sport can get everybody hyped up.
This is just my opinion and I could be wrong totally. But I'd like to see your comment and your constructive criticism. After all, we are a family, right?
I know I am almost ready for Big East. I am almost ready for Big East Basketball, are you?
This post was edited on 10/8 12:32 AM by Knightrogen
This post was edited on 10/8 12:36 AM by Knightrogen
This post was edited on 10/8 12:37 AM by Knightrogen
This post was edited on 10/9 5:03 AM by Knightrogen
