UCF and USF football programs eye Big 12 expansion
The biggest question for college football is: Will the Big 12 expand?
The University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida cannot afford to wait for the answer.
The ground game has begun in what can be defined for some as campaign season for college football programs looking to move into a higher conference.
In the case of UCF and USF, this would be a move to a "Power 5" conference where the competitive reward - and financial reward - would mean big things for either school (or possibly both).
The Big 12 has been talking about expansion for some time now. This is the closest that the conference has been to actually deciding on expanding from its current structure of 10 teams to 12 teams.
So what do UCF and USF have that could make them attractive to the Big 12?
UCF has a football program coming of an winless 2015 season (0-12) but does have a young, energetic coach in Scott Frost (formerly of Oregon) to ignite the passion back into the Knights.
UCF is led by athletic director Danny White - who took over in December 2015 and has made significant changes to UCF, including new coaches in football and men's and women's basketball.
White is a former Notre Dame point guard whose father, Kevin White, holds the same position at Duke. Danny's brother, Mike, just finished up his first season as the head coach for the Florida Gators men's basketball team. Needless to say, White knows his way around college athletics and a board room of big-time college ADs and presidents.
Another reason - and an obvious one - is sheer size of the crowd at Bright House Network Stadium. On any given day, the Knights could have a size of 30,000 in attendance.
The Big 12 wants substance and flash. Both could be found in Central Florida with the agreement of an extension with sports distributor Nike, which has given UCF an expanded range of uniform options to appeal to fans and recruits.
The Big 12 also does not forget. It was at the 2014 Fiesta Bowl when Blake Bortles and the Knights thumped then No. 5 Baylor 52-42.
For USF, the TV market is the first real shining light for any conference searching for bigger dollars from TV contracts. Tampa Bay is the 11th-largest TV market in the country. Add in that there are major sports teams in NFL (Buccaneers), MLB (Rays) and NHL (Lightning).
The Bulls also have the advantage of having the most recent success between UCF and USF on the gridiron. Willie Taggart and his team went 8-5 in 2015 and went to the program's first bowl game since 2010.
Attendance is also a factor: In 2014 the Bulls only averaged little more than 19,000 fans at home games. In 2015, the Bulls averaged more than 26,500 fans at home games. Ticket sales and attendance continue to rise for USF. It also does not hurt the Bulls play at Raymond James Stadium (home of the Buccaneers).
The Bulls also have athletic director Mark Harlan. Prior to being named the USF AD back in 2014, Harlan was a senior associate athletic director out at UCLA during a time where the PAC 10 became the PAC 12. Harlan understands what stands out on a school's resume to become attractive to "Power 5" conferences.
A big factor for the Big 12 could be recruiting - which would benefit Big 12 teams and UCF and USF. Being able to have the recruiting bed of talent in Florida adds to the possibility of those young men choosing the Knights, the Bulls or another Big 12 school.
There are hurdles left to climb and hands still need shaking. UCF and USF are not the top choices for the Big 12. Those awards are for UConn, Cincinnati, Colorado State, and BYU (reportedly in that order). But that does not mean they are out of it. UCF and USF could sell themselves as a package deal. Bringing together the Orlando and Tampa Bay markets would be a big get for the Big 12.
Or, maybe, the Big 12 just needs one Florida school. In that case, the rivalry between UCF and USF could go to a whole new level. T
This story was originally published May 11, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "UCF and USF football programs eye Big 12 expansion ."