UCF is coming to the Swamp next year!!!!!
UCF gets 7 road football games
The new C-USA team will play all three '05 nonconference games away from home.
By Alan Schmadtke
Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted January 19 2005
UCF won't know all the details of its 2005 football schedule for at least another month, but the Golden Knights are pretty sure whom they'll play -- and whom they won't.
South Carolina, Louisiana and South Florida are on the schedule.
North Carolina State is off. West Virginia is in between.
And George O'Leary's team will spend much of the season on the road.
Taking O'Leary at his word, UCF Athletic Director Steve Orsini will send the Knights on seven road trips in '05, four in Conference USA and three out of conference.
"I would never do that if George hadn't said that was something he was willing to do," Orsini said. "His willingness helped me out, frankly, but there's going to be some good come of it later."
That is, a record seven home games in 2006 -- possibly just as the Knights christen an on-campus stadium. UCF's Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved up to $150,000 for a feasibility study that's expected to be completed early next month.
Exact dates for the '05 season will be set by C-USA in consultation with television partners ESPN and College Sports TV. The league has agreed to move several games to mid-week to accommodate TV.
UCF, which comes off a program-worst 0-11 season, might not be a candidate for any mid-week TV games, but those decisions aren't expected for a few more weeks. From UCF's perspective, almost all the hard deals are done.
NC State Athletic Director Lee Fowler agreed to abandon previously set games for Oct. 15 in Raleigh, N.C., and Oct. 11, 2006, in Orlando. Still to come is if and where the home-and-home series will fit on both schools' future schedules.
NC State was quickly able to obtain Division I-A replacement .
Orsini said he has informed West Virginia that UCF doesn't plan to return to Morgantown for the final game of a three-game series. UCF is trying to find a replacement opponent for itself -- or else it will pay the Mountaineers a $50,000 buyout.
The Knights' four-game home schedule features Marshall, Memphis, Houston and Tulane, all C-USA games. They'll take conference road trips to Rice, Southern Miss, East Carolina and UAB. Non-league trips are to South Carolina (in Coach Steve Spurrier's debut with the Gamecocks), USF and Louisiana.
South Carolina has agreed to hike the game guarantee $100,000 to assure UCF's appearance. In April, the NCAA is expected to approve expanding the college schedule from 11 to 12 games beginning in 2006. UCF is still overscheduled that year, but it has contracts for home games with four C-USA opponents (Rice, Southern Miss, East Carolina and UAB) and with UL, Louisiana Tech and USF out of conference.
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Yes it is nice to see other non-conference D1 mid-majors come in instead of D1aa's!! A D1aa like McNeese, Southern, or Northwestern, travel well and I could see them coming in every so many years if the 12 game seasons become a reality!!!!
Daddy
Cajun
