Conference USA Football History
(August 14, 2000)

The South Florida football team peeks into its future when they take on defending Conference USA champion Southern Mississippi this fall. USF had hoped to begin C-USA play next year, but the conference delayed USF's football membership until 2003. The league agreed to help with scheduling, so we can look forward to playing more C-USA opponents over next couple of years and a full slate of conference games in 2003. Lets look at the Bulls future home.

The formation of Conference USA was announced on April 24, 1995 and the young league begins just its fifth football season this September. Eleven schools, Alabama-Birmingham, Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, North Carolina-Charlotte, Saint Louis, South Florida, Southern Mississippi and Tulane, began play in 1995. A twelfth school, Houston, joined in time for the first football season in 1996. With only six members playing Division I-A football, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, Southern Mississippi and Tulane, C-USA looked to expand. Added as football only members were East Carolina in 1997 and Army for the 1998 season. Last October, Conference USA voted to grant full membership to East Carolina and to add Texas Christian for a total of fourteen member universities. Alabama-Birmingham began league play last season, and TCU next year, so South Florida will become the eleventh football team in 2003. North Carolina-Charlotte has announced plans for football, so the total could become an even dozen.

Six schools played the first C-USA football season with Houston and Southern Mississippi co-champions. USM lost at Houston 56-49, so the Cougars went on to the Liberty Bowl and lost to Syracuse 30-17. In 1997, with the conference at seven teams, the title was decided when Southern Miss won its homecoming game over Tulane 34-13. The Golden Eagles went on to defeat Pittsburgh 41-7 in the Liberty Bowl. That same year Cincinnati went to the Humanitarian Bowl and posted a 35-19 win over Utah State. 1998 saw seven teams and again the key game was Tulane and Southern Miss. This time the Green Wave, quarterbacked by Shaun King, won 21-7 in New Orleans and ended a perfect 12-0 season with a 41- 27 victory over Brigham Young in the Liberty Bowl. Marshall defeated Louisville 48-29 in the Motor City Bowl and Southern Mississippi lost to Idaho 42-35 in the Humanitarian Bowl. Last season, Southern Miss recaptured the title and there was a four-way tie for second place. USM topped Colorado State 23-17 in the Liberty Bowl. Boise State defeated Louisville 34-31 in the Humanitarian Bowl and East Carolina lost to future C-USA member TCU 28-14 in the Mobile Alabama Bowl.

The Golden Eagles of Southern Mississippi have been the class of C-USA. In four years, they have won two titles outright, shared another and posted a 21-2 record against league foes. Tulane has one league championship and a 13-10 conference record. Houston shared the first title and has a 11-12 C-USA record. East Carolina, 11-7, and UAB, 4-2 in its first season, also have winning records.

C-USA football is already rated among the top seven Division I-A conferences in the nation. The league is 75-90 (.455) in non-conference games and has posted a 4-5 record in bowl games. Unless there are Bowl Championship Series considerations, the league champion plays in the Liberty Bowl. A second team goes to the Mobile Alabama Bowl and a third to the Humanitarian Bowl.

The 2000 Conference USA schedule begins with Army visiting Cincinnati on September 2. The South Florida Bulls have an October 7 date with Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. As USF looks to future C-USA play, might as well start at the top.