Did the UCF Knights want a new college football rival? Probably not, but UConn head coach Bob Diaco started one anyway.
Last week, the UConn football Twitter sent out a photo of the trophy and countdown clock for the “Civil Conflict”:
According to a UConn spokesperson, the name was chosen because the Huskies are the most northern university in the AAC, and the Knights are “one of the most southern.” Only approximately four months until UConn will play the only FBS opponent they beat last season. What a homecoming to remember.
When asked about the idea to manufacture contempt with a school in Florida, Diaco said he can start a rivalry with any program he wants, because it’s not up to them. Via AP:
“They don’t get to say whether they’re our rival or not,” Diaco told reporters during a Monday conference call. “We might not be their rival, but they don’t get to say whether they’re our rival. That’s for us to decide.”
UCF coach George O’Leary really sounded like he had no clue this was going to happen:
“My experience is you’re more likely to have a rivalry against a team closer to where you live,” he said. “When you go 10 states away, I think it’s hard.”
In 2045, when college football historians research the origin of the unforgettable UConn-UCF rivalry, they’ll find one very sad tweet.
[AP]
Photo: AP
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