I encourage my non-UCF/usf friends to watch the War on I-4 this week. While this rivalry may not be as old or as well-known as others playing over the weekend, this one has all the same hate. A thread!

Let’s start with the types of students who cheer for these two schools.

Many (if not majority) of students/alumni from both schools did not get into/could not go to FSU and Florida. That’s changing yearly now for both schools, but it’s largely the deal

With this knowledge, you have fanbases that are a little self-conscious. We always have to hear from our peers who “got in to” FSU and Florida about how their school/team is the best of the best, and how we’re “backup schools”

So naturally, we are forced to pick on each other. We like to claim “our school is better at this” or “we have these amenities.” When in all actuality, we’re pretty even academically.

We are two newer schools, with 2 very large student populations. We also both have regional campuses that have huge footprints in our communities. We really are BIG deals. We’ve grown together.

The hate really starts with the cockiness of USF.

USF doesn’t start a football program until 1997, but jumps to the Big East before UCF gets a chance, even after having a program 20 years longer.

They jump to the Big East, and then agree to a yearly rivalry with UCF, who is in Conference USA.

USF goes 4-0, without any competition, really.

During this time, USF reaches number 2 for one (1) week, and beat UCF 64-12. They don’t reach a conference championship, but that doesn’t keep them from feeling like their part of the “Big 4”

UCF also gets an on-campus stadium, something that UCF fans boast about, while USF still rents a stadium 10 miles from campus.

This annoys them so much, USF decides to bring a shovel and dig up the UCF field.

Articles are written about how much USF has surpassed UCF. With Big East money, and that one (1) week at number 2 put them on the national stage. They didn’t need little ole UCF no more...

...until the Big East crumbles, largely because USF’s president didn’t want UCF joining it. So instead of keeping a “Power” conference of the Big East, the AAC is born and UCF joins the conference, anyway.

UCF wins back-to-back AAC championships, while USF has their two worst seasons ever. UCF wins the first two of the renewed series, including a 16-0 shutout in Tampa where UCF outnumbered USF fans 3-1.

UCF goes 0-12, creating mocking material for a USF program that still has done nothing of merit. In 2016, Willie Taggart runs up the score in the final seconds. UCF coach Scott Frost remarks after the game that he will “remember that next year”

The following year is the most important game yet. 10-0 vs 10-1. Both top 25. It ends up being the game of the year, with a memorable game-winning KO return for a TD. UCF goes undefeated and claims a national championship. UCF becomes the most talked about program in the country.

For the first time, UCF is being set apart from USF. People no longer confuse us, as people even from Lake City used to do.

UCF sells out its on-campus stadium regularly, and has sold out its season-tickets for the first time.

USF claims an on-campus stadium is “in the works” and has yet to construct an indoor practice facility

UCF and USF have swapped positions from a decade ago. Both sides still look at the other as “little brother.” Even USF’s former QB gets in Twitter fights with college students, and he’s 33 years old.

This may not be as recognized and revered as “The Game” or the Iron Bowl. But the hate is there. It’s passionate. We may not poison trees, but we slash tires. We hate it, but we need each other. The better each team is, the more we get respected. Every game should be 2017.

Even though UCF isn’t playing for a conference championship this year, and USF is no longer bowl-eligible, this will still be an exciting game. Black Friday in the Bounce House is electric.