197

THIS IS UCFUniversity of Central Florida ................ 198Campus Life ......................................... 199A Big-Time University .......................... 200Prominent Alumni ............................... 201City of Orlando .................................... 202Media Spotlight ................................... 203Bright House Networks Stadium .. 204-205Wayne Densch Sports Center .............. 206

198

THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA - UCF STANDS FOR OPPORTUNITYThe University of Central Florida is one of the most dynamic universiti es in the country in one of the most popular citi es in the world. Off ering 214 degree programs, it is an academic and research leader in numerous fi elds, such as opti cs, modeling and simulati on, engineering and computer science, business administrati on, educati on, the sciences including biomedical sciences, hospitality management and digital media.

UCF’s 1,415-acre main campus provides modern faciliti es, most of which have wireless abiliti es, with 600 acres set aside for lakes, woods and an arboretum. UCF has 12 colleges, including the newly established College of Medicine. More than 53,500 students att end classes on UCF’s main Orlando campus and its 11 regional campuses. UCF began off ering classes in 1968 and recently granted its 198,311 degree.

The incoming freshmen class for the academic year 2009-10 of 3,842 students conti nued UCF’s rise in academics with an average SAT score of 1225 and a high school grade-point average of 3.8. The Burnett Honors College incoming class had an average SAT score of 1374 and a grade-point weighted average of 4.2. UCF ranks in the top 50 universiti es nati onwide for the number of Nati onal Merit Scholars of fi rst-ti me-in-college students.

The UCF Libraries off er more than 1.9 million volumes and 32,009 serial subscripti ons, 24,730 of which are electronic journals.

UCF has a 149,000-square-foot Recreati on and Wellness Center complete with a three-story climbing wall, an indoor track and fi tness equipment. The Student Union has computer labs, study lounges, ballrooms and meeti ng rooms, popular eati ng establishments and a small shopping mall. The Health Center is a full-service health clinic with on-site professionals, X-ray capabiliti es, dental services, a pharmacy, a medical laboratory and physical therapy services. The 10,000-seat UCF Arena and a 45,000-seat on-campus football stadium were opened in 2007. Housing includes on-campus residence halls and affi liated apartments for more than 10,000 students.

UCF promotes a diverse and inclusive environment. UCF students come from 63 Florida counti es, 50 states, and 141 countries. Study abroad programs allow UCF students to study and conduct research with 98 insti tuti ons in 36 countries. Students at UCF have been recognized throughout the world and include recipients of the Rhodes, Mellon and Goldwater scholarships.

199

CAMPUS LIFEUCF’s 1,415-acre campus provides a safe, serene setti ng for learning with 600 acres of natural lakes and woodlands. At UCF, there is always something to do. Students att end Division I athleti cs events, concerts and shows at UCF Arena and are off ered a wide array of cultural events and opportuniti es.

Personal development programs and acti viti es in a broad range of educati onal, recreati onal and social-awareness topics allow students a chance to expand their understanding of the world.

Among the things available to all students are an 85,000-square foot recreati onal fi tness center, a 181,000-gallon outdoor recreati onal pool and nine sandy beach volleyball courts. UCF’s exciti ng campus includes a variety of on-campus residenti al communiti es, and the additi on of a new alumni center and a full-service medical clinic provides expanded opportuniti es for acti viti es.

UCF boasts some of the fi nest on-campus residences in the nati on in the Towers at Knights Plaza. The modern, apartment-style dormitories are located on the north side of campus, allowing UCF student-athletes to live within close proximity to Bright House Networks Stadium, Nicholson Fieldhouse and the Wayne Densch Sports Center. The apartments feature common kitchen areas as well as four single bedrooms with full-size beds.

200

A BIG-TIME UNIVERSITYDuring Daunte Culpepper’s senior year in 1998, UCF’s enrollment was listed at 28,500. Nearly 12 years later, the university is recognized as one of the nati on’s largest insti tuti ons. With an enrollment of 53,644 students, UCF is the third-largest school in the country. Since 2000, enrollment has increased over 40 percent.

The nati on’s largest universiti es in 2009-10:

1. Arizona State 55,5522. Ohio State 55,0143. UCF 53,6444. Minnesota 51,6595. Texas 51,0326. Florida 50,6917. Texas A&M 48,8858. Michigan State 47,1009. USF 46,61210. Penn State 43,998

UCF Facts

• One of Florida’s 11 public universiti es• Opened its doors to students in 1968• Off ers over 200 degree programs• Named a “Best Value” university by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and a “School to Watch” by U.S. News and World Report• Att racts excepti onal academic achievers (incoming freshmen for 2009-01 had an SAT average of 1225, an average ACT of 27 and an average GPA of 3.8)• Made U.S. medical school history by giving the College of Medicine’s charter class full four-year scholarships

201

PROMINENT ALUMNITom AckertExecuti ve Director, Orange County Conventi on Center

Michelle AkersFIFA Women’s Soccer Player of the Century (1900s)

James AtchisonPresident and Chief Operati ng Offi cer, Busch Entertainment Corporati on

John BersiaPulitzer Prize winner

Drew ButeraCatcher, Minnesota Twins

Megan Clementi Miss Florida USA 2010

Lee Constanti neFlorida State Senator

Richard Crott yOrange County Mayor

Daunte CulpepperThree-ti me NFL Pro Bowl selecti on at quarterback

Phil DalhausserBeach volleyball player, 2008 Olympic gold medalist

Robert DamronProfessional Golfer

Ericka DunlapMiss America 2004

Alan EustaceSenior Vice President, Google

Tyler FisherRhodes Scholar

Brian FranceChief Executi ve Offi cer and Chairman, NASCAR

Cheryl HinesActress

Jim HuntExecuti ve Vice President and Chief Financial Offi cer, Walt Disney World Resorts

Shawn Jeff ersonLongti me NFL wide receiver

Nelson MarchioliPresident and CEO, Denny’s Corporati on

Mark MillerLead singer, Sawyer Brown

Jermaine TaylorShooti ng guard, Houston Rockets

Al WeissPresident of Worldwide Operati ons, Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts

Rich Crotty Phil Dalhausser Jermaine Taylor

Daunte Culpepper

202

CITY OF ORLANDOUCF students have easy access to one of the world’s most vibrant citi es in Orlando. Orlando is one of the most popular vacati on desti nati ons in the world. As recently as 2009, approximately 50 million visitors traveled to the region. Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando and Sea World, amongst others, are just a short drive away from the UCF campus. The Kennedy Space Center, state parks and sandy beaches are all within an hour of campus.

Orlando is a frequent desti nati on for today’s top musical groups and performances, who visit popular venues like Hard Rock Live at Universal’s CityWalk and the House of Blues, which is located in Downtown Disney. The city’s world-renowned theme parks have added a variety of new entertainment experiences, including Cirque du Soleil’s “La Nouba” at Disney and Universal’s resident Blue Man Group shows.

Beyond the theme parks, downtown Orlando features an ever-changing skyline, fi ne dining opti ons and a newly-developed arts district. Cultural desti nati ons in the city include the Orlando Museum of Art, the Orange County Regional History Center and Lake Eola Park.

With top-notch musical and theatrical events occurring year-round, Orlando is a premier desti nati on for sports fans, too. The region is home to professional franchises, college football bowl games, world famous auto races, several professional golf tournaments and much more. The Orlando Magic have brought the excitement of NBA showti me to the city with its impressive NBA playoff runs in 2009 and 2010. The future is even brighter for the Magic, with its state-of-the-art downtown arena opening before the 2010-11 season. UCF will face the Florida Gators at the Amway Center to help open the new facility on Dec. 1, 2010.

The region’s sports calendar is busy with Grapefruit League baseball each spring as the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex hosts the Atlanta Braves. The Houston Astros train in nearby Kissimmee and the Washington Nati onals are just a short trip east in Viera. In 2006, the World Baseball Classic held part of its inaugural event in Lake Buena Vista.

The Florida Citrus Bowl hosts a pair of premier college bowl games each winter – the Champs Sports Bowl and the Capital One Bowl. The stadium has also been the site of the World Cup and Olympic soccer contests, World Wrestling Entertainment’s Wrestlemania, amongst many other major sporti ng events.

The region also features the most prominent NASCAR race of the year, its “Super Bowl” event, the Daytona 500, held at the Daytona Internati onal Speedway, to help start the racing season, in additi on to July’s Pepsi 400.

With countless world-class golf courses, several professional tournaments are held in Central Florida annually, including the Arnold Palmer Invitati onal presented by MasterCard at Bay Hill, the Children’s Miracle Network Classic at the Magnolia Golf Course in Lake Buena Vista and the Tavistock Cup, rotated annually between the presti gious Isleworth and Lake Nona private courses.

203

The Nati on’s Largest Media Markets

1. New York, N.Y.2. Los Angeles, Calif.3. Chicago, Ill.4. Philadelphia, Pa.5. Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas6. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif.7. Boston, Mass.8. Atlanta, Ga.9. Washington, D.C.10. Houston, Texas11. Detroit, Mich.12. Phoenix, Ariz.13. Seatt le-Tacoma, Wash.14. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.15. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.16. Denver, Colo.17. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.18. Cleveland-Akron, Ohio19. Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Fla.20. Sacramento, Calif.

According to Nielson Media Research, Inc.

UCF Media Platf orms

UCFAthleti cs.comUCF’s offi cial athleti cs web site is the top desti nati on for UCF news on the Internet. The web site includes stories on the UCF football program, plus popular features like John Denton’s “Knights Insider” and Marc Daniels’ “From the Pressbox.” The site welcomed a record 1.2 million unique visitors in 2009-10.

UCF Knights InsiderUCF Knights Insider is published six ti mes per year as part of UCF’s partnership with ISP Sports. The full color publicati on is full of feature stories on UCF student-athletes and coaches and also includes contributi ons from John Denton and Marc Daniels.

UCF Sports Today with George O’LearyUCF Sports Today with George O’Leary airs each week during the fall, providing an inside look at the UCF football program. The show airs statewide.

UCF-ISP Sports Radio NetworkUCF football games can be heared throughout the Sunshine State on the UCF-ISP Sports Radio Network. The network reaches several markets, including Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach and of course, Orlando.

MEDIA SPOTLIGHTThe conti nued growth of UCF football has kept the Knights consistently in the media spotlight. UCF is located within the 19th-largest media market in the country. The area includes Orlando, Daytona Beach and Melbourne, and features three daily newspapers and fi ve television stati ons with newscasts.

According to the latest Census esti mates, the Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne area has a total populati on of 3,690,119.

204

BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS STADIUMThe crown jewel in UCF’s impressive athleti cs complex, Bright House Networks Stadium opened in 2007. The 45,323-seat on-campus facility gives the Knights one of the top venues in the southeast. Aft er spending their previous 28 seasons at the Florida Citrus Bowl in downtown Orlando, the Knights made their debut at Bright House Networks Stadium on Sept. 15, 2007, facing nati onal power Texas. A capacity crowd was on hand for the game, which was televised live nati onally on ESPN2.

In its inaugural campaign at the stadium, UCF capped the season with six-straight wins at home, including a 44-25 victory over Tulsa in the Conference USA Championship game. The Knights are 14-6 at the venue, including a 6-1 mark a year ago. When UCF hosted Miami on Oct. 17, 2009, a facility-record 48,453 fans were on hand for the contest.

Located on the modern north side of campus, the stadium features a state-of-the-art scoreboard, video board, luxury boxes, a large club lounge, spacious press box and a nautral grass playing surface. The stadium’s general seati ng includes 13,656 seats with back rests. Additi onally, the stadium has 822 club seats and a total of 459 seats in the suites.

BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS STADIUM BY THE NUMBERS

The Roth Tower features 24 luxury suites

Throughout the stadium, 63 television monitors are mounted at various locati ons

The stadium has 11 permanent concession stands

UCF has hosted 4 nati onally-ranked teams since the stadium opened

During constructi on, 2,452 tons of steel were used to build the stadium

The stadium includes 10 ti cket windows

Constructi on of the facility cost $60 million to complete

The stadium occupies 25 acres

UCF opened the stadium by hosti ng No. 6 Texas

Since the facility opened, 812,248 spectators have watched the Knights play

The stadium has 2 scoreboards

The stadium includes 18 entry gates

UCF student-athletes uti lize a 10,416-square foot locker room at the venue

The Knights have hosted 1 Conference USA Championship Game at the stadium

205

BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS STADIUM TIMELINE

Jan. 4, 2005 UCF President Dr. John C. Hitt announces that UCF is exploring the possibility of building a football stadium on campus

Dec. 14, 2005 The UCF Board of Trustees approves a fi nancing plan for the stadium

Dec. 11, 2006 UCF announces that the Knights will face Texas in the fi rst game inside the new stadium

Aug. 8, 2006 Three months aft er constructi on begins on the facility, Bright House Networks acquires the naming rights to the new stadium

Sept. 15, 2007 The Knights make their debut at the stadium, hosti ng No. 6 Texas in front of 45,622 fans

Sept. 22, 2007 UCF tops Memphis, 56-20, in the fi rst Conference USA game at Bright House Networks Stadium

Dec. 1, 2007 In front of 44,128 spectators, UCF posts a 44-25 win over Tulsa in the Conference USA Championship Game

Sept. 6, 2008 UCF hosts an in-state team for the fi rst ti me at the facility when No. 17 USF visits

Oct. 17, 2009 When the Knights host No. 9 Miami, a venue-record 48,453 fans att end the contest

Nov. 14, 2009 The Knights top No. 13 Houston, 37-32, to record the fi rst win in program history over a nati onally-ranked opponent

206

WAYNE DENSCH SPORTS CENTERUCF boasts one of the nati on’s fi nest football faciliti es in the Wayne Densch Sports Center. The Knights call the 44,000-square foot facility home, uti lizing the building for training, rehabilitati on and fi lm study. The building features UCF’s strength and conditi oning center, a theater-style team auditorium, team meeti ng rooms, equipment room and coaches’ offi ces. The Knights uti lize a 4,000 square-foot locker room and also have access to the sports medicine center. The facility opened in 2003 and is located adjacent to Bright House Networks Stadium, the football practi ce fi elds and the Nicholson Fieldhouse. The building is also within a short walking distance of the new Towers at Knights Plaza, where members of the football team reside.

The 11,200-square foot weight room located in the middle of the building features the fi nest in free wight and machine equipment, cardio and treadmills. The weight room features a state-of-the-art sound system. The sports medicine center inside the building is equipped with the latest in aquati c technology, as well as a SwimEx pool, which is used for both treatment and rehabilitati on.

207

NICHOLSON FIELDHOUSEUCF players conti nually take advantage of the only 120-yard indoor facility in the state of Florida: Nicholson Fieldhouse. The state-of-the-art facility opened in 2005 and allows the Knights to practi ce and train regardless of the weather conditi ons outside.

Nicholson Fieldhouse is equipped with Field Turf, giving UCF players the opportunity to practi ce on one of the most modern arti fi cial playing surfaces. During the off season, the Knights uti lize the fi eldhouse for group and individual workout sessions. Situated directly behind the Wayne Densch Sports Center and adjacent to Bright House Networks Stadium, the fi eldhouse is centrally located within the Knights’ football faciliti es.

208

1

2

4

53

6 7

209

THE MOST CONVENIENT CAMPUS LAYOUT IN AMERICA1 Learn HereUCF is the third-largest university in the United States and off ers as ciriculum as diverse as its over 53,000-member student body.

2 Live HereThe Towers at Knights Plaza are amongst the newest and most spacious on-campus apartment style dorms in the country and are centrally located just a few feet from all a student-athlete needs.

3 Train HereThe Wayne Densch Sports Center contains the team locker room, meeti ng rooms, sports video center, weight room, equipment room, training room and coaches’ offi ces.

4 Play HereBright House Networks Stadium opened in 2007 and the Knights routi nely play to packed houses in their loud 45,323-seat on-campus home.

5 Practi ce HereUCF student-athletes uti lize a pair of grass practi ce fi elds, which are located next to the Wayne Densch Sports Center and Bright House Networks Stadium.

6 Practi ce Anyti me HereNicholson Fieldhouse is Florida’s only 120-yard indoor practi ce facility and allows the Knights to work out year-round at their convenience, regardless of the weather conditi ons outside.

7 Eat HereKnightro’s cafeteria, located within the brand new 10,000-seat UCF Arena, off ers quick and nutriti ous dining opti ons for student-athletes.

210

Since arriving in Orlando, George O’Leary has demanded that his players not only excel on the fi eld, but also succeed in their academic studies. The Knights have followed O’Leary’s lead, posti ng record numbers in the classroom on several occasions. During the fall of 2008, UCF posted the second-highest in-season grade point average in program history. Fift y-fi ve Knights had a GPA of 3.0 or bett er. At the conclusion of the 2009 spring semester, the Knights set an O’Leary era GPA record. Forty-nine Knights recorded a 3.0 GPA or bett er. Ten student-athletes received their bachelor’s degrees, including six current team members. UCF was recognized by the AFCA in 2009 for its outstanding graduati on rate as the Knights were one of 23 teams last fall to play in a bowl game and graduate at least 75-percent of its student-athletes.

SUCCESS OFF OF THE FIELD

In 2010, T.J. Harnden became the fi rst UCF football player, and the second acti ve stu-dent-athlete in any sport, to receive the Order of the Pegasus, the highest honor be-stowed by the University upon its students. The award honors outstanding academic achievement, University involvement, leadership and community service. Graduate students are selected separately based on academic achievement, professional or community service, leadership and publicati on or research experience.

• UCF’s APR (Academic Progress Rate) of 972 ranks seventh in the nati on amongst public non-miltary schools.• UCF’s team GPA ranks second only to Rice in Conference USA.• During the 2009-10 year, a league-record 46 members of the football team earned spots on the Conference USA Commission-er’s Academic Honor Roll with a 3.0 grade point average or bett er.• In 2009, 69 Knights wore “Scholar-Baller” helmet decals emblemati c of a 3.0 GPA.

211

Sha’reff Rashad, who concluded his collegiate ca-reer in 2008, epitomized the Knights’ success in the classroom under O’Leary. The safety received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justi ce, with a minor in psychology. Aft er fi nishing his undergraduate studies with a 3.428 GPA, he began work on a master’s de-gree in criminal justi ce. In spring 2009, Rashad was selected as one of 12 recipients of Conference USA’s Postgraduate Scholarship Awards. He was a semifi -nalist for the Draddy Trophy and a candidate for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. On the fi eld in 2008, Ra-shad was an All-C-USA First Team pick aft er tying for second in the league with fi ve intercepti ons and later signed a contract with the New York Giants.

Each year the Knights are acti ve in the community, donati ng their ti me to worthy causes throughout central Florida. This past season, some of those acti viti es included visits to children at nearby hospitals and elementary schools, visits with special-needs students at a school on the UCF campus and even simply serving as role models for youth football teams.

In 2009, Rocky Ross became just the third ESPN The Maga-zine Academic All-American in UCF football history. Ross joined Keith Shologan (2007) to give the Knights two Academic All-Amer-icans in three years. With a 3.88 GPA, Ross was also named to the C-USA All-Academic team with the highest GPA on the 11-man squad. Ross earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justi ce and is currently working on a master’s in sports and fi tness.

212

Marking its 15-year milestone during the 2009-10 season, Conference USA is sti ll going strong. From the beginning, dedicati on to excellence has been the league’s guiding principle and remains today a common thread for a promising future. C-USA is home to 12 nati onally prominent, traditi on-rich members in East Carolina, Houston, Marshall, Memphis, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UCF and UTEP. This combinati on enhances men’s and women’s programs that are immersed in athleti c success and academic prowess. Together, we are committ ed to excellence, integrity and leadership in athleti cs, academics and in our communiti es.

All C-USA insti tuti ons sponsor Division I-A football, along with several other men’s and women’s athleti c programs, many of which compete regularly for NCAA Championships. C-USA sponsors competi ti on in 20 sports - nine for men (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis and indoor and outdoor track and fi eld) and 10 for women (basketball, cross country, golf, row-ing, soft ball, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and fi eld and volleyball).

The league sponsors numerous academic awards, including the Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the Commissioner’s Academic Medal, indicati ve of outstanding achievement in the classroom. C-USA annually awards 12 postgraduate scholar-ships, along with the Sport Academic Award, Scholar Athletes of the Year and the Insti tuti onal Academic Excellence Award.

Conference USA also added a Spirit of Service Award, recognizing student-athletes three ti mes a year for a combinati on of signifi cant community service eff orts, good academic standing and parti cipati on in their elected sport.

SUCCESS ON THE PLAYING FIELDConference USA performers have achieved great success in competi ti on, placing the league among the top conferences in the nati on.

Football• 56 teams have earned bowl bids • Member of the Bowl Championship Series• Bowl ti e-ins with the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, EagleBank Bowl, R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Shera- ton Hawai’i Bowl, St. Petersburg Bowl and Dallas Football Classic

Men’s Basketball• Consistently rated as one of the top basketball leagues in the country• 90 postseason teams (45 NCAA and 38 NIT, 5 CBI, 2 CIT)• One Nati onal Championship ti tle game appearance• Three Final Four teams• Seven Elite Eight NCAA Tournament teams• One NIT Champion and four NIT semifi nalists• Inaugural CBI Champion

Women’s Basketball• 44 NCAA Tournament appearances• 33 WNIT appearances• One team in the NCAA Sweet 16• Two WNIT semifi nalists

Baseball• 49 NCAA appearances• Six College World Series appearances (2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005 and 2001)• 13 Super Regional appearances• Has produced at least four NCAA teams in seven of the last eight seasons

In additi on, 34 volleyball teams, 49 men’s and women’s soccer teams and 25 soft ball teams have earned NCAA Tournament bids. C-USA has sent three men’s soccer teams to the NCAA College Cup, fi ve soft ball teams to the Women’s College World Series and three volleyball teams to the Sweet 16. The league has also had six nati onal champions in NCAA track and fi eld competi ti on, one na-ti onal champion in diving and numerous NCAA individual and team competi tors in cross country, golf, swimming, tennis and track and fi eld. Overall, Conference USA teams and individuals have made more than 500 NCAA appearances.

SUCCESS OFF THE FIELDC-USA insti tuti ons are among the nati on’s best in academic performance among student-athletes, bolstered by the fact that student-athletes at league schools have a higher graduati on rate than the general student populati on. Among C-USA’s 5,000 student-athletes, there are champions off the playing fi eld as well. In 15 years, 130 student-athletes earned nati onal ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors, while 461 were named All-District. In additi on, more than 20,000 student-athletes have been named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll or received the Commissioner’s Academic Medal, indicati ve of outstanding achieve-ment in the classroom.

C-USA ON TVC-USA enjoys signifi cant television exposure through its partnerships with ESPN Inc. and CBS College Sports Television Networks. The league entered into long-term agreements with both ESPN and CBS College Sports, which, combined, provides C-USA with signifi cant nati onal and regional exposure for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and all other conference sports. Additi onally, the CBS College Sports agreement includes video-on-demand, Internet, broadband, nati onal over-the-air and satellite radio, and wireless distributi on as well as corporate marketi ng rights, and website producti on through CBS Interacti ve. The agreement with ESPN extends the conference’s current regular season football package to include the broadcast of the conference’s Football Championship Game. It also encompasses distributi on of men’s basketball and women’s basket-ball on ESPN/ESPN2 and both tournament championship games.

C-USA IN THE COMMUNITYThe conference’s footprint is concentrated with 12 members in nine states and a combined area populati on of nearly 17 million. More than 1.1 million living alumni represent C-USA schools across the nati on. With a renewed commitment to community involvement, the conference has begun development of several initi ati ves to maintain strong ti es in C-USA citi es, as well as with fans and alumni across the country. C-USA schools also place a priority on giving back to their communiti es through volunteer service with local and nati onal organizati ons.

GOVERNANCEAlong with the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC, Conference USA is one of the seven conferences having signifi cant representati on in the NCAA governance structure. The Presidents of the member insti tuti ons serve as the league’s Board of Directors. R. Gerald Turner of SMU currently serves as chair of the Board.

A PROUD HISTORY; A PROMISING FUTUREConference USA was formed in 1995 and quickly emerged as one of the nati on’s top conferences. The conference unveiled its name, logo and commissioner on April 24, 1995 in Chicago. The league’s charter members included Charlott e, Cin-cinnati , DePaul, Houston, Louisville, Marquett e, Memphis, Saint Louis, Southern Miss, Tulane, UAB and USF. Eleven of the insti tuti ons began athleti c parti cipati on in 1995, while Houston joined competi ti on in the fall of 1996.

The league’s headquarters were established in Chicago and aft er nine years, relocated to the current offi ce in Irving, Texas. Britt on Banowsky was named Commissioner in October 2002, succeeding Mike Slive, the league’s fi rst commis-sioner.

C-USA added East Carolina (September, 1996) and the United States Military Academy (March, 1997) as football members. ECU began league competi ti on in 1997; Army in 1998 and UAB began football play in 1999. The league added TCU and ECU (1999) for all sports and they began competi ti on in 2001. USF started C-USA football in 2003.

Aft er celebrati ng its 10th Anniversary during the 2004-05 season, C-USA began a new chapter in 2005-06 when its current membership came together to form the new look of the league.

Since its formati on, C-USA has established a strong foundati on, an identi ty and a history that refl ects the league’s nati onal presence. Fourteen years of remark-able history has reinforced the league’s positi on in collegiate athleti cs, setti ng the course for the next decade and beyond.

CONFERENCE USA