TAMPA - I have already arrived in Tampa for Friday's basketball game vs. South Florida - or is it USF? The major state university here in Tampa indeed may have an identity problem. It must be tough to explain that the University of South Florida is actually not in South Florida - or isn't anywhere close as my four-hour car ride can attest.

From USF:

We Are USF
When referring to the University please be aware of the following policy regarding usage. First references to the school and its intercollegiate athletics program should always be the University of South Florida. The only secondary reference used should be USF or Bulls. Please refrain from using South Florida, S. Florida,
South Fla. or any other similar combination.

Anyway after the Owls play this team in basketball, they will play Western Kentucky in football on Saturday, right? I can hear Lee Corso now "Not so fast, my friend."

On Page Three of this week's game notes from Western Kentucky is a paragraph asking people to not refer to Western Kentucky as "Western Kentucky."

The university in Bowling Green, Ky. wants to be called "Western Kentucky University" or WKU.

The only problem the entire free world - including my wife, who graduated from the school in question and all her hoops-crazed friends from college - all say the same thing when asked where they went to school - Western Kentucky (or sometimes just 'Western' which certainly is against the rules.)

To wit:

We Are WKU

In all references, please refer to us as either Western Kentucky University or WKU. Please do not use Western Kentucky, Western, Western Ky., W. Kentucky or any other variation.

This is a problem that FAU may have as well. Some of the bigwigs are in another battle over should the school be known as "FAU" or "Florida Atlantic.'


You may have noticed a re-design on the official web site athletic department that doesn't refer to the FAU Owls anymore, but the "Florida Atlantic Owls." Don't think that isn't planned that way.

It's an interesting discussion - FAU or Florida Atlantic. I'll just say the Owls are playing South Florida Friday and Western Kentucky on Saturday, no matter what those schools call themselves.



Owl Links

It's a light day for the Owl Links, but it wasn't a day of rest for FAUOwlAccess.com as we were the only media outlet at the Thanksgiving Day practice and we also posted a preview for the FAU-USF basketball game.

We'll be providing coverage from the Bulls-Owls game as we take the rare hoops road trip tonight before heading back across the state in the morning for the football game.

Palm Beach Post: Unlike defense, offense will keep lineup intact

Owl Cal

FRIDAY
Women's hoops
Florida Atlantic/Boca Bridge Hotel Holiday Tournament
2 p.m. FAU vs. Fordham. streaming live )
4 p.m. San Jose State vs. Ole Miss

Hoops
7 p.m. FAU at South Florida (ESPN 760 or streaming live )


SATURDAY
Football
4 p.m. Western Kentucky at FAU, Lockhart Stadium, (ESPN 760 or streaming live )

Women's hoops
Florida Atlantic/Boca Bridge Hotel Holiday Tournament
2 p.m. Consolation
4 p.m. Championship

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November 27, 2009