How the Florida Gators' defense managed to stymie FGCU ... for 25 years

Chances are, when the Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles soared through the early rounds of the NCCA men's basketball tournament in March before losing to the University of Florida Gators, most Americans had never heard of FGCU.

In much of the ensuing media coverage, commentators marveled that a new basketball program at a school founded “only 16 years ago” could compete with venerable institutions that had been fielding teams for decades.

Now I have a confession to make: It's partly my fault that FGCU is only Sweet 16 instead of beginning its fifth decade. The delay involves an episode in Florida history for which I was not only a witness but also a minor participant. Here's the inside story:
In 1972, when Florida's state university system opened the doors of its eighth and ninth institutions — Miami's Florida International University (FIU) and Jacksonville's University of North Florida (UNF) — state officials thought their job was completed.