By Kelly Carney, Associate Commissioner

Remember the days of the "Ultimate Fan" contests?  Well, unless you are the proud owner of those words (yes, someone actually trademarked "Ultimate Fan") the contest is now called something else.  Two years ago our "Ultimate Fan" contest underwent a social media makeover and was renamed the Tweetest Fan.  The contest continues to grow in popularity and is scheduled to kick off again with the start of the 2011-12 men's and women's basketball season. Once again, C-USA will seek out more of its Tweetest Fans, using various social media to spread all the exciting news coming from the Conference and its members.  If you are reading this blog, then you are the perfect candidate to participate and possibly be this year's big winner!

Prizes will be awarded throughout the basketball season, as fans will receive clues on Twitter (@ConferenceUSA1) and Facebook (Conference USA). Clues will range from answering trivia questions, posting photos and meeting up with conference personnel at remote locations for various prizes and select regular-season game tickets.   By simply participating, fans will automatically be registered to win the grand prize - a trip for two to the 2012 Conference USA Basketball Championships, March 7-10 in Memphis, TN.  Multiple entries will be accepted increasing your chance to win the grand prize package, which includes tickets, air fare and hotel accommodations. The winner will be selected through a blind draw on Monday, February 27.

Beale Street, Barbecue and Basketball - what more can you ask for in March?  So be sure to follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook so you don't miss a chance to win!

Conference USA on Facebook.  Conference USA on Twitter.

By Russell Anderson, Assistant Commissioner

According to the latest U.S. Census, I have the 10^th-most common last name in America.  While not as popular as Smith, Johnson or Williams (the top three), Anderson is said to be the surname of about 857,000 Americans.  Well this blog deals with un-common names...the 22 best names in Conference USA Football this season.

Where was the Genesis (Cole) of this concept?  If you're a follower of the annual C-USA Baseball Championship blog (and why wouldn't you be?), you know about our annual C-USA Baseball All-Name team.  We've taken that concept to the gridiron with this inaugural unveiling of the C-USA Football all-name team.  This 22-member squad (matching the number of players on a football field at one time) features the most unique, fun and coolest sounding names in the league and has at least one representative from each school.

In looking at the squad you will think about movies (Rio, Tron), you will think about music (Banjo, Jazz, Hummingbird), travel may be on your mind (Rio again, Cairo, Dakota), TV shows may even come into play (Arsenio, Law).  You might even get a little Rowdy (Harper) and need to calm down with a nice glass of (Corey) Redwine, but most of all we hope you enjoy the list.

Rio Johnson, QB, East Carolina

Chevy Bennett, DB, Houston

Rowdy Harper, OL, Houston

Cotton Turner, QB, Houston

Tron Martinez, RB, Marshall

Jazz King, WR, Marshall

Gator Hoskins, TE, Marshall

Skylar Jones, QB, Memphis

Blayze Jones, DB, Memphis

Tanner Shuck, LB, Rice

Chris Banjo, DB, SMU

Arsenio Favor, QB, Southern Miss

Cordarro Law, DE, Southern Miss

Furious Bradley, DB, Southern Miss

Orleans Darkwa, RB, Tulane

Corey Redwine, DL, Tulane

Cairo Santos, K, Tulane

Genesis Cole, WR, Tulsa

Chris Hummingbird, LB, Tulsa

Jamarious Crusoe, CB, UAB

Jose Jose, DL, UCF

Dakota Warren, K, UTEP

Now that you've looked at the list, we are ready to hand out a couple of awards. 

First, for the best-first named trio on one team, we have a tie.  Houston's triple play combo of Chevy, Rowdy and Cotton share this distinction with Marshall's Tron, Jazz and Gator.

Individually, we have a three-way tie in the category for best overall name.  Houston's Cotton Turner, Marshall's Jazz King and UCF's Jose Jose (the name so nice they named him twice).

Be sure and listen for the PA announcer call these names when you are at a C-USA stadium the rest of the season or hear one of the play-by-play announcers name them on television when you're watching at home.  You'll know that they are among the most special names in Conference USA.