<p>The unprecedented success of UF's two biggest athletics programs has UF officials believing there will be a spike in the number of applicants this year.</p>
<p>The "Flutie Effect?" Try the Florida Effect.</p>
<p>After Boston College quarterback Doug Flutie threw a miracle 48-yard touchdown pass as time expired to beat the University of Miami in 1984, the college received significantly more applications for the next year.</p>
<p>But with UF's championships in football and men's basketball coming in the same year - a feat that's never been done by any other school in NCAA Division I - interest in UF academics, as well as its athletics, is likely to rise.</p>
<p>In a telephone interview Thursday, UF President Bernie Machen said, "The fact that we're a double-dipper on the championship side - good God - it could have a huge effect."</p>
<p>UF Provost Janie Fouke said the number of applications from students entering their first year of college next year could top the record 22,973 submitted for the 2003�04 academic year.</p>
<p>So far, UF has 22,093 applicants, Fouke said, and the deadline for undergraduate applications is Tuesday.</p>
<p>Though the number of students currently looking to be admitted to UF is already up from last year's 21,151, this is not always the case following banner athletic years.</p>
<p>After UF won its first football title in 1996, the number of first-year college applicants for the following Fall actually dipped, according to university statistics.</p>
<p>And although Machen is expecting an increase in applications, he's wary about accepting more students than UF can handle. "We've got to be careful there, or else it's going to affect our class sizes next Fall," Machen said.</p>
<p>This Fall, UF officials tried to keep the incoming freshman class size stable from the year before to prevent putting a strain on faculty and academic advisers, and they want to do the same next year.</p>
<p>The two championships have also given UF a good deal of free face time, Machen and Fouke said.</p>
<p>"I think that people that wouldn't usually pay attention to (UF) except for the sports pages are starting to say, 'Hmm,'" Machen said.</p>
<p>However, the two said they didn't believe the championships would have an impact - positive or negative - on UF's chances of breaking into the Top 10 list of public research universities. UF is currently tied for No. 13.</p>
<p>But Fouke said there wouldn't be a perception that UF is merely a jock school, citing traditional football power University of Michigan, which is tied for the No. 2 spot among public research universities.</p>
<p>For now, Machen's just excited about bringing one more title back to UF.</p>
<p>He said, "We're going to Atlanta," the site of the 2007 men's basketball championship. "Tell everyone to get their tickets now." </p>