UCF Knights football
UCF Knights football | |||
---|---|---|---|
| |||
First season | 1979 | ||
Athletic director | Terry Mohajir | ||
Head coach | Gus Malzahn 3rd season, 24–16 (.600) | ||
Stadium | FBC Mortgage Stadium (capacity: 45,301[1]) | ||
Year built | 2007 | ||
Field surface | Grass | ||
Location | Orlando, Florida
rivalry ) South Florida (rivalry) | ||
Consensus All-Americans | 1 | ||
Colors | Black and gold[3] | ||
Fight song | "Charge On" | ||
Mascot | Knightro | ||
Marching band | Marching Knights | ||
Outfitter | Nike[4] | ||
Website | ucfknights.com |
The UCF Knights football team represents the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the sport of American football. The Knights compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and are a member of the Big 12 Conference, making UCF the youngest school among the Power Five conferences.[5] Their head coach is Gus Malzahn. The Knights play their home games at the 45,000-seat FBC Mortgage Stadium, which is located on UCF's main campus in Orlando, Florida, United States. [6]
UCF first fielded a varsity football team in the fall of 1979 as an
Through the completion of the 2023 season, UCF has compiled 293 victories, six division titles, and six conference championships.
The Knights have made 15 postseason appearances since joining the FBS, including winning two
nominees.History
It has been suggested that this section should be split into a new article titled History of UCF Knights football. (discuss) (September 2019) |
Early history (1979–1984)
The UCF football program can be traced back to a speech given by the
Beginning at the
One day during a practice, O'Leary pulled the team aside and unveiled the template for uniforms of "The Fighting Knights".
Following the departure of Don Jonas, Sam Weir, who was the head coach at Lake Howell High School, became UCF's new head coach and led the Knights in their move up to Division II in 1982.[18] Another change to the university's athletic programs in 1982 was the departure of O'Leary as athletic director, and the hiring of Bill Peterson, who was the Florida State head coach from 1960 to 1970.[25] In their first season playing Division II ball, the Knights went 0–10, and Weir decided not to return for the 1983 season.[26] One bright spot of the season was that Mike Carter became the first Knight to sign with an NFL team, the Denver Broncos.[25]
Gene McDowell era (1985–1997)
Reeling after a disappointing string of seasons, there were discussions within the community about the possibility of dismantling the program,
McDowell would the lead the Knights to their first winning season since 1979, with a 6–5 record in 1986.
During McDowell's tenure, the program moved up to
On September 1, 1996, UCF officially made its foray into
Mike Kruczek era (1998–2003)
After the abrupt departure of Gene McDowell, offensive coordinator
The Knights proved to be a scary team on the road against heavily favored opponents, with close losses including a 10–6 loss at Auburn in 1998, a 24–23 loss at Georgia in 1999,[53] and a 21–17 loss at Georgia Tech in 2000.[54] Kruczek's biggest victory would come in 2000 against Alabama at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, when the Knights won 40–38 on a last-second field goal by Javier Beorlegui.[55][56] After finishing 9–2 in 1998,[57] UCF received a tentative verbal agreement to play in the inaugural Oahu Bowl.[58] That arrangement, however, was contingent on UCLA finishing the season undefeated; the Oahu Bowl was otherwise committed to taking a team from the Pac-10.[59] On the final day of the regular season, Miami upset UCLA, setting off a chain reaction that sent Washington to the Oahu Bowl and left the Knights out in the cold.[60]
Kruczek guided the team as a Division I-A independent until
An increased travel burden, lack of competitiveness, and lack of natural rivals within the midwest-based MAC saw UCF begin to explore the possibility of a different conference affiliation after just a couple years in the conference. Furthermore, the UCF athletic department was interested in an all-sports conference membership rather than a football-only affiliation.[68][56] In 2003, UCF was invited as an all-sports member of Conference USA beginning with the 2005 season.[69][56]
George O'Leary era (2004–2015)
This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. (August 2018) |
Following the disappointing 2003 season,
Conference USA
In
2007
After an anemic 2006 which saw the
2008
On March 18, 2008, running back
2009
After a lackluster 4–8 season in 2008,
2010
The Knights would go on to win the 2010 Conference USA championship game, defeating SMU 17–7.[111] Following the win, UCF entered the BCS standings for the first time in program history, ranking No. 25.[112] The Knights ended the 2010 season with a 10–6 victory over Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, marking the team's first-ever bowl victory.[113] UCF would end the season ranked 20th in the final coaches poll and 21st in the final AP rankings.[114]
2011
Invitation to Big East
It was announced on December 7, 2011, that UCF would join the Big East Conference, but was rebranded the American Athletic Conference soon thereafter,[121] in all sports beginning in 2013.[122]
Following an investigation into recruiting violations in the men's basketball and football programs in 2011, on July 31, 2012, the NCAA announced sanctions – in addition to penalties UCF had previously self-imposed.[123] The NCAA imposed a one-year postseason football ban.[124] The penalty was in addition to a $50,000 fine, adding two years to UCF's previously proposed three years' probation, reduction of football scholarships, and tighter limits of football recruiting visiting days.[125][126]
2012
In 2012, the Knights finished 10–4[127] and won their fourth C-USA East Division championship, though they would fall 33–27 in overtime to Tulsa in the league title game.[128] UCF would play in the 2012 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl and win 38–17 over Ball State as quarterback Blake Bortles would be named the game's MVP after throwing four touchdown passes.[129]
2013
On April 19, 2013, UCF won its appeal with the NCAA and was eligible for postseason play in 2013.
2014
The Knights finished 9–4 in 2014.
2015
The 2015 season, which began with high hopes, would be a disaster. After dropping their first three, UCF lost to South Carolina by a score of 31–14 on September 26 to fall to 0–4.[153] Following UCF's 59–10 loss to Houston on homecoming,[154] dropping the Knights to an 0–8 record to start the 2015 season, O'Leary resigned as head football coach.[155][156] Quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett was named interim head coach and led the team for the remaining four games of the season.[157] UCF finished the 2015 season at a winless 0–12, its third such campaign in program history.[158]
Scott Frost era (2016–2017)
This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. (September 2019) |
After an extensive coaching search,
2016
In 2016, Frost and his explosive, up-tempo offense led the Knights to a 6–7 record.
2017
Surprising even himself, Frost and his team went on to an undefeated regular season in 2017, defeating
Just hours after winning the AAC, sources confirmed that Frost would be taking a seven-year, $35 million deal to become Nebraska's new head coach.
Josh Heupel era (2018–2020)
On December 5, 2017, Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel was named UCF's head football coach.[211] Heupel arrived in Orlando with some impressive credentials, overseeing explosive offenses during his time as offensive coordinator at Missouri and his alma mater Oklahoma.[212] UCF signed Heupel to a five-year contract worth a fully guaranteed $1.7 million in annual base salary.[213]
2018
In Heupel's first season, UCF rode its high-powered offense to start the season 12–0 and extend its winning streak to a school-record 25 games. In their rivalry game at South Florida, star quarterback McKenzie Milton suffered a gruesome knee injury and was taken straight to the hospital, eventually requiring multiple surgeries to save the leg. Milton was out for the season, and never played another down for UCF, transferring to Florida State after the 2020 season and playing his final season of eligibility there in 2021. Back-up quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. took over and guided the Knights to win that game as well as the Conference championship game a week later against Memphis. The undefeated and 8th-ranked Knights were once again not selected for the College Football Playoff. Without Milton, the Knights lost a close game against LSU in the Fiesta Bowl.
2019
In Heupel's second season, UCF lost a regular season game for the first time since 2016, at Pitt, whose fans promptly rushed the field to celebrate. UCF also fell on the road to Cincinnati, whose fans also promptly rushed the field to celebrate. UCF dropped out of the Top 25 for the first time in two years. UCF finished the season defeating Marshall in the Gasparilla Bowl.
2020
In Heupel's third and final season, UCF started the season ranked, but lost three games in the regular season, including their first home loss since 2016 (snapping a 21-game home winning streak). They posted a winning record for the fourth straight year, but were blown out by BYU in the Boca Raton Bowl.
On January 27, 2021, Heupel was hired to coach the Tennessee Volunteers by Tennessee's new athletic director, the same Danny White who had hired Heupel at UCF.
Gus Malzahn era (2021–present)
On February 15, 2021, new athletic director Terry Mohajir named Gus Malzahn as UCF's new head coach. The two had previously worked together at Arkansas State, and Malzahn made a name for himself with a 68–35 record at Auburn from 2013 to 2020, including three wins over Alabama in the Iron Bowl rivalry, an appearance in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game, and two New Year's Six bowl appearances.[214] His Auburn team lost to UCF in one of those New Year's Six appearances, the 2018 Peach Bowl.
2021–2023
Malzahn won in his debut with the Knights, defeating Boise State, 36–31. Following several critical injuries, including to starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Malzahn's first season ended with a 9–4 record (3rd in AAC) including a win against Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl.
In 2022, UCF's final year in The American, Malzahn guided the Knights to a 9–3 regular season record (2nd in AAC). They clinched a spot in the AAC Championship Game, facing Tulane.
In 2023, UCF officially moved into the Big 12 Conference. In doing so, the Knights became the first NCAA football program to play at every sanctioned level: Division III, Division II, Division I-AA, Division I-A (Independent), Group of Five, and Power Five.[215]
Conference affiliations
- NCAA Division III independent (1979–1981)
- NCAA Division II independent (1982–1989)
- NCAA Division I-AA independent (1990–1995)
- NCAA Division I-A independent (1996–2001)
- Mid-American Conference (2002–2004)
- Conference USA (2005–2012)
- American Athletic Conference (2013–2022)
- Big 12 Conference (2023–present)
Championships
National championship
Under head coach Scott Frost, the 2017 Knights completed a 13–0 perfect season. The Knights were not selected for the College Football Playoff, instead completing their season with a New Years Day win in the 2018 Peach Bowl over the No. 7 Auburn Tigers. On January 7, 2018, the day before the CFP championship game, UCF athletic director Danny White stated that UCF would claim the 2017 national championship, hang a national title banner, and hold a national championship parade and celebration.[216][217]
On January 9, 2018, the
Season | Conference | Coach | Selector | Overall record | Conference record | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | The American | Scott Frost | Colley Matrix | 13–0 | 8–0 | Peach Bowl | Auburn | W 34–27 |
Conference championships
Under George O'Leary's leadership, the Knights won four C-USA Eastern Division Championships (
Season | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | Conference USA | George O'Leary | 10–4 | 7–1 |
2010 | 11–3 | 7–1 | ||
2013 | The American | 12–1 | 8–0 | |
2014 † | 9–4 | 7–1 | ||
2017 | Scott Frost | 13–0 | 8–0 | |
2018 | Josh Heupel | 12–0 | 8–0 |
† Co–champion
Division championships
UCF won four division crowns and subsequently made four appearances in the Conference USA Championship Game, more than any other C-USA school, with the last being in 2012. Three of the four appearances were against Tulsa of the Western Division. The Knights went on to win two of the four C-USA Championship Games in which they appeared.
After moving to the AAC, UCF won two more division titles. In 2022, after the AAC had eliminated divisions, UCF qualified for a third AAC Conference Championship Game appearance by finishing as the #2 seed.
Season | Division | Coach | Opponent | CG Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | C-USA East | George O'Leary | Tulsa | L 27–44 |
2007 | Tulsa | W 44–25 | ||
2010 | SMU | W 17–7 | ||
2012 † | Tulsa | L 27–33 | ||
2017 | AAC East | Scott Frost | Memphis | W 62–55 |
2018 | Josh Heupel | Memphis | W 56–41 |
† Co–championship
Bowl games
UCF has played in 15 bowl games and has compiled a 6–9 record in those games.[224] Since elevating to Division I FBS, UCF has been bowl-eligible for 19 of 28 seasons,[225] and received their first bowl invitation in 2005. The Knights nearly earned a bowl berth in 1998, when Daunte Culpepper led the team to a 9–2 record. UCF has been ranked going into their bowl game four times, being ranked No. 24 in 2010 (Liberty), No. 15 in 2013 (Fiesta), No. 10 in 2017 (Peach), and No. 7 in 2018 (Fiesta).[226][227] In 2019, though they had slipped out of the top 25 prior to the game, the Knights won their bowl game (Gasparilla) and placed No. 24 in the final rankings. In 2020, they were ranked No. 21 in the preseason poll and in week 4 they were ranked the highest at No. 11 but lost to unranked Tulsa and they fell out of the rankings; in week 16 they were unranked but they received votes, but after a loss in their bowl game (Boca Raton), they didn't receive any votes and were unranked in the final rankings.
Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2005 | George O'Leary | Hawaii Bowl | Nevada | L 48–49OT |
2007 | Liberty Bowl | Mississippi State | L 3–10 | |
2009 | St. Petersburg Bowl | Rutgers | L 24–45 | |
2010 | Liberty Bowl | Georgia | W 10–6 | |
2012 | Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl | Ball State | W 38–17 | |
2013 | Fiesta Bowl | 6 Baylor | W 52–42 | |
2014 | St. Petersburg Bowl | NC State | L 27–34 | |
2016 | Scott Frost | Cure Bowl | Arkansas State | L 13–31 |
2017 | Peach Bowl | 7 Auburn | W 34–27 | |
2018 | Josh Heupel | Fiesta Bowl | 11 LSU | L 32–40 |
2019 | Gasparilla Bowl | Marshall | W 48–25 | |
2020 | Boca Raton Bowl | 16 BYU | L 23–49 | |
2021 | Gus Malzahn | Gasparilla Bowl | Florida | W 29–17 |
2022 | Military Bowl | Duke | L 13–30 | |
2023 | Gasparilla Bowl | Georgia Tech | L 17–30 |
Playoffs
NCAA Division I-AA playoffs
The Knights appeared in the Division I–AA playoffs twice with a record of 2–2.
Season | Coach | Playoff | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | Gene McDowell | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals |
Youngstown State William & Mary Georgia Southern |
W 20–17 W 52–38 L 44–7 |
1993 | First Round | Youngstown State | L 30–56 |
NCAA Division II playoffs
The Knights appeared in the Division II playoffs once with a record of 1–1.
Season | Coach | Playoff | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | Gene McDowell | Quarterfinals Semifinals |
Indiana (PA) Troy State |
W 12–10 L 10–31 |
Head coaches
UCF has had 12 head coaches since organized football began in 1979.[228] Gene McDowell, George O'Leary, Scott Frost, and Josh Heupel have led the Knights to the postseason. O'Leary, Frost, and Heupel have coached the team to an FBS conference championship, and a BCS/NY6 bowl game. Before leading UCF in 1983 and 1984, Lou Saban was a head coach in both the American Football League (AFL) and the NFL.[229] O'Leary also coached in the NFL between 2002 and 2004.
Coach | Tenure | Record | Bowl/playoff record | Pct |
---|---|---|---|---|
Don Jonas | 1979–1981 | 14–12–1 | .537 | |
Sam Weir | 1982 | 0–10 | .000 | |
Lou Saban | 1983–1984 | 6–12 | .333 | |
Jerry Anderson † | 1984 | 1–3 | .250 | |
Gene McDowell | 1985–1997 | 86–61 | 3–3 | .585 |
Mike Kruczek | 1998–2003 | 36–30 | .545 | |
Alan Gooch † | 2003 | 0–2 | .000 | |
George O'Leary | 2004–2015 | 81–68 | 3–4 | .544 |
Danny Barrett † | 2015 | 0–4 | .000 | |
Scott Frost | 2016–2017 | 19–7 | 1–1 | .731 |
Josh Heupel | 2018–2020 | 28–8 | 1–2 | .778 |
Gus Malzahn | 2021–Present | 24–16 | 1–2 | .600 |
† – denotes interim coach
Venues
Citrus Bowl (1979–2006)
Until 2007, the Knights played their home games at the
By 2004, Orlando city officials and UCF's administration expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the aging facility. While UCF was the primary leasing tenant of the Citrus Bowl for 25 years, they received little revenue from football games, and the stadium's capacity (65,000) was considered too large for the Knights. With an average attendance of 20,000–30,000 spectators per game, the stadium was left with a mostly empty appearance. The Knights' record home attendance of 51,987 (set at the 2005 C-USA Championship) was still far short of capacity. The location off campus was considered a significant factor in the inability to sustain a sizeable student section, while the stadium's upper decks were rarely occupied for UCF games.
When the university approached the city about possible renovations and new revenue-sharing measures for the stadium, they were met with resistance. The city generally wanted UCF to stay, but expected them to help pay for the upgrades to the facility.
The Knights compiled an overall record of 112–60–1 at the Citrus Bowl, which includes Division II playoff games in 1987, a Division I-AA playoff game in 1990, the 2005 C-USA Championship Game and the 2016 Cure Bowl.
FBC Mortgage Stadium (2007–present)
In early 2005, as a response to the deteriorating condition of the Citrus Bowl, and lack of revenue derived from the games there, UCF formally proposed building an on-campus stadium. Additional motivations included drawing more students to the games, a more intimate setting, and establishing game-day traditions on campus. In December 2005, the UCF Board of Trustees approved the construction of a new on-campus stadium.[235] The new stadium, at the time named Bright House Networks Stadium, was originally planned to open in time for the 2006 football season, but neighborhood opposition delayed the time frame by a year.
Stadium construction began in 2006 and was finished in time for the 2007 season. The first home-game took place on September 15, 2007, as the Knights nearly upset the No. 6-ranked Texas Longhorns. The current seating capacity of the stadium is 44,206,[236] and plans provide for a future expansion to 65,000 seats. Although the Knights lost their first on-campus home game, they finished the remainder of the stadium's inaugural season undefeated. UCF has hosted the C-USA Championship Game twice, and the AAC Championship Game twice. Following the 2014 season, the stadium underwent an $8 million renovation. The Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership was constructed on the east facade of the stadium, and a party deck known as the "Carl Black and Gold Cabana" was added to the east stands.[237][238][239] By many accounts the stadium was built cheaply and as fast as possible. Due to these factors the stadium tends to bounce up and down giving it the nickname "The Bounce House". The stadium was renamed to Spectrum Stadium in April 2017 following Charter Communications acquisition of Bright House Networks.[240] After the naming rights deal with Spectrum expired after the 2019 season, the stadium was renamed the Bounce House for the Knights 2020 season.
Just over two weeks before the 2019 season opener, the UCF athletic department announced that the entire season-ticket allotment was sold out for the first time in school history.[241] In addition, they created a formal waiting list for season tickets, also for the first time. In the press release, UCF athletic director Danny White teased a possible expansion of Spectrum Stadium in the near future if ticket demand remains high.
Rivalries
Though UCF remains a relatively young program that has shifted conferences several times, it has several long-standing rivalries with schools throughout the duration of Conference USA and The American. The university's biggest rival historically is their instate rival, the University of South Florida Bulls, played from 2005 to 2008, and since 2013.[242] Other rivalries include the East Carolina University Pirates, Memphis Tigers, and Houston Cougars.[243]
One other unofficial rivalry, known as the Civil Conflict, exists between UCF and UConn. However, UCF does not acknowledge the rivalry, and has publicly dismissed it.[244][245][246]
South Florida
The War on I–4 dates years before the two schools ever played a game against each other. The matchup was the subject of much discussion and fan enthusiasm since the 1990s, though the first game was not played until 2005. The rivalry, often known as the "War on I–4" or "I–4 Corridor Clash",[247] continued as a four home-and-away series through the 2008 season. The Bulls won each of the four games, which all drew strong crowds, but South Florida declined to continue the series after 2008.[248][249][250] The UCF–South Florida game resumed as a regular conference game beginning with the 2013 season, as UCF joined the American Athletic Conference.[251] The Knights won the first game as conference members 23–20 before 45,952 in Orlando.[252] In 2014, the Knights won for the first time at Raymond James Stadium, and delivered the first home shut-out in South Florida history, 16–0. In 2015, USF defeated the Knights 44–3 to finish a winless season for the Knights. In 2016, the War On I-4 trophy was introduced for the first time. USF took home the trophy by defeating UCF 48–31 and clinching their first 10-win season in school history, only for UCF to take the trophy back from them the following year during their national championship season in 2017.
UCF leads South Florida 8–6 in the football series through the 2022 season.[253]
Cincinnati
UCF leads Cincinnati in the series 5-4 since 2023.[254]
Individual awards and honors
All-Americans
Every year, several publications release lists of their ideal "team". The athletes on these lists are referred to as
- Daunte Culpepper – QB, 1997 (NFL Draft Report)
- Kevin Smith – RB, 2007 (AP, FWAA, WCFF, SN, SI, ESPN, CBS Sports, College Football News, Scout.com)
- KR, 2008 (ESPN, SI)
- KR, 2012 (SI)
- Jacoby Glenn – CB, 2014 (AP)
- KR, 2017 (FWAA)
- Shaquem Griffin – LB, 2017 (AFCA)
Conference honors
- 2017: Scott Frost
- 2013: George O'Leary
- 2010: George O'Leary
- 2007: George O'Leary
- 2005: George O'Leary
- 2018: McKenzie Milton
- 2017: McKenzie Milton
- 2013: Blake Bortles
- 2007: Kevin Smith
- 2016: Shaquem Griffin
- 2014: Jacoby Glenn
- 2012: Kemal Ishmael
- 2010: Bruce Miller
- 2009: Bruce Miller
- 2012: Quincy McDuffie
- 2008: Joe Burnett
- 2015: Tre'Quan Smith
- 2010: Jeff Godfrey
- 2005: Kevin Smith
Heisman Trophy
Quarterbacks Daunte Culpepper and McKenzie Milton, and running back Kevin Smith are the only Knights to finish in the Top–10 of voting for the Heisman Trophy.[256][257][258]
Year | Name | Position | Finish |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Daunte Culpepper | QB | 6th |
2007 | Kevin Smith | RB | 8th |
2017 | McKenzie Milton | QB | 8th |
2018 | McKenzie Milton | QB | 6th |
Honored numbers
UCF retires a student-athlete's jersey but does not retire the respective jersey numbers. The Knights coaching staff can choose to reissue a given number, as the retirement of the jersey does not require that the number not be worn again.[259]
- 1 Wayne Densch – Philanthropist to the UCF region[260]
- 8 Daunte Culpepper – QB, 1995–1998[260]
- 19 Joe Burnett – CB, 2005–2008[260]
- 24 Kevin Smith – RB, 2005–2007[260]
Other honors
- AFCA Coach of the Year Award – Scott Frost, 2017[261]
- Archie Griffin Award – McKenzie Milton, 2017[262]
- Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award – Scott Frost, 2017[263]
- Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award – Scott Frost, 2017[264]
- Home Depot Coach of the Year Award – Scott Frost, 2017[265]
- Paul "Bear" Bryant Award – Scott Frost, 2017[266]
Knights in professional football
NFL
As of October 2023, 20 former UCF players are on an NFL roster.
NFL
- Jordan Akins – TE, Cleveland Browns
- Gabe Davis – WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Richie Grant – S, Atlanta Falcons
- Shaquill Griffin – CB, Minnesota Vikings
- Jacob Harris – WR, Philadelphia Eagles
- Mike Hughes – CB, Atlanta Falcons
- Trysten Hill – DT, New England Patriots
- Charley Hughlett – LS, Cleveland Browns
- Brandon Johnson, WR, Denver Broncos
- Latavius Murray – RB, Buffalo Bills
- Tre Nixon – WR, New England Patriots
- Matt Prater – K, Arizona Cardinals
- Aaron Robinson – CB, New York Giants
- Tre'Quan Smith – WR, Detroit Lions
- Kalia Davis – DT, San Francisco 49ers
- Alex Ward – LS, Los Angeles Rams
- Tay Gowan -DB, Tennessee Titans
- Divaad Wilson – DB, Arizona Cardinals
- Ryan Swoboda - OT, Atlanta Falcons
UFL
- Nevelle Clarke, DB, Birmingham Stallions
- Rannell Hall - WR and CB for the Arlington Renegades
- Jordan McCray, C, Memphis Showboats
- Terrance Plummer - LB, Orlando Guardians
- Marlon Williams, WR, Birmingham Stallions
- Cole Schneider, OG, Birmingham Stallions
- Donald De La Haye, K, San Antonio Brahmas
CFL
- Brandon Alexander – DB, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- D.J. Killings – DB, Calgary Stampeders
- Greg McCrae – SB, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Isaiah Bowser - RB, Toronto Argonauts
Schedule
UCF joined the Big 12 Conference in 2023 after ten seasons in the American Athletic Conference.[269] Beginning in 2024, UCF will be one of 16 full members for football, and the Big 12 will maintain a nine-game regular season intra-conference schedule. The conference announced a four-year scheduling matrix on November 1, 2023. Each team will play each other team in the conference at least once both home and away over the four-year period.[270] Geography will be prioritized in order to minimize travel disruption. UCF will have five intra-conference home games in 2024 and 2026, and four in 2025 and 2027. UCF's budding rivalry with Cincinnati was not officially protected, but the two teams will play three out of the four seasons. They will also play Baylor, BYU, Colorado, Iowa State, and West Virginia three times.
UCF's intra-conference opponents for 2024–2027 will be as follows:
Season | Home | Away |
---|---|---|
2024 | Arizona, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Utah | Arizona State, Iowa State, TCU, West Virginia |
2025 | Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State, West Virginia | Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas State, Texas Tech |
2026 | Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Iowa State, TCU | Colorado, Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State |
2027 | Cincinnati, Colorado, Kansas State, Texas Tech | Arizona, Baylor, Iowa State, Utah, West Virginia |
Future non-conference opponents
Officially announced out-of-conference schedules as of November 2023 are as follows.[271] Since the Big 12 maintains a nine-game intra-conference schedule, the Knights will contest three out-of-conference games annually.[272] Furthermore, the conference requires at least one of the three out-of-conference games to be against a Power Five opponent.[273]
A home-and-home out-of-conference series with BYU was scheduled for 2023–2024.[274] However, it was officially canceled on July 13, 2022, as BYU would also join the Big 12 in 2023.[275][276] As a substitute, Sam Houston (which entered FBS in 2023 as members of C-USA) played at BYU in 2023, and will play at UCF in 2024.[277] Planned meetings versus FIU[278] (2022) and Liberty (2024) were also canceled.
In August 2022, UCF entered a contract to host James Madison in 2029.[279] In February 2023, FAU and UCF agreed to delay their 2025 meeting until 2028, opening a date for UCF.[280]
2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 | 2033 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Hampshire (FCS) | North Carolina | at North Carolina | FAU | James Madison | Florida | at Florida | |||
Sam Houston | Louisiana | ||||||||
at Florida |
See also
Footnotes
- ^ The UCF campus has an Orlando mailing address but is entirely located in unincorporated Orange County, Florida
References
General:
- Holic, Nathan, and the UCF Alumni Association. University of Central Florida: The Campus History Series (2009), ISBN 978-0-7385-6768-6
- MacCambridge, Michael. ESPN College Football Encyclopedia: The Complete history of the Game (2005), ISBN 1-4013-3703-1
In-text:
- ^ "FBC Mortgage Stadium at the University of Central Florida". Whartonsmith. December 9, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ NCAA Statistics https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/history?utf8=✓&org_id=128&sport_code=MFB&commit=Search
- ^ "Colors | University of Central Florida Brand Guide". Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ "UCF signs shoe, apparel contract with Nike". Orlando Sentinel. March 19, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2010.
- ^ Wells, Adam (June 10, 2022). "Cincinnati, Houston, UCF and BYU to Join Big 12 in Summer of 2023". bleacherreport. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
- ^ "FBC Mortgage Stadium at the University of Central Florida". Whartonsmith. December 9, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
- ^ "A look back at UCF's football's move to Division I-A" (Press release). UCF Knights. July 19, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
- ^ "Division I–AA Football Comes to Orlando". University of Central Florida Athletic Association. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
- ^ Romero, Iliana Limón (December 9, 2017). "UCF QB McKenzie Milton finishes eighth in Heisman Trophy voting". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
- ^ "Trevor Colbourn: the man who started UCF football". USA Today.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Birth of Saturday Knights Live: Part 1 of 8 – The History of UCF Football". University of Central Florida Athletics Association. June 16, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
- ^ "Facts About UCF". UCF Office of Institutional Research. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
- ^ Russon, Gabrielle. "Trevor Colbourn: Former UCF president dies at 87". Orlando Sentinel.
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