As UCF approaches its inaugural season as the youngest member of a Power 5 conference, the athletics department is taking a look back to commemorate this special moment in history. The following feature is a part of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 12 for XII series 麻豆精品 S� 12 stories that define UCF and the meteoric rise of the Knights in their journey to the Big 12 Conference.
May 24, 2023. Big 12 Business Summit. Arlington, Texas.
Eric DeSalvo 麻豆精品 S�09, UCF associate athletics director of #content, settles into his seat among the crowd of marketing and sales leadership staff from around the Big 12 Conference as the league 麻豆精品 S檚 commissioner, Brett Yormark, takes the stand for his opening remarks.
麻豆精品 S淗e starts it off and he goes, 麻豆精品 S楾hese are the four things that are my pillars: innovation, creativity, disruption and taking risks, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� DeSalvo recalls. 麻豆精品 S淎nd I immediately think, is he talking about himself or UCF? 麻豆精品 S�
Being 麻豆精品 S渂old 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S渋nnovative 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S渄isruptive 麻豆精品 S� might just sound like hot buzz words for brands to adopt in 2023. But in UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 case, it 麻豆精品 S檚 authentic. The Knights actually are all of these adjectives because they 麻豆精品 S檝e had to be.
Without the resources of longer-established universities 麻豆精品 S� University of Florida was founded in 1853, UCF in 1963 麻豆精品 S�
Without a longstanding history of fandom and donor support 麻豆精品 S� University of Texas 麻豆精品 S� alumni association was organized in 1885. UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 in 1975 麻豆精品 S�
Without decades of nationally televised games and promotional broadcasts 麻豆精品 S� Ohio State has hosted ESPN 麻豆精品 S檚 College GameDay a record 22 times, UCF once 麻豆精品 S�
UCF has had to strategically rely on its youth to find ways to break through the noise in a state that boasts three other Power 5 institutions.
Enter: The benefit of big and the power of social media.
Building a Brand
Established in 1963, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 meteoric rise to the Big 12 Conference makes it the youngest Power 5 institution in the country.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a modern athletic department. I think it 麻豆精品 S檚 the future of higher education. It 麻豆精品 S檚 the future of college sports, 麻豆精品 S� says Zack Lassiter, vice president of athletics for Abilene Christian University who served as UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 麻豆精品 S痵enior associate athletic director of external operations from 2012-15.
But it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 always necessarily this way.
DeSalvo knows UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 brand arguably better than anyone. The son of UCF graduate Joe DeSalvo 麻豆精品 S�75, he grew up going to UCF games in the mid-1990s at the Citrus Bowl and went on to graduate from UCF himself. He has worked for the athletic department since 2011 麻豆精品 S� first in communications before he transitioned to what is now known as the #content department in 2013.
He says in his youth, he would have described UCF as having 麻豆精品 S渁 lot of potential 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S渙n the brink. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淔or a long time, UCF was 麻豆精品 S淯C-If 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� If we only didn 麻豆精品 S檛 get a phantom holding call against Georgia. If we didn 麻豆精品 S檛 miss the extra point here. And there were so many of those games across all sports that you were like, you 麻豆精品 S檙e right there 麻豆精品 S� if only, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut you saw the potential. You were definitely on the cusp. 麻豆精品 S�
On3 National College Football host Andy Staples, who moved to Central Florida as a middle schooler and graduated from Lake Mary High School, echoes the same sentiments.
麻豆精品 S淵ou didn 麻豆精品 S檛 think of UCF in the same way you would have thought of Miami or Florida State or Florida, 麻豆精品 S� Staples says. 麻豆精品 S淵ou 麻豆精品 S檇 go to the campus and you didn 麻豆精品 S檛 see a lot of UCF gear. It didn 麻豆精品 S檛 feel like a destination-type campus. We went there a lot for science fairs or somebody would be having their graduation at the arena 麻豆精品 S� it didn 麻豆精品 S檛 feel as much like a place that people say, 麻豆精品 S業 grow up wanting to go to UCF, 麻豆精品 S� or 麻豆精品 S業 麻豆精品 S檝e been a UCF fan my whole life. 麻豆精品 S� You just never would expect anybody to say that back in the 麻豆精品 S�90s. Watching it change over the decades has been pretty amazing. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S業 麻豆精品 S檝e been a UCF fan my whole life. 麻豆精品 S� You just never would expect anybody to say that back in the 麻豆精品 S�90s. Watching it change over the decades has been pretty amazing. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Andy Staples, On3 National College Football host
When former Athletic Director Todd Stansbury recruited Lassiter to join UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 athletic department in 2012, the west coast native didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have much familiarity with UCF.
Lassiter made it a point to ask a lot of questions and listen to campus counterparts, young alumni and students to gain a better understanding of how the university had gotten to where it was so quickly.
麻豆精品 S淲e were young, but we were big, and so in that sense you could tell that, that was something that we could probably do better than anyone else, 麻豆精品 S� Lassiter says.
Indeed, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 enrollment in 2012 just tipped 60,000. Today it 麻豆精品 S檚 more than 68,000. The university confers more than 18,000 degrees annually, and its alumni base clocks in at more than 368,000 麻豆精品 S� nearly half of which still live in Central Florida.
Perhaps the most important stat is that the average alumni age is 42 years old. So, by the time that Lassiter joined the fold, social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter, founded in 2006) and Instagram (founded in 2010) were starting to really take off in the sports world and UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 biggest fan base was very active on social media.
It was the perfect combination.
麻豆精品 S淧erception is reality. And if you feel like you 麻豆精品 S檙e getting hit up by a bunch of UCF fans on Twitter, their reality is you are because the numbers are there between our enrollment and alumni, 麻豆精品 S� DeSalvo says. 麻豆精品 S淥ur fanbase can celebrate the big moments with big numbers. They can pile on to somebody who shows some disrespect. They can win a Twitter poll like no other. By always showing up, they 麻豆精品 S檝e backed up what is on paper. 麻豆精品 S�
So, the department decided to lean into social to stand out. UCF Athletics hired a full-time social media manager, Keal Blache 麻豆精品 S�11, who served a short stint. When he vacated the position in 2013, Lassiter approached DeSalvo about the opening because of DeSalvo 麻豆精品 S檚 penchant for being creative with the social accounts in his role at the time as the communications contact for the volleyball and baseball teams.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檒l never forget 麻豆精品 S� I think I 麻豆精品 S檓 at (former UCF basketball player and athletics staff member) Mike O 麻豆精品 S橠onnell 麻豆精品 S檚 wedding. And Todd Stansbury 麻豆精品 S檚 there and he goes, 麻豆精品 S楬ey you 麻豆精品 S檙e moving over to the social role, right? 麻豆精品 S� I 麻豆精品 S檓 like, 麻豆精品 S榊eah. 麻豆精品 S� He goes, 麻豆精品 S楢lright. Push the envelope. 麻豆精品 S� OK. Todd is telling me to push the envelope. I 麻豆精品 S檒l do my best.
麻豆精品 S淚 can thank Blake Bortles and Storm Johnson and J.J. Worton 麻豆精品 S�14 and Terrance Plummer 麻豆精品 S�21 and that crew for helping me push the envelope because there 麻豆精品 S檚 no greater year one than going to the . 麻豆精品 S�
In the last decade, UCF has had three athletic directors 麻豆精品 S� all of whom DeSalvo says have continued to buy-into the 麻豆精品 S減ush the envelope 麻豆精品 S� mentality 麻豆精品 S� four football head coaches and four university presidential leadership transitions. But the same voice on social media, which has benefitted UCF immensely.
麻豆精品 S淚f there is somebody better at what Eric has done and what he has built, I haven 麻豆精品 S檛 met him. And there were a lot of other talented people that were a part of that. But I think what made him so great is he believed it, 麻豆精品 S� Lassiter says. 麻豆精品 S淗e could do it in a way that could connect, and a lot of our folks loved that it was a UCF person doing this. That 麻豆精品 S檚 the authenticity of what social can be at its best 麻豆精品 S� how do you become yourself in a way that galvanizes and gets people excited? He ran with it in ways that I hope 50 years from now if there 麻豆精品 S檚 a story about who were those individuals that played a part of that, I think Eric deserves a ton of credit for what he did. I think he had a lot of really talented people around him, and he was given kind of the keys to the kingdom so to speak, and we took off. 麻豆精品 S�
Those talented people are who DeSalvo credits for the team’s ability to not only stay relevant but maintain UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 status as one of the best brands to follow.
麻豆精品 S淭he staff is key. I can’t have all the ideas. The ideas can come from anyone 麻豆精品 S� from the AD (athletics director) to the interns, and many have over the years, 麻豆精品 S� DeSalvo says. 麻豆精品 S淲e also have a work environment to where it 麻豆精品 S檚 loose, but they are well aware of who our brand is. I always say, ‘There 麻豆精品 S檚 no bad ideas.’ I also get to say, ‘We don 麻豆精品 S檛 say no around here a whole bunch.’ If it 麻豆精品 S檚 trending and there 麻豆精品 S檚 a way we can insert UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 brand into this conversation and it makes sense, let 麻豆精品 S檚 do it.”
The Tweets That Made Us
Nicole Auerbach, The Athletic Senior Writer: Not everyone realized this as early as UCF, where social media is about fun. It 麻豆精品 S檚 about engaging and having fun, maybe going viral. But it 麻豆精品 S檚 about doing things that are different and not just having no personality. They always had personality, and I think that was immediately embraced by the fan base that was very online and very ready to engage on any topic.
Eric DeSalvo: The tweet was on a whim. I 麻豆精品 S檓 with (former Associate Athletics Director for Strategic Communications) Dan Forcella and I drafted it before the playoff selection show had gotten to it. We were wanting it to be Bama. And it happens, and I hit send. It really put us out there. It 麻豆精品 S檚 my favorite tweet I 麻豆精品 S檝e gotten to send.
Eric DeSalvo: That was designed by (former graphic designer) Channing Curtis. We kept seeing the Elmo version, and I asked him, 麻豆精品 S淗ey can you just put Knightro in his place? 麻豆精品 S� The first time we ever got to use it 麻豆精品 S� he made it that day 麻豆精品 S� we cracked the top 10 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Andy Staples: I use Knightro gifs pretty frequently. I think Knightro with flames behind him is a very effective way of getting your point across. Those folks are very online. They 麻豆精品 S檙e very savvy. They know how to get our attention in the media, and they know how to keep the discussion going. They will defend UCF tooth and nail. They will not let you get away with slandering UCF in any way, shape or form. Which I appreciate. And there are other fan bases that are like that. But [UCF] seems to be a little more in on the joke than some of the others. The more established fanbases, you get people who are just mad at you. UCF Twitter, they know what they 麻豆精品 S檙e doing. And they know they know what they 麻豆精品 S檙e doing.
Eric DeSalvo: I wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 at that game 麻豆精品 S� I was at my mother-in-law 麻豆精品 S檚. But the game was on ESPN3. You could actually rewind, thankfully. He catches that ball. I 麻豆精品 S檓 losing my mind.
That was the No. 1 Vine for us for a long time. That one was getting so much national play.
That 麻豆精品 S檚 up there because it was so iconic.
DeSalvo: I joke that my iPhone that shot Danny White saying 麻豆精品 S渘ational champs, undefeated 麻豆精品 S� should go to the (UCF Athletics) Hall of Fame.
Nobody knew Danny was going to say that. We had a plan in place where we would continue to challenge the CFP. That 麻豆精品 S檚 what we were doing and needed to do for our team. (Senior Executive Associate Athletics Director of Brand Advancement and Chief Branding Officer) Jimmy Skiles took precedent from when he saw the year Auburn wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 in the national championship game and were undefeated 麻豆精品 S� they had national championship rings made for their team. It was on the front cover of Sports Illustrated. And he remembered it. If they could do that back then, why can 麻豆精品 S檛 we?
So, we crafted messaging for like “undefeated champions.” We didn 麻豆精品 S檛 straight up say national champions. (Former graphic designer) Chris Stoney made some motion graphics, “13-0. Only undefeated team, who 麻豆精品 S檚 next?”
We knew if we didn 麻豆精品 S檛 do anything by the time our game ended and the playoff game started that day, we would be kind of irrelevant in the grand scheme of games. It would be a nice win and move on.
People should know Danny looking into my phone wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 anything new. I kind of conditioned him to do that, especially at road wins. I would go live at Facebook right as the clock would hit zero to take fans behind the scenes. A lot of the time we 麻豆精品 S檇 be walking by Danny as we went to the locker room. So, it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 anything new for him to see my phone get shoved in his face.
He just quickly says those magic words. Oh boy. Here we go.
Andy Staples: Don 麻豆精品 S檛 run afoul of UCF Twitter. That 麻豆精品 S檚 all I got to say. This is a very passionate, very aggressive online fan base. Which listen that will fit right in (the Big 12). The good thing about UCF is that passion will match with Kansas State and Oklahoma State and Iowa State 麻豆精品 S� they are extraordinarily passionate people. They really love their teams. These are groups that will really appreciate one another.
Charging On
As social media has served as one of the tools to help define UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 brand over the years, one constant has been the Knights 麻豆精品 S� ability to rise up, to band together, to believe in its potential 麻豆精品 S� to Charge On.
As a rallying cry, Charge On was introduced during the Stansbury and Lassiter era.
“It wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 as though there was one calling card that really captured the energy or the belief of a UCF fan 麻豆精品 S� like 麻豆精品 S楪o Knights! 麻豆精品 S� was something to where, well how many other Knights are there in college athletics?” Lassiter says. “And I remember thinking that in social media hashtags were really important. What is that we can do?”
麻豆精品 S淥bviously a decade later it 麻豆精品 S檚 become something that I feel is the perfect, simple way to describe who UCF is. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Zack Lassiter, UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 麻豆精品 S痵enior associate athletic director of external operations from 2012-15.
And then Charge On surfaced. Lassiter recalls the idea came from an alum, who suggested it because the phrase is part of the lyrics in UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 fight song.
麻豆精品 S淲hen the idea was proposed, it seemed to make too much sense, 麻豆精品 S� Lassiter says. 麻豆精品 S淭his describes who we are. There 麻豆精品 S檚 a great history behind it. It 麻豆精品 S檚 incredibly nimble and flexible in how you can apply it certain ways. 麻豆精品 S�
So, Lassiter conducted an experiment. He walked around UCF Athletics 麻豆精品 S� main administration buildings and starting using the term without explanation to elicit genuine reactions from the staffers.
麻豆精品 S淣obody could figure out a way to say why that wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 work, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淥bviously a decade later it 麻豆精品 S檚 become something that I feel is the perfect, simple way to describe who UCF is. 麻豆精品 S�
There is still so much of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 story to be written. More traditions to carve out. More pushing the envelope unapologetically.
And what makes DeSalvo and the rest of the gatekeepers of the brand excited about the next chapter is the union with the renegades of the Big 12.
麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e finally in a league that is exactly where we should be 麻豆精品 S� its identity is completely us, 麻豆精品 S� DeSalvo says. 麻豆精品 S淣ot only do we get to do this stuff here and try to do it as big as possible, now we have the backing of a Power 5 league that is going to help just throw gasoline on the fire and get it out there further.”
