What makes a conference rival? Sometimes it’s geography. Sometimes it’s similarities. Sometimes it 麻豆精品 S檚 on-field success and unforgettable finishes.

As UCF has grown from its humble beginnings as a Division III program in the 1979 to joining the Big 12 this year, so too has its fiercest rivalries evolved.

War on I-4

The UCF-South Florida rivalry has been the standard for the last decade.

Two proud Central Florida institutions, 100 miles apart, thrown together in the American Athletic Conference 麻豆精品 S攚ith no other leagues foes this side of East Carolina.

The record book says the programs began competing in a 1971 baseball game between the Florida Tech Knights of the Pegasus and the South Florida Golden Brahmans. South Florida prevailed 5-1.

The schools first met in men 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball in 1972.聽 Alum and longtime season ticket holder Joe DeSalvo 麻豆精品 S�75, former Florida Times-Union sports editor, remembers a home-opening game in 1974-75 (won 75-74 by UCF) played at Winter Park High School.

While the War on I-4 rivalry was officially established in 2016 across all sports between the programs, ABC and ESPN helped cement the status of the football rivalry three years earlier by making it a regular Black Friday nationally televised event to end the regular season.

Though the teams have played only 14 times overall (and never until 2005 when it was Big East vs. Conference USA), their football meetings have produced notable fireworks 麻豆精品 S� most recently in 2022 when a favored UCF squad needed a highlight-reel end-zone grab by tight end Alec Holler to ensure a spot in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship Game a week later.

There have been other headline-making contests 麻豆精品 S� a 49-42 Knight home win in 2017 that finished off a perfect regular season, then a crazy 58-46 UCF victory in Tampa in 2020 that featured 646 yards by the Knights and 577 by South Florida.

麻豆精品 S淭he great thing about the South Florida situation is that it was a rivalry for many years even when the two teams did not play, 麻豆精品 S� says longtime UCF radio play-by play voice Marc Daniels. 麻豆精品 S淯CF had a very young program 麻豆精品 S� and then South Florida announced it was starting a program. The thought was, 麻豆精品 S楧oes UCF want to play them? 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淏ut it 麻豆精品 S檚 a game that should have been played.

麻豆精品 S淏y the time it happened in 2005, (head coach) Jim Leavitt had South Florida rolling. The 2007 game wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 close (64-12 in favor of South Florida). It began as a four-game series, South Florida won all four 麻豆精品 S� and they had their 麻豆精品 S榃e 麻豆精品 S檙e No. 2 in the country 麻豆精品 S� moment in 2007.

麻豆精品 S淏ut there was no guarantee the teams were going to play again after that until UCF joined the American in 2013. 麻豆精品 S�

In fact, AAC commissioner Mike Aresco talked often about the need for his league to build more interest via rivalries 麻豆精品 S攁nd used the UCF-South Florida version as the conference 麻豆精品 S檚 best example. UCF took home the inaugural War on I-4 trophy in the all-sports competition and its never left Orlando since.

UCF in 2023 has moved into the Big 12 Conference, and there currently are no more football meetings between the Knights and Bulls on the books. Any future games in any sport will be of the non-conference variety.

Before the War

There was a meaningful rivalry with Stetson in basketball and baseball 麻豆精品 S� two of 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 earliest sports established 麻豆精品 S� because of the proximity of the schools. The Rollins and Florida Southern series (in the Sunshine State Conference starting in 1975-76) flourished in the 麻豆精品 S�70s and 麻豆精品 S�80s when Torchy Clark was the UCF men 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball coach.

麻豆精品 S淩emember, in Florida at that time, there was no one (in pro sports) except the (Miami) Dolphins and (Tampa Bay) Bucs 麻豆精品 S� no hockey, no baseball, no Orlando Magic, and no UCF football until 1979.

麻豆精品 S淭orchy had a competitive basketball team 麻豆精品 S� and when they would play Rollins in the Winter Park High School gym (in 1976) it was the biggest sporting event in Orlando, 麻豆精品 S� Daniels says.

Knight fans have seen plenty of football shifts 麻豆精品 S� based on UCF beginning as an NCAA Division III program in 1979, elevating to Division II (1982), FCS (1990), FBS (1996), the Mid-American Conference (2002), Conference USA (2005), the AAC (2013) and now the Big 12 (2023). That doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 count the handful of other conferences other Knight teams participated in.

Considering Daniels has called every Knight football game since 1995 (the Daunte Culpepper days), the broadcaster and voice of the Knights knows a little something about which opponents over the years have fired up UCF fans:

麻豆精品 S淎s UCF went through its Division II and I-AA years, people talked about Bethune-Cookman as a rival because of the geographics, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淵oungstown State is often mentioned just because of the history of a (1993) playoff game in the snow. 麻豆精品 S�

In DeSalvo 麻豆精品 S檚 view, the football aspect started in 1979: 麻豆精品 S淚 went to that first game 麻豆精品 S� we played St. Leo right out of the gate. It was only the two games those first two seasons, but that made it a rivalry.

麻豆精品 S淎nd in those really early years Valdosta State (eight games from 1982-94) was a rival for us 麻豆精品 S� and Georgia Southern (11 games from 1982-91). Those were the better programs we were challenging back then. Southern Miss (UCF dropped six of eight meetings between 2005-12) was always a tough game in Conference USA.

麻豆精品 S淓verybody wanted to beat UCF. We seemed to have a big target on our back. Maybe it was partly because we were a big school from a big city. In their minds, we were the city slickers from Disney World.

麻豆精品 S淚t made it more of a challenge, but history shows we were up for it. 麻豆精品 S�

Rivalries with Longevity

Veteran Knight fans talk about the days when games against Tulsa (three of the teams 麻豆精品 S� meetings have been C-USA title games 麻豆精品 S攊n 2005, 2007, 2012) and East Carolina qualified as red-letter calendar dates.

The Tulsa rivalry was fueled by four straight Golden Hurricane wins (2015-16-19-20). The Knights have played more football games (21) against East Carolina than any other opponent and own more triumphs over Memphis (15) than any other foe.

And Daniels is quick to point out, don 麻豆精品 S檛 forget about Marshall 麻豆精品 S� and old foe from the MAC who went on the ride along with UCF to C-USA.

麻豆精品 S淚n my mind, Marshall was the first big rivalry because of how it happened, 麻豆精品 S� Daniels says. 麻豆精品 S淯CF went from independent to the MAC. Marshall made the move from dominating in I-AA to the MAC and they were having success.

麻豆精品 S淭hat leads to the first time we played which was 2002. UCF had played at Arizona State two weeks before and (quarterback) Ryan Schneider injured his ribs. After a bye week we went up to play Marshall and (quarterback) Byron Leftwich and they were just ready for us. It was as if they were saying, 麻豆精品 S榃ho is this new kid on the block from Florida? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

Marshall won 26-21, but the Knights earned some respect, in part due to Schneider 麻豆精品 S檚 warrior-like approach. UCF actually had the ball at the end on Marshall 麻豆精品 S檚 side of the field until the drive stalled. Marshall won the first three games of the series.

麻豆精品 S淭hat brought us to 2005 and UCF had a 17-game losing streak, the longest in the country, including all of George O 麻豆精品 S橪eary 麻豆精品 S檚 first year (2004), 麻豆精品 S� Daniels says.

UCF beat Marshall 23-13 麻豆精品 S� and Knight Nation tore the goalposts down in the old Citrus Bowl.

麻豆精品 S淔ast-forward into a series that had been owned by Marshall and that UCF then began to dominate, 麻豆精品 S� Daniels says. 麻豆精品 S淭he two teams played in the Gasparilla Bowl after the 2019 season, and that brought back a lot of memories. There were good things about the Marshall series as far as turning UCF fortunes around 麻豆精品 S� and that made it special for Knight fans. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淭here were certain schools you had to get up for 麻豆精品 S攜ou had to win that game. Marshall became one of those, 麻豆精品 S� DeSalvo says.

Memphis is next on the list and extended beyond football.

Keith Clanton led the UCF men 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball team to its first win over Memphis, 68-67, in 2012 in front of the then-fifth largest crowd in school history 麻豆精品 S� who rushed the court to celebrate the milestone. In women 麻豆精品 S檚 soccer, UCF and Memphis appeared regularly atop the C-USA standings 麻豆精品 S� and the Knights headed into the AAC with momentum by shutting out Memphis in the 2012 C-USA tournament en route to its first C-USA tournament title. The teams 麻豆精品 S� series evened out, 6-6, during their AAC era.

In football, the Tigers beat UCF back in 1990 and then the Knights won 13 straight. The 2005 UCF victory (38-17) saw All-America UCF running back Kevin Smith (164 yards) outrush DeAngelo Williams (136) when Williams was the leading rusher in the country.

Adds Daniels, 麻豆精品 S淭hat game was noteworthy because at that time UCF didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have all that many wins over name programs. 麻豆精品 S�

In 2013 there was the UCF kickoff with the game tied and less than two minutes to go 麻豆精品 S攔esulting in a big hit and forced fumble by the Knights 麻豆精品 S� William Stanback. Drico Johnson picked it up and scored 麻豆精品 S攁nd UCF won 24-17.

The teams played four times combined in 2017 and 2018, though the regular-season meeting in 2017 almost didn 麻豆精品 S檛 happen because of a hurricane. The conference title game in 2017 was a 62-55 UCF double overtime win that pushed the Knights to 12-0. McKenzie Milton threw for 494 yards and five touchdowns in the highest-scoring FBS conference title game in history (including 1,479 combined total yards). At one point in the first half, Milton completed 15 consecutive passes for 266 yards and three TDs.

Then in 2018, UCF was down 16 on the road in the rain and came back to win 31-30 麻豆精品 S攑artly via a fourth-and-one TD play (a 71-yard run by Taj McGowan). UCF backup quarterback Darriel Mack did the job in the 2018 AAC title game with 348 passing yards and four rushing TDs–after Milton had been hurt the week before.

麻豆精品 S淭hose were four incredible games. In fact, there was another one, that UCF lost 50-49 in 2020 after gaining 798 yards, that was an incredible football game as well, 麻豆精品 S� Daniels says.

Daniels puts Cincinnati on the rivalry list with South Florida, Marshall and Memphis 麻豆精品 S� and says he will never forget the 2015 game versus the Bearcats.

麻豆精品 S淯CF lost 52-7 in the winless season, 麻豆精品 S� he says, 麻豆精品 S渢hen turned around and beat them in Scott Frost 麻豆精品 S檚 first year in 2016. The ESPN College GameDay meeting in prime time in 2018 was an amazing week in so many ways as far as overall branding for the football program and for UCF in general. 麻豆精品 S�

Cincinnati claimed three straight versus UCF (2019-20-21), making the Knights 麻豆精品 S� comeback victory over the Bearcats in 2022 all the more satisfying (and coming against a CFP qualifier from the 2021 season). UCF fans and national college football writers (Andy Staples, Andrea Adelson) believe the impact of the Knights 麻豆精品 S� 2017-18 25-game unbeaten streak paved the way for Cincinnati 麻豆精品 S檚 CFP breakthrough in that 麻豆精品 S�21 season.

UCF and Cincinnati have been responsible for four of five AAC football titles from 2017 through 2021.

And now the story will continue as both programs head to the Big 12.

Who’s Next?

So, where can UCF partisans direct their enthusiasm in this expanding new league?

Cincinnati may be the frontrunner, but what about Houston, where SpaceU takes on Space City? Maybe former independent BYU, part of the quartet that became Big 12 members July 1?

How will Knight Nation react to conference assignments against Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Baylor, West Virginia, Texas Tech and TCU? (Given the move of Oklahoma and Texas to the Southeastern Conference beginning in 2024, exclude that duo.)

What about the most recent Big 12 additions 麻豆精品 S� Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah?

麻豆精品 S淚 think rivalries are really healthy, 麻豆精品 S� says DeSalvo, 麻豆精品 S渁nd it 麻豆精品 S檒l be interesting to see how they develop in the Big 12.

麻豆精品 S淢aybe Cincinnati? At least recently they were always in the way 麻豆精品 S� it came down to that game.

麻豆精品 S淢aybe West Virginia. Maybe Houston. Maybe even Baylor, just based on that Fiesta Bowl game 10 years ago.

麻豆精品 S淎nd we have a history with Cincinnati and Houston 麻豆精品 S� and they have a history with us.

麻豆精品 S淥f the schools from the AAC, there will be a little bit of competition to see who is going to do better in the Big 12. 麻豆精品 S�

UCF recently recorded its first victory in its first outing as a Big 12 member in a 1-0 women 麻豆精品 S檚 soccer road win at Purdue.

There will be many more opportunities to come.

Check back in five years 麻豆精品 S� and see how the rivalry debate unfolded.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 going to be fun, 麻豆精品 S� DeSalvo says.

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 鲍颁贵 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. 鲍颁贵 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, 鲍颁贵 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 鲍颁贵 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 鲍颁贵 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斅� 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 鲍颁贵 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, 鲍颁贵 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 鲍颁贵 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聽 麻豆精品 S�14 听补苍诲 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 鲍颁贵 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 鲍颁贵 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聽Auburn wasn 麻豆精品 S檛聽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 鲍颁贵 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, 鲍颁贵 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 鲍颁贵 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 鲍颁贵 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.”

In the spring of 1980, Linda Gooch 麻豆精品 S�85 became a member of the UCF cheer team. In August 1984 she was officially hired as the program 麻豆精品 S檚 head coach (the 2023 football season marks her 40th with the Knights) and a decade later the squad began competing for national titles. Since then they 麻豆精品 S檝e been routine high finishers in national competitions, claiming Universal Cheerleaders Association national titles in 2003, 2007 and 2020 and a UCA game day national title in 2019. In addition, Gooch 麻豆精品 S� now the longest-tenured employee in UCF Athletics 麻豆精品 S� has been a key figure in the creation of mascot Knightro and the KnightMoves dance team. Her husband Alan Gooch 麻豆精品 S�84 麻豆精品 S�89MA played football at UCF and then coached football with the Knights for 22 years. Both are members of the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame.

This is Gooch 麻豆精品 S檚 story on how the cheer program over the decades helped 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 rise to national notoriety.

I started coaching UCF cheer in 1984 麻豆精品 S� at the same time I was teaching eighth-grade history. I would teach school during the day and drive straight to campus and coach the team in the evening. Back then, to qualify for the national championship schools would send in videotapes of their teams performing stunts and pyramids. From those entry tapes, the top 10 teams in each division were invited to compete for the title. This is the 1980s and with no internet or social media. We were pretty isolated. We had no real idea what skills other teams were including in their videos. All we knew was what we saw see at summer cheerleading camp. This was a time of incredible growth for cheerleading. This was on the heels of Olympic gymnasts Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci 麻豆精品 S� and you had all these little girls who had watched them.

The popularity of gymnastics exploded in the US during the 麻豆精品 S�70s, but there just weren 麻豆精品 S檛 enough qualified coaches. As high school programs, like mine, closed down many girls 麻豆精品 S� took their acrobatic skills to cheerleading. What had begun as a sideline activity developed into a kind of alternative gymnastics. I was on the cusp of all of that.

During my first 10 years of coaching from 1984 to 1994 we submitted video entry tapes every year but kept receiving rejection letters. If you were close to being selected, you received not just a letter but a plaque. When you walk into my office today, on a shelf I have four of the rejection plaques. I keep those up there to remind me that nothing happens overnight, and you just have to stay at it. All those sayings about perseverance are really true. You just keep working and you 麻豆精品 S檒l break through at some point.

In 1994 there was no rejection letter. I finally got a congratulations phone call. We had qualified for nationals. I was so pumped. I immediately called our Athletic Director Steve Sloan. I said, 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e got good news and bad news. The good news is that after 10 years of trying we have finally qualified to compete for the Division I-AA national championship. 麻豆精品 S� He went on and on congratulating us. I said, 麻豆精品 S淭he bad news is the competition is in San Diego, California, and I need $10,000 to get our team out there. 麻豆精品 S� There was a long pause. Back in 1994 $10,000 might as well have been $100,000. He said, 麻豆精品 S淲ell, we 麻豆精品 S檙e going to have to find a way to get you out there. 麻豆精品 S� Student Government came up with $3,000, our cheerleaders fundraised and came up with $3,000, the alumni association gave us $3,000 and UCF Athletics made up the difference.

That first year we learned a great lesson about how video works. In the 麻豆精品 S�90s the college cheerleading national championship was aired (taped delay) on ESPN. We would record the show and watch it repeatedly during all those years when we were getting the rejection letters. The teams just seemed so incredible. So flawless in their performances. What we did not know was that back then the TV show edited out all the falls. I thought everybody hit their routines perfectly.

My thought heading out to San Diego was, 麻豆精品 S淲e just don 麻豆精品 S檛 want to embarrass ourselves. 麻豆精品 S� I figured, it 麻豆精品 S檚 our first year competing, let 麻豆精品 S檚 just keep everything in the air, so I gave our team a routine that I knew we could hit. Well we nailed it and came in a very close second to Morehead State University (in 1994). We came back to the Orlando airport and the (UCF marching) band met us at the gate. They were playing the fight song as we came off the plane and it was awesome.

We never looked back. In 1996 we moved into Division I-A along with our football team; in 1999 we finished in the top three; in 2002 we were runner up; and in 2003 we won the title. That 2003 championship truly was a David and Goliath situation because the University of Kentucky had won eight consecutive national championships. There were two generations of college cheerleaders who had never known another champion. For UCF to come in and do that was absolutely magical. Showing it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 a fluke, we came back and won it again in 2007 and at that point UCF Athletics was really taking off. We had opened our on-campus football stadium that year with the Texas game.

There have been some incredible moments that mark milestones for the program. In the Troy State playoff game (1987) as a coach it was incredibly gratifying to get the noise penalty. After all that 麻豆精品 S檚 what every cheerleading coach should aspire to 麻豆精品 S� having it that loud. I remember the officials walking over to (then head coach) Gene McDowell and saying, 麻豆精品 S淐oach, you 麻豆精品 S檙e going to need to get on the PA and tell the fans to quiet down so we can get the ball snapped. 麻豆精品 S� And he replied, 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檒l take the penalty. 麻豆精品 S� It was great. I have one of those penalty flags framed in my office 麻豆精品 S� as a badge of honor. Winning the first cheer championship (2003) and having our own documentary on WE TV after we won our second title in 2007 certainly elevated our national profile and traveling to Paris in 2013 to represent the USA in the European Open Championship put us on a world stage.

In the world of cheerleading people had stopped asking 麻豆精品 S淲here is UCF anyways? 麻豆精品 S� They knew who we were.

One of the most gratifying moments for me was ESPN 麻豆精品 S檚 College GameDay coming to campus in 2018. Lee Corso has a tradition of putting on the mascot head for whatever team he is going to pick to win. Coach Corso called me (earlier in the week) and said 麻豆精品 S淟inda, this is going to be epic. I 麻豆精品 S檓 going to put the whole knight costume on. 麻豆精品 S� We knew that this could possibly be one of the most iconic video shots in all of College GameDay; something that would be played and replayed on the show for years to come. We had 90 seconds during the commercial to get Lee Corso into our Knightro costume. We pulled it off and Coach was right 麻豆精品 S� it was epic.

The GameDay experience was a chance to raise the curtain. They give you five days 麻豆精品 S� notice if you are selected to host the show. If your spirit program isn 麻豆精品 S檛 doing a great job at your games and you haven 麻豆精品 S檛 created great traditions and a great game day experience for your fans, the no amount of magic is going to happen in those five days to get you ready. Fortunately, at UCF we had been preparing for this moment for most of my adult life. Now it was just a matter of raising the curtain and showing the world what we have going on at UCF.

We always said it does not matter what you 麻豆精品 S檙e doing at UCF; just try to be the best at what you do. We are an aircraft carrier of a university. Positioned in Orlando, Florida, right in the middle of the state, it was our geographic birthright to be competitive at whatever we applied ourselves to. Athletics is just one of those areas where we are going to excel. We knew it was just a matter of time when all of our sports would eventually be competing on a national stage. Our goal was to make sure our spirit program was ready when that happened.

When people ask about the organization of the spirit program, I tell them it 麻豆精品 S檚 like a football team. You have the offense and the defense and the special teams. Cheerleading is the offense; the dance team is the defense, and the mascot program is the special teams. We 麻豆精品 S檙e all part of one big team totaling 70-80 people and we work very hard to be unified.

In terms of mascots, in about 1986 or 1987 a yellow dragon first appeared on our sideline and that was Puff. Puff looked a little like a bumblebee, and it had black dragon chest stripes. Then came Mack the Knight, who was sort of a cross between an astronaut and a knight. He had googly eyes and a football body.

In 1994 the athletic department decided that we needed to create a real animated mascot and asked if I would manage that aspect of the program. Trey Gordon had been a cheerleader and went on to work in student government. Trey took an interest in this project and I suggested he get some drawings done. He went to Metropolis Graphics in Winter Park and the committee loved the initial drawings. We had the costume made and Knightro I was born. Knightro II was similar but had a plastic face kind of like a doll. When it needed to be remade again, someone suggested the costume needed more sparkle so we had a vendor out at Disney create Knightro III (aka Glitter Knightro). All that glitter was heavy and 麻豆精品 S淕litter Knightro 麻豆精品 S� weighed 50 pounds, making game days in Florida particularly rough. In 2007 we redesigned the costume again and that brought us our beloved Knightro IV costume that we have today.

The KnightMoves dance team kind of grew organically. We already had Starlet Knights, which were the auxiliaries of the marching band 麻豆精品 S� flag-bearers, baton twirlers and a dance team. The dance team wanted to participate at basketball games and we tried that. It made sense for athletics to govern that group, and so they asked me to take on that assignment, too. Our dance team began just with basketball and but as we moved to the on-campus stadium we decided to bring the dance team down on the football sideline as well. They have been a wonderful addition.

I get asked a lot, 麻豆精品 S淲hat does it take to win at the highest level? 麻豆精品 S� To win the championship you 麻豆精品 S檝e got to keep everything in the air and hit your routine. It 麻豆精品 S檚 two minutes and 30 seconds, and you have to be perfect. There is no do-over. It 麻豆精品 S檚 rarely about the most talented team. It 麻豆精品 S檚 really about who can hit their routine in that moment on that night under those lights and with all of that pressure. It 麻豆精品 S檚 not just preparing them physically, it 麻豆精品 S檚 preparing them mentally; coaching them to be at their best when their best is needed.

It’s so important to be open to change. Nothing stays the same 麻豆精品 S� strategies are always evolving. It 麻豆精品 S檚 the same for us. You can 麻豆精品 S檛 be stuck on how you 麻豆精品 S檝e always done things. This is something that I have always loved about our university.

Our UCF culture embraces being the disruptors. Change is our middle name. As a young university we 麻豆精品 S檝e had to be open to trying new things.

More than the championships and success, it 麻豆精品 S檚 my goal that members of our team leave with life skills. After college the ability to go out in the world and apply the discipline, structure and teamwork that they have learned from being a part of our team toward success in life. That is what our program is about. Learning to work together with people from different parts of the country and different backgrounds provides such an opportunity for growth. If you come in to UCF as a freshman and you 麻豆精品 S檝e lived in the same town all your life and you 麻豆精品 S檝e gone to the same schools, same church and been around the same friends growing up, then use college to spend time with someone different than you.

I 麻豆精品 S檝e had members of our team tell me, 麻豆精品 S淭his program has changed my life. If you can make it four years here in this program, you can do anything. 麻豆精品 S� I believe it is the camaraderie of a team environment and our emphasis on life skills that sets them up for success in life after college 麻豆精品 S� it is a launching pad to bigger and better things ahead. We have hit so many milestones and reached so many goals already and we are just getting started.

Big 12, here we come. Let 麻豆精品 S檚 Go Knights, Charge On.

In 2017 and 2018, the UCF football team rose to the height of popularity and disrupted the college football world with its 25-0 run that spanned 745 days. The accomplishment ranks among the NCAA Division I FBS 麻豆精品 S� top 25 longest winning streaks of all time, cemented UCF as a national brand and exposed access barriers to the College Football Playoff.

The following story is the most detailed account reported of the program 麻豆精品 S檚 success, told exclusively by those who lived it. Read part one here.

Andrea Adelson, 聽ESPN senior writer: I remember sitting down with Josh Heupel in the spring of 2018 because the questions that everybody wanted to know were, 麻豆精品 S淗ow are you going to keep this momentum up? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淲hat was built here, how do you keep going? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淵ou 麻豆精品 S檙e going to be changing schemes. You 麻豆精品 S檙e going to have a new defensive coordinator. A new staff. What are you going to do? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S淒oes that put pressure on you? 麻豆精品 S�

He said the most important thing he wanted to do that spring was learn from the players. Because the players had done it. And he had a lot of those players coming back.

Josh Heupel, 2018-2021 UCF football head coach: I think the success that the program had the year before I came in played a huge part in wanting to be a part of it. You had everything that you needed in a program to be successful. It felt like it was a unique place and time to be able to take over a program and have a chance to go win immediately.

It 麻豆精品 S檚 always important that your players feel that they have a say in the program to create buy-in from your players. The circumstances in the way that the staff and I were taking it over, it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 a typical year one. Knowing that we were going to fast forward coming off that season, the expectations were to go compete for a championship and play in a big-time bowl game. You 麻豆精品 S檝e got to do that really quickly.

For me, it was important that from the very jump they understood that a lot of the things they felt really strongly about that helped them be successful are things that we again can incorporate into our program as we continue to build it moving forward.

Some of those things were really small 麻豆精品 S� uniforms and how they travel. Some of those things were big as far as the buildup and what a Thursday and Friday looked like before you get to kickoff on Saturday afternoon. The last 48 hours, we really wanted to make them feel comfortable and feel like they were still in the same type of routine as they were getting themselves ready to play.

Andrea Adelson: I thought that was really smart of him because he didn 麻豆精品 S檛 come in here trying to destroy a foundation that was already built because he 麻豆精品 S檚 the new head coach and (say), 麻豆精品 S淣ow we 麻豆精品 S檙e going to do things my way. 麻豆精品 S�

McKenzie Milton 麻豆精品 S�19, 2016-18 starting quarterback: Coach Frost and coach Heup, they 麻豆精品 S檙e different guys. Different personalities. I think it was a challenge in our locker room initially to welcome him in with open arms.

Josh Heupel: Relationships and trust are built over time. When I took over, I said, 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 going to have to trust you guys and just kind of give you some (trust) without some of those experiences if we 麻豆精品 S檙e going to go be what we need to be as a football team when we get to next fall. You 麻豆精品 S檙e going to have to do that as well. 麻豆精品 S� Each phase of our off-season, they got more comfortable.

Marc Daniels, longtime UCF radio broadcaster: I believe we were penalized in the preseason rankings because we had a first-time coach in Josh Heupel. If Scott Frost came back in 2018, I believe we would have started in the top 10 and the same win streak happens, it would have been really hard to deny UCF a playoff spot in 2018. If you go back and look how the first few weeks of the season began, there 麻豆精品 S檚 a good chance UCF would have been in the top five before October. And I don 麻豆精品 S檛 know if they would have denied that. But they penalized UCF because Josh was a first-time coach. I think we started 21st in the preseason poll and didn 麻豆精品 S檛 get the same bounce to get up there.

Michael Colubiale 麻豆精品 S�17, 2013-18 tight end and special teams: Going into that year, we knew how good we were. I think everyone else knew how good we were, too. We were getting everyone 麻豆精品 S檚 best game. It was, 麻豆精品 S淥h, we got UCF this week, let 麻豆精品 S檚 put a big circle on it. 麻豆精品 S� Coming in and doing what we did versus UConn in a new system with a new coach kind of gave us a little more confidence going into the next games. We didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know what we were going to get. We were game planning for one style of defense and we 麻豆精品 S檇 come out and get a different style every single time. We had to adjust on the run, change our plays at halftime. It was definitely a grind.

This is where I feel like Heupel did a really good job. Our emphasis was 1-0 every week. We knew we won 13 straight, but Heupel, he beat it in our brains. I think I 麻豆精品 S檝e said it in 100 interviews: 麻豆精品 S淥ur focus is to go 1-0 this week. 麻豆精品 S� Heupel really did a great job of making the guys buy into that motto. That 麻豆精品 S檚 what I feel like got us through that season a lot.

Josh Heupel: There was so much noise surrounding our program in a positive way, and there was certainly high expectations outside of it. I thought it was important to get our players to really focus on the path of how you become successful and understand that it doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 just follow you. It doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 just happen. You 麻豆精品 S檝e got to go make it happen. In our off-season, really started focusing on our daily habits and how we approach every single day.

As we got into the fall, that really became a really important motto for our football team. I thought our players bought into it and actually worked in that manner every single day and every single week. That was a huge part of our success.

Marc Daniels: I don 麻豆精品 S檛 want to take anything away from 2017 but you go into 2018 and the pressure begins to mount when the win streak goes to 14 and to 15 and it moves down the line. Here 麻豆精品 S檚 Memphis again. And I remember everything about this. All of a sudden the clouds come in. All of a sudden it begins to rain.

Josh Heupel: It was probably the wettest day I 麻豆精品 S檝e ever experienced on a football field as a coach or as a player.

Marc Daniels: We 麻豆精品 S檙e getting run off the field. We can 麻豆精品 S檛 stop Darrell Henderson. He 麻豆精品 S檚 running for touchdowns. Missing tackles. The offense is just sitting there, and we 麻豆精品 S檙e not doing anything.

Michael Colubiale: 30-17 麻豆精品 S� Matt Wright 麻豆精品 S�18 just drained a field goal right before half. We 麻豆精品 S檙e going into the locker room. Dudes were not looking too optimistic. I remember running to the tunnel and just waiting for everyone and just trying to tell everyone we 麻豆精品 S檙e still in this fight, we 麻豆精品 S檙e still in this fight. We 麻豆精品 S檙e playing with a pretty much broken McKenzie Milton.

McKenzie Milton: I was battling a grade 4 separated shoulder. I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 practice the whole week coming off of SMU.

Eric DeSalvo ’09, assistant athletics director of #content: I 麻豆精品 S檒l never forget his shoulder after the SMU game. He took his pads off and I 麻豆精品 S檓 like 麻豆精品 S淥hhh! 麻豆精品 S� It was purple, yellow, blue.

Josh Heupel: I thought at halftime the ability of our leadership, Pat Jasinksi on the backside, Wyatt Miller 麻豆精品 S�18, McKenzie Milton, to be able to get up in front of (the team) and understand that there 麻豆精品 S檚 a lot of things that have been built, this was a pivotal moment for our program and the course of this season, our ability to compete for a championship 麻豆精品 S� which obviously a conference championship was the No. 1 goal that we had 麻豆精品 S� those guys as much as anything were able to reset the entire locker room, bring some real calm to it and refocus us as we went out. Understand it was one play at a time. We were good enough in all three phases to go out and execute and come back in this football game.

McKenzie Milton: We were struggling to get momentum, pouring rain. We had a pass play. I scrambled up the middle, made a guy miss.

Marc Daniels: It 麻豆精品 S檚 4^th-and-1 on your side of the field and you 麻豆精品 S檙e thinking, 麻豆精品 S淥K what are we going to do at the 29? 麻豆精品 S�

McKenzie Milton: I run to our sideline and I 麻豆精品 S檓 like looking at the (down and distance) and I 麻豆精品 S檓 like, 麻豆精品 S淐oach, we 麻豆精品 S檝e got to punt. 麻豆精品 S�

Josh Heupel: The clock was starting to move in the wrong direction on us in the second half. Felt like there were a limited number of opportunities. We 麻豆精品 S檙e in a short yardage situation.

McKenzie Milton: He 麻豆精品 S檚 looking at it, and he 麻豆精品 S檚 like, 麻豆精品 S淎lright, let 麻豆精品 S檚 go bone here. 麻豆精品 S�

Josh Heupel: It was an aggressive call but one that I felt like we had to go execute at that point in the football game. I also had great trust in our guys and our entire football team. But in particular the guys up front. Our five bigs, our tight ends and our skill guys being able to execute in that situation. KZ looked at me and had a question in his eyes. But it was the right moment in that situation for sure.

McKenzie Milton: We hardly go under center. I 麻豆精品 S檓 like, 麻豆精品 S淛ust don 麻豆精品 S檛 mess up this snap. Don 麻豆精品 S檛 fumble the snap. 麻豆精品 S� And when I did my part, handed it off, I 麻豆精品 S檓 like alright let 麻豆精品 S檚 see if this works out. At the time, I wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 sold on the call but luckily coach Heup, he had some big kahunas on that one. Trysten Hill made a great block, and Taj (McGowan 麻豆精品 S�19) was untouched to the end zone.

It was a huge momentum swing in the game and our season and, really, that was one of, if not the most defining play of that win streak.

Marc Daniels: You look back and you go, 麻豆精品 S淗ow in the world did UCF pull that out? 麻豆精品 S� And while we had more games, down 17 at Memphis in 2018 麻豆精品 S� that to me was the big (defining) moment.

McKenzie Milton: We gave everything in that game and we were able to be plus one. That 麻豆精品 S檚 a feeling I will never forget. The Peach Bowl was great, but it was also like a sense of relief, like 麻豆精品 S淥kay we didn 麻豆精品 S檛 blow it. 麻豆精品 S� But that one was all odds were against us and we found a way.

Eric DeSalvo: That was huge. But we still weren 麻豆精品 S檛 getting any respect for pulling out these wins. We 麻豆精品 S檝e never been one to shy away from stirring things up. Our administration saw an opportunity to do that by strategically sending staff members to sites of College GameDay (Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Pullman, Washington,) with UCF flags and signs to force the conversation.

And it 麻豆精品 S檚 clear that it 麻豆精品 S檚 becoming harder and harder to deny 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 relevance as the win streak continues, even if the pundits are downplaying the significance of the streak. So by the time we get to week 12 with Cincinnati and it 麻豆精品 S檚 a top-25 ranked matchup, we knew it was going to be very hard for College GameDay not to pick us. And yet, I think there was still a bit of shock that they actually did.

Michael Colubiale: That story of the 25-0 run had to have GameDay there, right? Seeing us as the center of a College GameDay was awesome. If you would have told me that in 2015, I would have said, 麻豆精品 S淎lright, get out of here. 麻豆精品 S� The whole build-up, finding out that Sunday with the coming to your city video they put out.

Josh Heupel: I remember driving home Friday after work and everything is getting set up. The amount of traffic on Thursday and Friday through our campus, you could feel the buzz on campus, but you could feel it in the city too. Big moments, big games are what as a competitor you love to be in. You could feel from our players the excitement and energy, but also the focus and preparation all week long. It was an unbelievable environment.

Marc Daniels: The night before (the Cincinnati game), I 麻豆精品 S檓 on campus. I go to interview Josh for a pregame interview. As I am coming into the office, Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, they 麻豆精品 S檙e leaving and it just kind of hits you like, they 麻豆精品 S檙e here doing this game.

Andrea Adelson: I just remember how many people were out. And all of the signs. And just the sheer joy. The sheer happiness of every single person who was there even though they probably were sleep deprived and had been lined up since the day before. It didn 麻豆精品 S檛 matter. GameDay was there.

I feel that it legitimized the program quite honestly. Because anytime you get that stamp of approval from GameDay when they 麻豆精品 S檝e never been there before, it says you 麻豆精品 S檝e made it. You 麻豆精品 S檙e big time. You 麻豆精品 S檙e important enough for us to come and travel to see you in person. And I 麻豆精品 S檓 not just saying that as somebody who works for ESPN 麻豆精品 S� I know there are several ACC schools who haven 麻豆精品 S檛 had GameDay who would LOVE GameDay to be there on their campus because it just adds that credibility to your program and to what you have built.

Linda Gooch 麻豆精品 S�85, UCF spirit coach and former cheerleader: (My husband) Alan (Gooch 麻豆精品 S�84 麻豆精品 S�89MA) and I have known Lee Corso for a long time. I get this phone call from him early in the week. I answer the phone, and he just goes, 麻豆精品 S淟inda! It 麻豆精品 S檚 going to be epic! 麻豆精品 S� I 麻豆精品 S檓 like, 麻豆精品 S淐oach? 麻豆精品 S� And he says, 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 going to put the whole (Knightro) costume on, 麻豆精品 S� and I pull into a little cubby so I can really hear him. And he goes, 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 going to put my people in touch with you but I 麻豆精品 S檓 putting the entire costume on. They 麻豆精品 S檙e building me a stage and everything. It 麻豆精品 S檚 going to be epic! 麻豆精品 S�

We were able to pull it off. We had I think it was 90 seconds to be able to get him into that costume and that head on. And it was epic. It was epic. Even today, when they do the intro to College GameDay, there it is.

McKenzie Milton: I just remember watching on TV in the morning and everybody getting excited. Seeing all the signs, it was cool. That place was rocking.

I 麻豆精品 S檝e got to admit, there were probably only two games where I was a little nervous. It was that one and the Peach Bowl. The first play from scrimmage I get a strip sack for a touchdown so it couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 have started much worse. But when they came out on offense their first series and they got two pre-snap penalties, that 麻豆精品 S檚 still the loudest stadium I 麻豆精品 S檝e ever played in.

It was the culmination of, wow we 麻豆精品 S檝e really done something special here and let 麻豆精品 S檚 keep it going. What else can we do? I don 麻豆精品 S檛 want to say that was the pinnacle of the streak. But that was my last full game I played as a Knight.

Andrea Adelson: I was at the USF game that year. In 2018 basically my job at the end of that season was to keep following UCF. They 麻豆精品 S檙e on a long winning streak. It looks like they 麻豆精品 S檙e about to play for another conference championship. They 麻豆精品 S檙e going to get into another New Year 麻豆精品 S檚 Six game. I was there expecting UCF to win by two or three touchdowns. I think that 麻豆精品 S檚 what a lot of people expected heading into that game.

McKenzie Milton: The first time I was considering the NFL was that week. My dad calls me and he 麻豆精品 S檚 like, 麻豆精品 S淗ey, I 麻豆精品 S檝e been talking to some people, we 麻豆精品 S檝e got a lot to talk about after these next two games. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� But coach (Mario) Verduzco would always tell me, 麻豆精品 S淵ou want to make God laugh, you tell him your plan. 麻豆精品 S� Sure enough, simple play we always ran, running the football, I take a helmet to the knee, and I got the worst knee injury in sports.

Mary Vander Heiden, 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 director of sports medicine and head football athletic trainer: Just like any other game we 麻豆精品 S檙e watching, looking for injury mechanisms. As soon as he was hit, we knew it was bad. I immediately started running. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 know that I 麻豆精品 S檝e ever run that fast in my life but got to him. Tried to protect him. I remember telling him, 麻豆精品 S淒on 麻豆精品 S檛 look, 麻豆精品 S� and he 麻豆精品 S檚 like, 麻豆精品 S淭oo late. 麻豆精品 S�

Andrea Adelson: The whole press box was silent. Nobody said a word because we were all stunned and frightened, to be honest, because it looked that bad from where we were sitting. We are objective sports reporters. We don 麻豆精品 S檛 have allegiances, we don 麻豆精品 S檛 root for teams, but we are human, and these are college athletes. Nobody wants anything bad to happen to anybody on a football field ever. … And the only thing I could think was, 麻豆精品 S淧lease get up. Please get up and be OK. 麻豆精品 S� And I 麻豆精品 S檓 sure that 麻豆精品 S檚 what everybody around me in that press box was thinking.

Scott Frost: We were on a road trip at my next job and played a game on the road. We had just boarded the plane to fly back home and the UCF game was on. So our entire coaching staff was watching it on the little TVs on the airplane and saw it happen. Made it a tough flight home for all of the coaching staff.

Mary Vander Heiden: My role in our emergency action plan is to focus on the patient. There was a lot of chaos, so I just stayed focused on McKenzie. And then they took him. And that 麻豆精品 S檚 always the hardest part too I think from my standpoint 麻豆精品 S� as the head athletic trainer, I couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 go. Knowing just how bad it was going to be and then still having to stay to take care of the rest of the team and stay focused. I think that 麻豆精品 S檚 a part that people don 麻豆精品 S檛 realize is so hard for athletic trainers.

The one really big benefit of that day was that we were in an NFL stadium. If it would have happened anywhere else, I don 麻豆精品 S檛 know that we have the same result. You have three hours to save a limb once you 麻豆精品 S檝e lost vascular. He was in surgery in less than an hour under the top vascular doctor in the state at Tampa General.

Marc Daniels: He 麻豆精品 S檚 taken off. There 麻豆精品 S檚 the emotion of him being carted off. You don 麻豆精品 S檛 know the severity of it. And you 麻豆精品 S檙e like, 麻豆精品 S淲hat does it do to these guys? 麻豆精品 S�

Darriel Mack comes in. At the time it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 a big offensive game plan for him, and yet UCF responds. Greg McCrae has an incredible game. 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 defense plays well and they win the game comfortably, 38-10.

Mary Vander Heiden: The next hardest thing was probably postgame, having to tell coach Heupel because I was not updating him throughout the game. Immediate shock, grief came over his face. I said, 麻豆精品 S淚 will tell the team if you want me to, if you don 麻豆精品 S檛 have the words. 麻豆精品 S�

Michael Colubiale: I just remember being in the locker room after the game and tears were flowing. People were circled up praying. 麻豆精品 S� He kind of shaped those past two seasons.聽 For him to not be there after the win or knowing he wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 going to be there was tough.

Mary Vander Heiden: I went back to Orlando on the team bus, and then turned right around in my car. I think I got back to Tampa at like 4 in the morning. I remember that was a rough car ride. I was by myself. Just praying. McKenzie comes from a very faith-based family, and at that point really that was all you could do. He was in the best hands, but it was still not guaranteed. It’s like less than 10% even walk again normally.

There was a lot of anxiety (at first) because he didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have movement in his foot. He had a drop foot, which is very common for that injury. I think that was the most scary (feeling) for McKenzie 麻豆精品 S� not being able to move is just a different level of anxiety. But he had blood flow. Dopplers were really encouraging, strong heart beats. So that was really positive there.

The next best thing we saw was he wiggled his big toe. We were so excited. And I think even then, he was like, 麻豆精品 S淲hat the? It 麻豆精品 S檚 a big toe?! 麻豆精品 S� I 麻豆精品 S檓 like, you don 麻豆精品 S檛 understand what that means. We have a chance.

There 麻豆精品 S檚 not many that are built that could have made it through all the things that he had to do (to take the field again three years later).

Josh Heupel: It was really hard for everybody. Coaches and players. But certainly the players. Just in the entire week to be able to handle the emotion of one of the great players and certainly the leader of the program, the locker room, having a horrific injury. Somebody that was so pivotal in all the success that had transpired as a football program in recent history.

And then you look at a young player (Darriel Mack 麻豆精品 S�20) that has not started a football game that is going to get thrust into a conference championship setting.

Michael Colubiale: We needed to finish off what we started. Our last game playing here officially. Conference championship. The 10hana. There was a lot going on that week. It was unbelievable. Everyone in the stands knew we were playing for McKenzie Milton.

McKenzie Milton: Guys came and actually saw me the night before. Coach allowed them to come out past curfew and see me. Gabe (Davis), Bam (Brandon Moore 麻豆精品 S�20), DJ (Darriel Mack 麻豆精品 S�20) and those guys. They said, 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e going to handle business. 麻豆精品 S�

My mom was at the game. My dad was with me at the apartment. Obviously I was heavily medicated, but I knew exactly what was going on in the game. It was frustrating because you just want to be there with your guys to encourage them. I couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 play but you just want to be there to support them 麻豆精品 S� like 麻豆精品 S淐 麻豆精品 S檓on guys, we got this. 麻豆精品 S� I was going a little stir crazy in the apartment not being able to be there with them.

At halftime, I was just telling my dad, 麻豆精品 S淭urn this off. I can 麻豆精品 S檛 watch this anymore. 麻豆精品 S� And then obviously halftime goes around and 10 minutes go by and I was like, 麻豆精品 S淎lright, turn it back on. 麻豆精品 S� They came out in the second half lights out. Defense shut them out, Trystan was unstoppable and DJ willed the team to victory and took over.

Marc Daniels: I 麻豆精品 S檝e seen some magical performances over my years of broadcasting games and I can 麻豆精品 S檛 explain how Darriel Mack found a way to that moment in that night to rise above it all and have this unbelievable performance. Made me flash back to think about Daunte Culpepper 麻豆精品 S� this guy that was just physically better than everybody and willed his team.

Hard to imagine that you went from the heartache of watching McKenzie go down and here a week later celebrating another championship knowing he 麻豆精品 S檚 still fighting. What a rollercoaster of emotion but also incredibly proud because of how the community came together and team and students and what it meant.

McKenzie Milton: Those (FaceTime calls postgame) are some of the best memories. I was proud of those guys, the way they fought. That just shows the heart and soul of that team. We always played for each other. I always played for my teammates, the brother to my left and the brother to my right. They always did the same.

Marc Daniels: It was tough to watch it (the win streak) end the way that it did. Because the (Fiesta Bowl) game starts and you get a pick 6 and (LSU quarterback) Joe Burrow may be still the hardest hit he ever took from Joey Connors 麻豆精品 S�17 麻豆精品 S�19MA 麻豆精品 S� and by the way he never lost a college football game after that. But you 麻豆精品 S檙e thinking, 麻豆精品 S淥h yeah, we 麻豆精品 S檒l find a way. 麻豆精品 S� And we didn 麻豆精品 S檛. It ended in a hard-fought game. LSU was a better team that day. And in a way, it was OK.

Michael Colubiale: Looking back now, and seeing how much talent LSU actually had on that field and competing the way we did with DJ who hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 been our quarterback all year, was amazing. That game could have easily been a shutout by LSU. The talent, Joe Burrow, Ja 麻豆精品 S橫arr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Devin White, they go down the next year 麻豆精品 S� it 麻豆精品 S檚 them or the Miami team as the best college football team ever. Just being in an 8-point ball game with them is something to be proud of ourselves.

I remember not wanting to take my pads off. Just reflecting on how special the season and that our run was.

I remember leaving the game and talking to coach O (Ed Orgeron) after the game. He was just saying that we had an amazing team, an amazing run, we were one of the toughest games they had been in all year. Really, some respect from a guy that has been around college football for a while. Obviously, a bummer we lost our last game but a lot to be proud of.

Marc Daniels: You would have liked to see it continue, but I think you look back at the two-year journey of the win streak and UCF had established its brand as that school that was more than just a fluke of 2017. That backed it up in 2018 and there are probably bigger things that lie ahead.

Josh Heupel: One of the things that I learned through my football journey but also as a coach having been through a bunch of seasons is, it 麻豆精品 S檚 not just the end destination that matters. That does matter and everybody is pushing towards that goal, but the journey is the greatest part of it. And just tried to convey (in the post-game locker room) I was so proud of what they had done in the past 12 months with our staff, what they had built.

It 麻豆精品 S檚 a legacy that 麻豆精品 S檚 going to last forever. That 麻豆精品 S檚 why you guys are doing this interview right now. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a really special group of guys that restaked a claim on the future of UCF football.

McKenzie Milton: I think trendsetters, trailblazers, whatever you want to call it, that 麻豆精品 S檚 what we were. That 麻豆精品 S檚 what UCF is going to continue to be.

Andrea Adelson: In my view, those two seasons really set the stage not only for playoff expansion but for UCF to join the Big 12. Without those two seasons, maybe UCF is attractive, but maybe not. I mean you can look down the road on I-4 at another school (South Florida) that 麻豆精品 S檚 in the state of Florida that hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 really had football success and is kind of left out right now of the power conferences and UCF isn 麻豆精品 S檛. And a big reason why is because of the success they 麻豆精品 S檝e had on the football field.

But in my view what they did in 2017 and 2018 麻豆精品 S� they showed and they proved that 麻豆精品 S淲e can play with anybody. 麻豆精品 S� And I also believe that those two seasons allowed Cincinnati to make the playoff. Without UCF leading the way, I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think Cincinnati is ranked as high as they were in the playoff in the season that they made it.

Nicole Auerbach, The Athletic writer: The fact that it was so difficult and it took so many things to align for Cincinnati 麻豆精品 S� after everything that had happened with UCF 麻豆精品 S� to get an invite to the 4-team playoff, I think all of that fed into this whole conversation we 麻豆精品 S檝e had about access. And what it means to start the college football season with a chance to be part of the marquee event, the postseason that everyone wants to be a part of. So, UCF really brought all of that to the forefront.

I think what my mind goes to as someone who covers the College Football Playoff piece and that off-field issue and the expansion issue, was how much they pushed that conversation forward and helped us get to the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Andy Staples, On3 national college football host: (UCF) kind of exposed the system for the closed system it was. And the system is changing now. There 麻豆精品 S檚 at least a small part of that due to what UCF did.

Andrea Adelson: I feel like UCF has done a lot to help change college football, to help change the perception of UCF but also to prove to people, forget about a label. A label doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 matter. What can you do?

I think we learned that anything is possible at UCF. It doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 matter what your conference is, where you 麻豆精品 S檙e recruiting your players from, all that matters is getting your teammates, your coaches, your players, the administration to believe. That 麻豆精品 S檚 why I feel like those two seasons should be held up as these models for inspiration because that was a team that was really easy to root for because they were a team. They were an absolute team.

Shaquem Griffin: That 麻豆精品 S檚 what UCF is all about 麻豆精品 S� believing in yourself, believing in your people, believing in your team, and knowing that the whole nation of UCF loves you, how can you lose? Like, really, how can you lose with that?

Scott Frost: You can use this or not use this. I hope UCF keeps climbing. I think there will be some challenges ahead going into a new league, but if there 麻豆精品 S檚 one university that 麻豆精品 S檚 positioned to overcome those challenges and become a great, elite program, it 麻豆精品 S檚 UCF.

In 2017 and 2018, the UCF football team rose to the height of popularity and disrupted the college football world with its 25-0 run that spanned 745 days. The accomplishment ranks among the NCAA Division I FBS 麻豆精品 S� top 25 longest winning streaks of all time, cemented UCF as a national brand and exposed access barriers to the College Football Playoff.

The following story is the most detailed account reported of the program 麻豆精品 S檚 success, told exclusively by those who lived it. ESPN, when you 麻豆精品 S檙e ready to greenlight the 30 for 30 documentary 麻豆精品 S� you 麻豆精品 S檙e welcome.

Scott Frost, 2016-17 UCF head coach: It 麻豆精品 S檚 hard to win a game, much less all your games. I think there 麻豆精品 S檚 got to be some magic.

McKenzie Milton 麻豆精品 S�19, 2016-18 starting quarterback: The story of the win streak 麻豆精品 S� I think it 麻豆精品 S檚 got to start in 2016 with coach (Scott) Frost coming in.

Shaquem Griffin 麻豆精品 S�16, 2013-17 linebacker and team captain: I feel like that story started with coach Frost at the time where you were starting to see the dynamic and the culture of UCF change.

Andrea Adelson, ESPN senior writer: Remember the situation that Scott Frost inherited. You 麻豆精品 S檝e got a winless team, and a locker room that 麻豆精品 S檚 in disarray. Nobody knows how to win. And that might sound simple to say, 麻豆精品 S淥h, we just get together and win. 麻豆精品 S� That 麻豆精品 S檚 a hard thing to do when you have 100 guys in a locker room who may all be thinking about something different.

Scott Frost: One thing I will tell you, they were 0-12 the year before but coach (George) O 麻豆精品 S橪eary left a lot of really good players there. Sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don 麻豆精品 S檛, and when they don 麻豆精品 S檛, they can really go off the rails. But I give him credit for the players that were in the program and that I inherited.

Andrea Adelson: I was at Scott Frost 麻豆精品 S檚 introductory press conference. I remember that very vividly. I remember talking to (UCF vice president and director of athletics) Danny White and to Scott and having this sense that there 麻豆精品 S檚 going to be something different here now. A lot of those press conferences are just formulaic and cliches. But there was just a different sort of energy in that room.

Scott Frost: The first thing we wanted to do was create a brotherhood with the players that they would play for each other and love each other and love the coaches and show them an environment where the coaches would love them and really get them to believe again.

Shaquem Griffin: It was more of, 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e here for each other, 麻豆精品 S� not the other way around. I feel like in certain ways, when I first came in (to UCF), football was more like a business. We had to do this and we should just be grateful [to be there] 麻豆精品 S� as opposed to, 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 doing it because I care about you and I know that we care about each other. 麻豆精品 S�

Marc Daniels, longtime UCF radio broadcaster: [The story of the win streak] kind of starts during 2016. Scott is in his first year. Makes the decision to start McKenzie and people kind of wondered about this undersized kid from Hawaii that they didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know much about. And yet I think people remember the double overtime loss to Maryland at home 麻豆精品 S� we battled Maryland toe to toe, and you felt like it could be kind of interesting to watch the journey.

Scott Frost: We grew a lot that year. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think the next year would have happened without 2016. Once you start 0-12, 6-6 seems pretty good. And then we got embarrassed in the (Cure) Bowl game. That 麻豆精品 S檚 a really good improvement from where we started, but I wanted the guys to set their sights higher. I told them that I was tired of people congratulating us for going 6-7. I wanted to make sure that the goals in the guys 麻豆精品 S� mind were as high as the goals in my mind and the coaching staff 麻豆精品 S檚 mind.

Michael Colubiale 麻豆精品 S�17, 2013-18 tight end and special teams: I think the story of that 25-0 run really starts in the offseason going into that 2017 season. If you would have asked anyone on the team if you thought we would have ran the table for not just one year but two years, they would have probably called you crazy just because of all the stuff that was going on that offseason.

McKenzie Milton: I had a good spring ball but just really wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 in a good mental space. Honestly considered quitting football and moving back home. It was around finals week where I just had a mental breakdown.

Andrea Adelson: He 麻豆精品 S檚 thousands of miles away from his home in Hawaii here in Orlando, and that 2016 season was rough. He got booed (by UCF fans at the Cure Bowl).

Scott Frost: We didn 麻豆精品 S檛 start him at the beginning of the season because we knew he had some growing to do, just like the rest of the team. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think he was quite ready when he came in (for injured senior Justin Holman 麻豆精品 S�16). He made some spectacular plays. But he also made some bone-headed plays, which when you 麻豆精品 S檙e a freshman in college, that 麻豆精品 S檚 going to happen.

But he led us to that (2016 Cure) Bowl game. He didn 麻豆精品 S檛 play great in that bowl game, but we didn 麻豆精品 S檛 play very well around him either. And inevitably it 麻豆精品 S檚 the head coach and the quarterback that get most of the praise, and it 麻豆精品 S檚 the head coach and the quarterback that get most of the blame when things don 麻豆精品 S檛 go well.

McKenzie Milton: Going through my freshman year, like a lot of college kids when they leave home for the first time, they want to go out, have a good time and things like that. I just feel like there 麻豆精品 S檚 no room for that 1) if you 麻豆精品 S檙e professing God and 2) if you want to be a world-class athlete 麻豆精品 S� it just doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 add up to what you 麻豆精品 S檙e saying you want to be. I think it was more so just an identity crisis in terms of putting a lot of my identity into football, and really, in all honesty, some substance issues, too, off the field. Really just taking a look at myself in the mirror and was professing one thing but not really living like that.

And I think Twitter didn 麻豆精品 S檛 help. You 麻豆精品 S檇 read the positive and the negatives. And there were a lot more negatives that year, and all that fills your mind. That self-doubt starts to creep in and part of you doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 feel wanted in a way.

I turned off my phone. Got off social media. Wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 in contact with anybody on the team really. Kind of fell off the face of (the) Earth and not a better place to be than Hawaii when you want to do that. I was in contact with coach Frost and (UCF Director of Sports Medicine) Mary Vander Heiden, just giving them updates on how I was doing. If it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 for the help of Scott Frost and Mary Vander Heiden, I definitely wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 have made it back to UCF during that time.

Michael Colubiale: We showed up day one (of offseason strength workouts) and he wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 there. We had a leadership council that I was a part of, and we had multiple meetings on just kind of where he was and what was going on. McKenzie was friends with a lot of dudes on the team and (his) phone wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 working. Not returning texts. Like his calls weren 麻豆精品 S檛 even going through. Frost let us know that he was back home in Hawaii. We were kind of sitting there not knowing what was going to happen going into the year.

McKenzie Milton: I was just doing some soul searching and at the end of the day, always put my faith in Jesus Christ. I got baptized. And that was really it for me. [I had a] conversation with my dad where he said, 麻豆精品 S淭he first grown man decision you made was to not stay home here, and decommit from Hawaii and go play football at UCF. You 麻豆精品 S檝e never been one to quit. 麻豆精品 S� So really it was my dad pushing me to see it through. That is the reason my mom came out here (to Orlando). I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think a lot of people know that either. I needed that support system. So my mom started living with me and that made it a whole lot more comfortable to come back. I 麻豆精品 S檝e got to thank my parents for sacrificing time away from each other for a long time.

Michael Colubiale: We [the leadership council] had keep-it-real meetings in the summer before fall camp.

Steve Seay, UCF director of Leadership and Career Development Strategies, and leadership council oversight: I still have those meetings pop up on my calendar. Tuesdays at 4 p.m. What was rewarding was that we set out a framework of; If you 麻豆精品 S檙e going to be a championship team, everybody 麻豆精品 S檚 got to be pulled together. If you 麻豆精品 S檙e going to talk the talk, you 麻豆精品 S檝e got to walk the walk. That council was able to hold the rest of their teammates accountable because they first held each other accountable and to a higher standard. And they would 麻豆精品 S� for the most part in a diplomatic way 麻豆精品 S� be able to bring up issues and it was handled at a level that didn 麻豆精品 S檛 involve yelling, screaming or anything like that. It was handled very professionally. The athletes in that room made a difference. That was leadership. I was quite uplifted with the way they interacted.

Michael Colubiale: I remember having a vote with the leadership council on if we wanted to bring McKenzie back. It was a tight vote to bring him back. I think this why we were who we were 麻豆精品 S� we didn 麻豆精品 S檛 care who you were, we were going to try to hold you accountable.

McKenzie Milton: I had to earn the trust of the guys back. I started with meeting with the leadership council. Just, 麻豆精品 S淕uys, I was in a very bad headspace, and for me to be the best I could be for you guys, I had to get myself right first. 麻豆精品 S� There was definitely some that welcomed with open arms, and some that were like, 麻豆精品 S淒ude, we 麻豆精品 S檝e been here the past month and a half busting our butts, why would we want you here? 麻豆精品 S�

Michael Colubiale: He knew that trust was hard to earn, and he had to start over again.

McKenzie Milton: I just had to control what I could control. And it was hard. There were practices where I 麻豆精品 S檇 go into coach Frost 麻豆精品 S檚 office and be like, 麻豆精品 S淐oach, man, nobody really on the team wants me here, I 麻豆精品 S檓 done. 麻豆精品 S� But having a guy like (junior offensive lineman) Tyler Hudanick 麻豆精品 S�19 waiting outside coach 麻豆精品 S檚 office until I got out to make sure I was good, having teammates like that (helped me get through it).

I think more than anything, the guys could always tell I tried to be as genuine as possible with every interaction with them. I always came from a place of love and trying to understand where they were coming from.

Michael Colubiale: I think he showed his commitment in practice. He showed his commitment in the locker room with the guys during camp because camp is a grind. You 麻豆精品 S檙e with those dudes all day every day. Just win the respect there 麻豆精品 S� show up early, obviously playing how he played on the field, he just kind of earned it during that first couple weeks of camp and ran away with that starting job. I think he knew that all his commitment needed to be to 1) earning our trust back and 2) being who he was on the field.

Scott Frost: I think anytime you 麻豆精品 S檙e going to accomplish a lot, usually it helps to have gone through something pretty hard. And sometimes those things that we go through that are hard are the things that shape us into the person that 麻豆精品 S檚 capable of taking on something great.

It was just a unique year. We were able to start camp earlier because of an NCAA rule so we started it as early as we could and we gave guys a bunch of days off during camp that I think helped keep them fresh.

Michael Colubiale: The (first game) FIU game we came out and put up basketball numbers 麻豆精品 S�63 points 麻豆精品 S� on them.

Scott Frost: We had a team (Memphis) fly to Orlando and then get on a plane and fly back out, and we didn 麻豆精品 S檛 get to play. And then a hurricane where the guys helped (the National Guard) with filling sandbags, and that kind of brought us together but we missed another game (Georgia Tech).

So it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 easy in a sense that everything was laid out and structured like a normal football season. We kind of had to overcome a lot and adapt to a lot, and again I think that helped make the team better.

Michael Colubiale: We played like eight or nine straight after that with no bye week so we had to be locked in. We had to be playing for not only ourselves, but the brothers next to us.

Andrea Adelson: The players to me were really the key to what happened. They were the underdog story, not just from a 麻豆精品 S淕roup of Five 麻豆精品 S� perspective but from a player perspective, right? You have a team filled with players that were overlooked their whole lives and a university that has been overlooked in the state of Florida their whole life, and a football program that has been overlooked by the entire country for their whole life except for maybe a Fiesta Bowl season with Blake Bortles. Starting to find this energy but also this chemistry that made them feel invincible. And you could see that every time they lined up. This team never felt like they were going to lose. That no matter what happened in a game, they were going to win.

Scott Frost: I remember the TV announcer at Maryland, the night before, he said, 麻豆精品 S淗ow do you think this is going? 麻豆精品 S� I said, 麻豆精品 S淗onestly if we win this one, we 麻豆精品 S檙e going to go on a run. 麻豆精品 S� That set the stage, that one. 麻豆精品 S� I 麻豆精品 S檝e talked to McKenzie about this. There were about five games that season that were one-score games that could have gone either way. To be honest, coaches don 麻豆精品 S檛 really win those games. Players win those games. Because in those moments a play has to be made to help win the game, and all coaches can do is set the stage and try to train and prepare the athletes to go make it happen.

From a defensive stop at SMU to Bam (Brandon Moore 麻豆精品 S�20) causing a fumble at Navy to Tre (Neal 麻豆精品 S�18) getting an interception at Memphis to Mike Hughes returning a kickoff against USF 麻豆精品 S� the spirit that McKenzie and Shaquem had kind of permeated our team, and they were confident, and they went out and made all the plays that mattered at the right time.

Marc Daniels: That 麻豆精品 S檚 what made 2017 into 2018 so fun 麻豆精品 S� those teams just found a way to win.

Scott Frost: The most nervous I was was SMU. I 麻豆精品 S檒l be honest, I probably called my worst game of the year in that game. My wife was due on a Tuesday and that game was on that Saturday and I remember some of the supporters of the program were kind enough to me to have a plane waiting in case my first child was going to be born. I had been at the hospital half the week.

It got to the end of the game, and we were only up a score, and SMU had the ball and they had been moving the ball pretty decent against our defense. I remember looking out on the field and they were playing a song. Usher, 麻豆精品 S淵eah. 麻豆精品 S�

Shaquem Griffin: So we played (NBA) 2K. And there 麻豆精品 S檚 something called the intimidator badge. And it was like, 麻豆精品 S淲hat can we do to intimidate them? 麻豆精品 S� I was like, shoot, we 麻豆精品 S檙e going to go out there dancing. They 麻豆精品 S檙e going to think we don 麻豆精品 S檛 care about fourth down. You 麻豆精品 S檙e going to go for it? We 麻豆精品 S檙e just going to stop y 麻豆精品 S檃ll.

So we started dancing and you could see them looking at us. You could see the offensive line and the team looking like, 麻豆精品 S淥h, they are too hype. 麻豆精品 S� It wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 (a feeling of) OK, we got to get a stop and we were all tense. It was like, loosen up because we 麻豆精品 S檙e going to give it to these guys. That was fun.

Scott Frost: I was nervous, biting my fingernails off trying to make sure we held onto the undefeated record. I went over to coach (Erik) Chinander and I was going to get him to have them stop dancing and he goes, 麻豆精品 S淟et 麻豆精品 S檈m be, coach, let 麻豆精品 S檈m be. 麻豆精品 S� Just like the rest of the games they got it done. That 麻豆精品 S檚 how confident our guys were.

Michael Colubiale: I remember being a part of a lot of big games in 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 history. The lead-up and the anticipation to that (2017) USF game was bar none the most must-win game we had to have, in my opinion, in UCF history. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think we are sitting here today if we lose that game.

Our biggest rival. Conference championship implications on the line. At home, senior night. Not sure if it 麻豆精品 S檚 our last game in the Bounce House. Not sure what our coach is going to be doing (with head coach job openings). So winning that game, that was a grind.

Scott Frost: That (USF) game is so interesting because we were on the way to really winning big, I think. Offense was clicking early in the first half. We put up a bunch of points. They basically changed their defense and ran something that they had never run 麻豆精品 S� put a bunch of DBs on the field to try to match our speed, went to kind of a 3-3 stacked type defense. We practiced against it, but we weren 麻豆精品 S檛 expecting to see it in that game, so all the lead-up to that game we hadn 麻豆精品 S檛 really prepared for it. And it took the guys a while to adjust. I give USF credit, they fought back into the game, and it became just an unbelievable contest and football game.

Marc Daniels: I do remember a couple times during a commercial break saying to myself, 麻豆精品 S淗oly smokes, what am I watching here? 麻豆精品 S�

Scott Frost: Got to the end and we scored on a little screen to Otis (Anderson) to take the lead and in my mind I kind of thought that 麻豆精品 S檚 it. And then we had a busted coverage, and they threw a long touchdown pass.

Marc Daniels: I remember turning to my color analyst Gary Parris before the kickoff to (Mike) Hughes and I said, 麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 still so much time for both teams to do things here. 麻豆精品 S�

Scott Frost: I 麻豆精品 S檓 not sure I had completely recovered from the shock of them scoring fast. I had my head buried in a play sheet trying to figure out a set of four or five plays that I thought would get the ball down the field and get a field goal to win the thing. Jovan Dewitt was our special teams coach, and I 麻豆精品 S檝e heard him tell this story about 20 times, but Mike came up to him right after USF scored, and I 麻豆精品 S檓 sure we all had stressful looks on our faces, and Mike told Jovan, 麻豆精品 S淒on 麻豆精品 S檛 worry about it, I got ya. 麻豆精品 S�

Marc Daniels: They had a kicker who could kick into the end zone. When they kicked it to Mike I was really surprised and when he made the second cut, I saw the angle and he 麻豆精品 S檚 gone. I 麻豆精品 S檓 watching Mike, and in the corner of my eye that 麻豆精品 S檚 where I saw cabanas, and that 麻豆精品 S檚 where I came up with the 麻豆精品 S渞eservation for six. 麻豆精品 S� But I 麻豆精品 S檓 also able to see our sideline explode. And as Mike is jetting down the field, I could see Scott Frost with two hands up in the air almost like, 麻豆精品 S淕ood, because I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want to start calling plays again. 麻豆精品 S� Although I think he had faith in McKenzie. But it was an unbelievable moment.

Michael Colubiale: The place just erupted. If you were to define UCF in one play, I feel like it would be that single play.

Marc Daniels: And still you 麻豆精品 S檙e holding your breath because South Florida had the ball marching toward midfield with time left on the clock.

Andy Staples, On3 national college football host: I can tell you right now (what is the defining moment of the win streak). I was there. I could feel it underneath me as I 麻豆精品 S檓 in the press box on Black Friday when Mike Hughes runs back the kickoff and he 麻豆精品 S檚 not. supposed. to. score. Because if he just takes a knee at the 1, they kick a field goal and walk off the field. But instead he scores and they have to make it extra dramatic, and Richie Grant 麻豆精品 S�20 has to punch the ball loose and Shaquem Griffin has to jump on the fumble. And the place was bouncing. It was really bouncing. You could feel everybody jumping up and down. It was incredible.

I 麻豆精品 S檝e covered a lot of really good football games. I was at the Vince Young Rose Bowl. I was at the Boise State Statue of Liberty. A Michigan State-Wisconsin game that ended with a Hail Mary in overtime. I 麻豆精品 S檝e been at some of the best games in college football history. That 麻豆精品 S檚 one of them. UCF over USF on Black Friday in 2017 is one of the greatest college football games ever played.

Andrea Adelson: My brother-in-law was in town for Thanksgiving. And he 麻豆精品 S檚 from Michigan so he 麻豆精品 S檚 got preconceived ideas about, 麻豆精品 S淲hat is UCF? Let 麻豆精品 S檚 just go to this game and see what this is all about. 麻豆精品 S� So he went with my husband Eric, who is now a professor here at UCF. The two of them sat in the stands, and I was at the game covering as a reporter. 麻豆精品 S� When we get in the car at the end of the game, UCF has won, my brother-in-law turns to me and he was like, 麻豆精品 S淭hat was the most fun I 麻豆精品 S檝e had a football game in quite some time. 麻豆精品 S�

And remember at that time in 2017, UCF was ranked behind a three-loss team in the playoff ranking. Seven two-loss teams. I think they were like 15th going into that game. So people like my brother-in-law, who were from Michigan, didn 麻豆精品 S檛 think UCF belonged anywhere near the conversation. But after he watched that game, his mind changed a little bit. And that to me is just a great example of how UCF won people over in 2017.

Shaquem Griffin: When we beat USF, we knew who we were fitting to play.

Michael Colubiale: We knew what we had on the line. We had a New Year 麻豆精品 S檚 Day game on the line. We knew we were getting the best of them (Memphis). The whole coaching situation (Frost potentially accepting another head coaching job) was in our heads as well. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 know if that was a little bit of a distraction. But maybe, sort of kind of.

Marc Daniels: It 麻豆精品 S檚 the week of the Memphis championship game. And Scott had for the most part made up his mind. No one knew publicly where the story is going. [I saw him] outside of the student center. He was sitting in a golf cart. 麻豆精品 S� And we just sat there talking. He opened up. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 know why. The stress had obviously piled up. And I asked a question, 麻豆精品 S淲hy are you going, if you 麻豆精品 S檙e going? 麻豆精品 S� And he goes 麻豆精品 S淲ell, it 麻豆精品 S檚 kind of complicated. My dad always wanted to see me coach Nebraska. And could I not have my dad see that if the opportunity is there? 麻豆精品 S�

Shaquem Griffin: We knew (Memphis) would do whatever it takes to win because we already beat them before. I know some people were like, 麻豆精品 S淥h, well, It 麻豆精品 S檚 hard to beat teams over and over again. 麻豆精品 S� I feel like it 麻豆精品 S檚 hard to be disciplined and do the same thing over and over again. It 麻豆精品 S檚 not about who you 麻豆精品 S檙e playing. It 麻豆精品 S檚 about who is going to be firing on all cylinders and is going to handle their business and be disciplined to what they need to do. And we came in ready to do that. Everybody was dialed in. We are in the moment. This is now. I protect you. You protect me. I got you. You got me. We got each other and let 麻豆精品 S檚 finish this. That was the mentality.

Michael Colubiale: I just remember it being a shootout. I think that 麻豆精品 S檚 a good word for it. It was just a story of quarters, really. We 麻豆精品 S檇 beat them one quarter, they 麻豆精品 S檇 beat us the next. It was a fun game. We kind of showed why maybe we belonged in the conversation for the playoff I think because of how much talent was on the field that day.

McKenzie Milton: In double overtime we ran a triple option, and I got to about the 2-yard line, tried running over the corner and right when I hit the corner, I separated my throwing arm, like my shoulder. I was just thinking, 麻豆精品 S淥h, no. 麻豆精品 S� We were on the 2-yard line, trying to score. So I think we handed the ball off one or two more times. Otis (Anderson) punched it in, and I 麻豆精品 S檓 on the sideline like, defense just get a stop here, just get a stop. Because I 麻豆精品 S檓 trying to throw and it feels like somebody is stabbing my shoulder.

Michael Colubiale: It was a storybook ending. Shaquem Griffin 麻豆精品 S� a story himself 麻豆精品 S� just makes a play at the end of the game.

Shaquem Griffin: I was just running at the quarterback. They didn 麻豆精品 S檛 bump me at all, and I was like I 麻豆精品 S檝e got to get to him as fast as possible. That was probably the hardest I ever tried to run. I was like, I just have to put my hand in front of his eyes or something. I wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 even worried about the tackle. I just had to blind him some way, some how.

When we ran into each other, I 麻豆精品 S檓 looking back like, 麻豆精品 S淲here 麻豆精品 S檚 the ball, what 麻豆精品 S檚 happening? 麻豆精品 S� I see Tre Neal with his hands up.

McKenzie Milton: Tre Neal gets a pick. I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 even really see it. I was just like, 麻豆精品 S淭hank God I don 麻豆精品 S檛 have to go back out for triple overtime. 麻豆精品 S�

Shaquem Griffin: My eyeballs flooded with tears. I 麻豆精品 S檓 like, I 麻豆精品 S檓 not fitting to jump up right now. I just have to take all this emotion in. It hit me. It was hard work. And I felt it.

Michael Colubiale: I remember storming the field, celebrating with the guys, everyone is going crazy and then Frost running all over the place. He was in tears.

Scott Frost: Coming off that field after that win was so exciting, and I was so happy for the players. But I knew there was change coming.

McKenzie Milton: Nebraska is really the only place he would have left UCF (for). His dad was ailing at the time and that was the only place he was going to leave (for). It was just one of those things 麻豆精品 S� their coach was getting fired and that was his home.

Marc Daniels: I 麻豆精品 S檝e said this on my radio show, I 麻豆精品 S檝e written about it 麻豆精品 S� it may have been inevitable that Scott was going to coach Nebraska. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 know if he wanted it to be as quickly as it happened.

Shaquem Griffin: I always respect and commend coach Frost for his transparency and his honesty because he didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have to. I feel like he was open and vulnerable with us. You can 麻豆精品 S檛 be upset about something like that. You can 麻豆精品 S檛 be mad about it. We only respected him so much more because we saw how hard it was for him.

Michael Colubiale: Winning that game and then having to sit down and go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows and listen to Frost spill out his heart and tell us how thankful he was for us and how hard the decision was, it was tough having to hear it. But at least he was able to let us all know. And we all knew how much he cared for us.

McKenzie Milton: I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think there was a dry eye in the team meeting room after the Memphis game. I came in there late because I was celebrating with my family and coach was sitting on the side and the whole team was crying. I broke down too because I knew we lost our coach. What we didn 麻豆精品 S檛 lose was the brotherhood within that. And we got to thank coach Frost for helping instill that.

Scott Frost: I was having a hard time holding it together because I cared so much for those guys. Tre 麻豆精品 S橯uan Smith was pretty special to me. And I remember hugging him, and him putting his arm around me and said, 麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 alright, coach. We 麻豆精品 S檝e both got journeys to take. 麻豆精品 S�

That was a tough decision for all of us. Looking back, I think a lot of people would have done a lot of things different through that time. What 麻豆精品 S檚 tough about making decisions like that is the timing that they come. You have to make those decisions in the middle of the season when you 麻豆精品 S檙e tired, when you 麻豆精品 S檙e exhausted. All I 麻豆精品 S檒l say is, I can 麻豆精品 S檛 really describe to you how emotional I was because I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think my heart really wanted to leave. UCF was a special place to me then and it always will be.

We made a decision that there 麻豆精品 S檚 no way we weren 麻豆精品 S檛 going to give the players the best opportunity to finish the season they started and the undefeated season. So the coaching staff, we wanted to come back (for the Peach Bowl) and help see it through. Because of our bond with the university and our players.

Marc Daniels: An incredibly uncomfortable month leading up to the game because you had a coaching staff that was at practice in the morning and then putting the colors of another program on to go recruit and the awkwardness of that.

Michael Colubiale: I remember going out to practice and (the new coaching staff of Josh) Heupel and (Glen) Elarbee and all these guys are lining up giving us high fives, and coach [Sean Beckton] and all these guys are on the field waiting for us and I 麻豆精品 S檓 like, 麻豆精品 S淲hat world are we living in right now? 麻豆精品 S�

Scott Frost: I remember one day we went out on the practice field and it was supposed to be a half-padded practice and some of the leaders on the team I think were acting out a little because they didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want to see us go. And the whole team showed up on the field without pads on.

Michael Colubiale: I think it was one of the first practices back after we had a little break. We see that we 麻豆精品 S檙e having a full-padded practice. I think we were all in on we 麻豆精品 S檙e not going to practice in full pads that first day back. Frost hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 been here. Why should we come out on day one and practice in full pads? Guys don 麻豆精品 S檛 like practicing in full pads, if you don 麻豆精品 S檛 know that.

So I remember we all came out in helmets only. Coaches have a practice plan all scripted out for what we 麻豆精品 S檙e wearing. We (were supposed to have) a full-tackle period. So we all come out in helmets, Frost is our coach but not our coach, just sitting there watching everyone roll out in helmets. He 麻豆精品 S檚 livid.

Scott Frost: It took a really good job by the players and the coaching staff to get everybody back focused on the task at hand. I actually turned the music off for the first time since I had been there, and we practiced in the silence. We had a heart-to-heart talk afterwards and cleared the air.

Michael Colubiale: We get done with practice. We take a knee. I feel like this is why we won the Peach Bowl.

Frost sits us down and kind of tells us what he 麻豆精品 S檚 been doing. He just got off a plane that morning. He flew to California. Flew back. I think he got back at 6 a.m. He rolls right up to the facility 麻豆精品 S� he was there to help coach us.

You could see the red in his eyes. He was tired. He could have not been there, really. But he chose to be there. He didn 麻豆精品 S檛 miss a single practice when we were leading up to the Peach Bowl. It was like, 麻豆精品 S淟isten, guys, I 麻豆精品 S檓 fully committed to you guys 麻豆精品 S� I know I 麻豆精品 S檓 the coach somewhere else right now but until after this game, we 麻豆精品 S檙e going to win this game and we 麻豆精品 S檙e going to finish the story. 麻豆精品 S� A lot of the guys, I know myself, we kind of all felt a little different after that speech.

And then he made us run some gassers. We 麻豆精品 S檙e like, 麻豆精品 S淎lright, alright, OK. I guess so. 麻豆精品 S�

Scott Frost: I think that day was really important to make sure that we could approach the game the right way and finish it the right way. Shaquem played a big part in getting us pointed in the right direction. Chequan Burkett 麻豆精品 S�16 played a big part in that, too. With everything changing the way it was, I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think the team could have gone and won without great leadership, and we had those type of players on the team.

Marc Daniels: (Scott Frost and I) did our final pregame interview before the Peach Bowl. And before I clicked record, I said, 麻豆精品 S淲hat 麻豆精品 S檚 going to happen tomorrow? 麻豆精品 S� And he said, 麻豆精品 S淚 don 麻豆精品 S檛 know. We might get blown out because I could have done better in the month to prepare these guys. But if they win 麻豆精品 S� and I wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 be shocked if they win 麻豆精品 S� it will be because of guys like Shaquem and Adrian Killins 麻豆精品 S�21 and Otis and Chequan Burkett and McKenzie because they carried this team for the last month. If we win, it will be because of them. 麻豆精品 S�

Scott Frost: I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know what to expect. I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know how motivated our team would be. I knew we were playing a team (Auburn) that had beaten Georgia and Alabama who were in the national championship game. And watching them on tape, they were a different animal than what we had played physically.

Shaquem Griffin: When we started to have interviews, I always felt like there was targeted questions of how can we stop them, and it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 how are they going to stop us? At one point we sat back and said, 麻豆精品 S淲hy are they trying us, like this don 麻豆精品 S檛 mean nothing to us? Why are they trying us like we can 麻豆精品 S檛 stop them? 麻豆精品 S� Oh this is the No. 1 line in the country. We don 麻豆精品 S檛 care.

We 麻豆精品 S檙e going to watch film just like they do. We 麻豆精品 S檙e going to play just like they do. Why are you not asking them how they are going to stop McKenzie and the pass? I 麻豆精品 S檓 not hearing those questions. At the end of the day, we 麻豆精品 S檙e going to play UCF football and hopefully they can keep up with it because it goes fast.

McKenzie Milton: I really didn 麻豆精品 S檛 practice much throwing until the week of the game and didn 麻豆精品 S檛 go fully live until the actual game. I just had some patches and tape and Icy Hot. 麻豆精品 S� . It was frustrating but luckily my feet were still good, my legs were still good, so I was able to run around and get in a rhythm.

By no means did we play a perfect game. I think our defense played extremely well, but offensively it was one of our sub-par games, especially for me. But you just find a way. Chequan Burkett pick six for a fifth-year senior. Antwan Collier, true freshman, making a pick at the end. Guys just making timely plays when we needed to and that was our MO that year. We found a way in those close games.

Scott Frost: I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think there will ever be a team in college football history again that starts 0-12 and goes 13-0 in two seasons. Go undefeated in two seasons. It just doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 happen. There 麻豆精品 S檚 too much that has to change. Too much work that has to be done.

McKenzie Milton: My brother Pomi Milton 麻豆精品 S� shout-out Pomi 麻豆精品 S� he told me before the game, 麻豆精品 S淗ey, after the game you gotta say, 麻豆精品 S楥ancel the playoff. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� I was like, 麻豆精品 S淥ooh, I like that. 麻豆精品 S� So it was in the front of my mind. We had to handle business first and foremost. And I 麻豆精品 S檓 glad (then Director of Athletics) Danny White ran with it with the national championship so we were on point with that.

It ( 麻豆精品 S淐ancel the playoff 麻豆精品 S�) was wholeheartedly serious 麻豆精品 S� what else do you want us to do? We ran the table. We beat ranked opponents and you have us sitting at 12. There was disrespect the whole time. You got three-loss SEC teams who had mediocre play from the quarterbacks, and things like that. You look at our roster top to bottom, we had a D-line that was as good as anybody in the country. We had guys in the secondary that could play man coverage. We had a bunch of receivers that are still playing in the NFL. And a quarterback who could make some plays. 麻豆精品 S� We truly believe we could have beat anybody in the country and would have beat anybody in the country if we had the opportunity to play them.

Andrea Adelson: That game meant a lot to the players because they needed to show, we 麻豆精品 S檙e good enough to beat an SEC team, we 麻豆精品 S檙e good enough even though, our head coach is leaving, to carry this forward into the next season.

This wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 the end of the road for the players, even though it was the end of the road for Scott Frost. To me, it felt almost like a beginning for the players because they knew this was an opportunity they had to seize. And, boy, did they seize that opportunity.

Andy Staples: That season probably did more for (UCF) than I can think for any season doing for any program. Maybe the 2006 for Boise State that ended with the Statue of Liberty play in the Fiesta Bowl. … Everybody knew after 2017 what UCF football is whether they lived in Orange County, Seminole County, Osceola County or whether they lived in the other Orange County in California. It made them a viable, national brand.

Andrea Adelson: I thought it was fabulous what Danny White did, saying, 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e national champions. 麻豆精品 S� Because, well, why not? How many other programs have self-declared a national championship? Go in Alabama 麻豆精品 S檚 media guide and start scrolling to see how many national championships they have versus how many they 麻豆精品 S檝e actually won on the field. There 麻豆精品 S檚 a disparity there.

So the publicity that it brought to UCF was terrific but it also brought a backlash to UCF 麻豆精品 S� so that headed into 2018 it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛, 麻豆精品 S淗ey, look at all these great players with this underdog story. 麻豆精品 S� It was, 麻豆精品 S淚 can 麻豆精品 S檛 wait until those guys lose so they can shut up. 麻豆精品 S� Watching that entire dynamic play out to me was completely fascinating because everybody loves an underdog until the underdog tells you how great they are and then they don 麻豆精品 S檛 love you anymore.

With 1:08 remaining in 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 Nov. 16, 2013, road football game at Temple, I realized I had taken the elevator from the press box too soon.

By this point, I had written my story of 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 football team losing and its Bowl Championship Series (BCS) dream crashing. I went downstairs at Lincoln Financial Field to soak up as much of the atmosphere as I could from the final moments of the game.

With the Knights trailing 36-29, I was standing in the tunnel as Blake Bortles rolled away from one defender, then hesitated and took a hit as he released the pass towards J.J. Worton. The receiver went full stretch, one arm held out. Somehow, he came down with the ball.

A security guard in a yellow jacket standing at the end of the tunnel turned and sprinted past me screaming at the top of his lungs. I started furiously typing a new version of the story into my phone. Then I hopped up into the stands to watch the rest of the game play out.

The pass to Rannell Hall. The field goal. The win. (I saw it all.)

I jumped back down into the tunnel and eventually got the color (for my story) I was looking for.

My lede from that night was fitting considering where I had seen the drama unfold: 麻豆精品 S淭he man who had soared to keep UCF’s dream season alive could not hold back tears as he walked through the tunnel at Lincoln Financial Field. 麻豆精品 S�

If I close my eyes, I can still feel the adrenaline of many of those deadlines 麻豆精品 S� the shaky fingers over a keyboard after the Knights did something special to keep the dreams of a BCS bowl alive. Panicked typing in Happy Valley, Memphis, Louisville, Philadelphia, Orlando and Dallas.

How many ledes had I re-written? A few, for sure. And yet, even as those crazy endings unfolded 麻豆精品 S� Will Stanback 麻豆精品 S檚 forced fumble in Memphis, Bortles 麻豆精品 S� floated pass to Jeff Godfrey in Louisville, Brandon Alexander 麻豆精品 S檚 tipped pass against Houston, Worton 麻豆精品 S檚 full-stretch snag in Philly 麻豆精品 S斅爏omething felt right about it all.

This was supposed to happen.

I arrived in Orlando, Florida the year prior, leaving my hometown newspaper to cover a school I knew more as Central Florida than UCF. I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 make the change just to cover George O 麻豆精品 S橪eary 麻豆精品 S檚 football team. As I tried to decipher the right next step in my career and did research on UCF, I learned about a school I thought could matter on a national landscape. UCF was set to move from Conference USA to the Big East, the student population was exploding, the campus expanding. There was a real story to tell here, I thought. One that went beyond sports. It was about college realignment 麻豆精品 S� the old powers versus a new school trying to shove its way into the conversation.

I had no idea.

Over the next year the scope of that story would change. The Big East folded. The American Athletic Conference was born. The path to a power conference narrowed. And yet UCF still seemed on the verge of something. I felt it from the first time I sat in the press box at the Bounce House.

The first game I covered was a 40-20 win against East Carolina in 2012. I watched Bortles throw for 269 yards and a score and run for another 62 yards and a touchdown. The next week it was an overtime win over Southern Miss and Bortles threw for 272 yards and a couple more scores. You could tell the potential here was off the charts. As that season unfolded, the sense got stronger. Not just about Bortles, but about something brewing in this team. And as the pages turned to the 2013 season, it felt like the football team could serve as a microcosm about the story the school was trying to sell:

麻豆精品 S淗ey, look at us. We can be much more than you think. We already are. 麻豆精品 S�

The inkling that the season might have something special in store started to turn to alarm bells in Happy Valley. No offense, of course, to Akron University or FIU (Florida International University), but those wins to start the season were expected. Rolling up to Penn State was a real marker for the team.

I felt like that game was my first real college football experience. The atmosphere was insane 麻豆精品 S斅�92,855 people all dressed in white. As the sun went down, the crowd seemed to get louder. What stuck with me was that UCF was clearly the better team, but Penn State pushed itself back into the game. UCF having to hold on to win by three sort of set the tone for the season 麻豆精品 S� nothing was going to come easy, nothing was going to be clean.

The way that game went down聽 麻豆精品 S� the key defensive stops needed, an important third-down conversion to keep the game-killing drive alive 麻豆精品 S� was also vital for the team. UCF had been so close to a marquee win so many times under George O 麻豆精品 S橪eary (former UCF head football coach). This win gave belief and showed they could gut it out. It took character.

I remember O 麻豆精品 S橪eary didn 麻豆精品 S檛 love the way I phrased a question in the postgame press conference, but he knew it was one of those wins that could change things.

“Right now, with the stage of the program and where we’re at, we can build on a win like this,” he says.

That win set up such a huge week ahead of the South Carolina game. It would feature two players that ended up being in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft: Bortles and Jadeveon Clowney. It was also the first time in my career I was covering a team that was the talk of the sports landscape in the market.

The game was moved to ABC Network. Tailgating hours got extended. Steve Spurrier was coming, which always added another layer at the Orlando Sentinel. The hype was there.

The game didn 麻豆精品 S檛 go 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 way. The Knights led at halftime, but probably should 麻豆精品 S檝e had a bigger advantage. They ended up falling short. In the moment, it felt like a missed opportunity. Really, I think it was an indicator that UCF was right there with one of the better teams in the country at the time.

What 麻豆精品 S檚 funny is it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 the loss that week that nearly cost UCF the special season, it was the hangover from South Carolina. The Liberty Bowl was a decidedly different atmosphere than Happy Valley or a packed Bounce House (formally known as FBC Mortgage Stadium at UCF). But if people were paying attention, they saw the beginnings of something happening there with the Tigers. UCF wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 ready for it. Everyone could see it was a trap game, and yet UCF walked right into the trap.

When I look back on the season, that was the only game I felt like UCF got lucky.

The Knights were bad. Memphis was better. But sometimes fate intervenes. In this case, it was the hit from Stanback on the kickoff. I remember hearing the crowd gasp when it happened, and at first no one could tell that the ball came out and that UCF scored. I remember looking around and asking what was going on. 麻豆精品 S淒id he fumble? Did he fumble?! 麻豆精品 S�

And then I realized I had a new story to write. Two touchdowns in nine seconds. A 17-10 deficit flipped into a 24-17 win. Somewhere on a thumb drive in one of my desk drawers is a copy of the 麻豆精品 S淜nights Lose 麻豆精品 S� version of the Memphis game.

The season had plenty more drama left and plenty of other alternate stories that were never published.

The next week was Louisville. Man, what a four-week stretch of football. Of all the regular-season games, this one remains the freshest in my memory. It was such a great game. The crowd was incredible. The Friday night primetime聽 slot made it feel special. By this point, the excitement about covering a potentially important season was taking hold. Everyone knew what a win on the road at a top 10 Louisville team would mean: a national ranking; a path to a BCS game. It was Teddy Bridgewater versus Bortles. But even then, I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think people believed UCF had a chance.

There are two plays that stick out to me so clearly. One is how the game ended. The other? The bobbled punt snap midway through the third quarter. As a reporter, you don 麻豆精品 S檛 really have rooting interests in a game, but that doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 mean you 麻豆精品 S檙e immune to the normal human emotions of the drama you 麻豆精品 S檙e watching unfold. I remember that feeling in the pit of my stomach as the return went the other way. The idea of covering a BCS bowl was fading. The crowd was going nuts. You could feel the wave of momentum wash over the stadium.

Here are the two texts I sent my wife during the game. The first was right after that fumbled punt.

麻豆精品 S淭his could get ugly. 麻豆精品 S�

The second was 麻豆精品 S� a bit later in the game.

麻豆精品 S淗oly. Crap. 麻豆精品 S�

There were haymakers thrown back and forth. A 21-point third-quarter deficit erased. And then there was that last drive. Seventy-five yards. Two big throws to Josh Reese. And then that final Bortles pass 麻豆精品 S� Hall 麻豆精品 S檚 fingertip away from a different result.

What a game.

But this is how the whole 2013 season went. Four of the next six games would be decided by five points or less. I 麻豆精品 S檓 still benefiting from the amount of deadline work I got in 2013.

Amidst all the heroic moments on offense, it 麻豆精品 S檚 easy to forget the defensive play that saved the season. Houston. Fourth and goal from the seven-yard line with 20 seconds left. A freshman quarterback dropping back. A pass in the hands of a receiver. Alexander doing just enough to deflect it and win the game.

The next week at Temple was Worton 麻豆精品 S檚 all-time catch, which landed him an ESPY nomination. It 麻豆精品 S檚 easy to forget, too, that UCF needed a big play in the fourth quarter to beat a bad USF team that year. A 51-yard touchdown pass from Bortles to Breshad Perriman won that game, 23-20.

And then there was my favorite non-football memory of the season: asking UCF players what 麻豆精品 S渨intry mix 麻豆精品 S� meant ahead of a game in an ice storm at SMU (Southern Methodist University). Sadly, that video has been lost somewhere in the Orlando Sentinel 麻豆精品 S檚 archives. That game was no sure thing, either. UCF had already clinched a BCS bowl on Thursday night, which didn 麻豆精品 S檛 help, I 麻豆精品 S檓 sure, but it took multiple defensive stands in the fourth quarter to get out of Dallas with a 17-13 win.

So here we are, nearly 1,800 words into this piece, and I 麻豆精品 S檓 finally getting around to the game that really, truly introduced UCF to the general college football population. It 麻豆精品 S檚 funny how much goes into it 麻豆精品 S� the ups and downs, the near-misses, the 麻豆精品 S渁lmosts 麻豆精品 S� along the way 麻豆精品 S� and in the end it 麻豆精品 S檚 just parts of the stories that are remembered.

I remember arriving in Glendale, Arizona, and participating in the early media availabilities and feeling like UCF was still underappreciated. It made me question myself. Maybe I was too close to this team. Maybe those one-score results were an indication that this team wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 as good as its record. In the press box on the night of the game, the Orlando Sentinel 麻豆精品 S檚 longtime columnist Mike Bianchi and I traded predictions. I couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 decide what was going to happen.

I definitely did not predict what would take place.

It 麻豆精品 S檚 funny watching that game now. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 really remember it feeling so close in the first half. I felt like UCF was in control.

One thing that stands out about the 2014 Fiesta Bowl was that it highlighted the job the late Charlie Taaffe did as offensive coordinator that season. His use of the run-pass option was so good. Clearly, he had found and exploited a weakness he saw on tape. And even as Bortles struggled early in the game, UCF was able to keep Baylor off balance enough to stay in it.

When Bortles came alive in the second half 麻豆精品 S斅爃e ended up throwing for 301 yards and accounting for four touchdowns聽 麻豆精品 S� the Knights took control. The defense, too, earned some respect. It was a match-up between the high-flying, record-setting Baylor offense and O 麻豆精品 S橪eary 麻豆精品 S檚 old-school approach. With Tyson Summers calling the plays, UCF held its own.

It was a deserved win. And it changed minds about what the ceiling looked like for UCF.

Seven wins by seven points or fewer. A marquee victory in a BCS game. Bortles going No. 3 overall in the NFL Draft a few months later. It was such a fun season to cover. A decade later, it 麻豆精品 S檚 incredible to see how much more the program went through and achieved before finally getting entry to the Big 12 Conference. I know a lot of people will point to Scott Frost 麻豆精品 S檚 undefeated season as 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 big moment in the spotlight, but I still think it was 2013 that started it all.

The yellowed newspapers from that season sit in my office still. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a bit weird that they look as old as they do, that it 麻豆精品 S檚 been a decade since 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 first magical ride. It 麻豆精品 S檚 probably time to find a spot on the wall for some of them.

Paul Tenorio served as the Orlando Sentinel’s beat writer for UCF from 2012-14. He currently is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer and has previously written for the Washington Post, FourFourTwo, ESPN and MLSsoccer.com.

This feature was originally published Oct. 12, 2022 in the lead up to the UCF football team 麻豆精品 S檚 sixth space game. It is included in the 12 for XII series because it captures the role space and space research has played in the university 麻豆精品 S檚 story. The seventh installment of the annual Space Game will be held on Nov. 11, 2023, when UCF hosts Oklahoma State.

It 麻豆精品 S檚 Oct. 4, 2022 麻豆精品 S� less than 10 days away from the UCF football team 麻豆精品 S檚 Space Game, and although the order was placed back in March, the Knights 麻豆精品 S� uniforms have yet to arrive.

麻豆精品 S淓very day I wake up with anxiety, 麻豆精品 S� says Brad Anderson, director of equipment operations. 麻豆精品 S淓specially with how much this fan base, the players, the coaching staff, the community all love the Space Game 麻豆精品 S� it can 麻豆精品 S檛 not 丑补辫辫别苍. 麻豆精品 S�

Twenty-four hours later, the uniforms start to arrive and a collective sigh of relief can be felt throughout the UCF Athletics Association (UCFAA) administration buildings; from the equipment room to the AD 麻豆精品 S檚 office to the cubicles that house the #brand designers who created the uniforms and the brand experience staff charged with the in-stadium experience.

So what exactly does it take to pull off the Space Game every year?

A lot of planning and a little bit of stardust.

More Than a Gimmick

Picture this.

The UCF football team just thumped Georgia Tech, 27-10. Thousands of fans are still glued to their seats in FBC Mortgage Stadium. Then, along the horizon in the eastern evening sky, it appears.

An orange flare 麻豆精品 S� the unmistakable streak of the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink darting upward and out of the atmosphere.

The PA cues up Elton John 麻豆精品 S檚 1972 hit 麻豆精品 S淩ocket Man. 麻豆精品 S� Everyone starts singing along.

There 麻豆精品 S檚 no denying it. This is SpaceU.

With the university 麻豆精品 S檚 origin directly tied to supporting the space program in the 1960s, it 麻豆精品 S檚 easy to understand why this week 麻豆精品 S檚 Space Game means so much to the university, the athletics program and its fans.

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 win against Temple on October 13, 2022 marked the sixth installment of the game and the fifth anniversary of the first full SpaceU uniform 麻豆精品 S� which went on to win the 2018 Uniform of the Year.

Along the way, the Knights have picked up more uniform accolades (the 2019 Helmet of the Year and 2021 Uniform of the Year) and space-inspired games and gear have now spread across all Knights 麻豆精品 S� teams. Coincidentally space travel has become cool again, and other schools are following suit with their own takes on the initiative.

Perhaps, most importantly, UCF has continued its strong tradition of conducting important space research 麻豆精品 S� from producing its own simulated Martian soil to more than a dozen projects aimed at getting people back to the moon safely, many of which directly support聽NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 Artemis program.

It seems that in a timespan faster than the speed of light, the Space Game has become not only a fan favorite, but a nationally relevant event.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檝e tried to stay as authentic as possible, and I think that 麻豆精品 S檚 why this game has grown to be as popular as it has, 麻豆精品 S� says Jimmy Skiles 麻豆精品 S�06, senior executive associate athletics director. 麻豆精品 S淲e aren 麻豆精品 S檛 using space as a gimmick or a 麻豆精品 S榗ool 麻豆精品 S� theme. This is 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 story. And every year we 麻豆精品 S檙e getting better at telling it. 麻豆精品 S�

All-in On Outer Space

Although the , the concept for the game was first discussed in 2014 when Skiles re-joined the UCFAA as assistant athletic director for fan development. He says he batted around the idea with some of his creative and brand experience colleagues, but they felt the timing wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 quite right.

That changed in 2016 when a new uniform line was unveiled, and excitement renewed around UCF football with the hiring of Scott Frost as head coach.

麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 a unique part of the UCF story that it was too good of an opportunity not to use the athletics platform to amplify, 麻豆精品 S� Skiles says.

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 proximity to the Space Coast and NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 Kennedy Space Center has allowed the university to cultivate and provide talent for Central Florida and the growing U.S. space program for decades. Nearly 麻豆精品 S�30% of Kennedy Space Center employees graduated 麻豆精品 S痜rom UCF, which has long been 麻豆精品 S痶he 麻豆精品 S痶op supplier of aerospace and 麻豆精品 S痙efense graduates in the nation.

You can see the rings of Saturn and more from the on campus. Two 麻豆精品 S疷CF grads have gone on to become astronauts. We have a space podcast. The 50-yard line at the football stadium lines up on the same latitude as NASA 麻豆精品 S檚 historical Launch Complex 39A by design. The Knights 麻豆精品 S� throwback mascot, 麻豆精品 S� which appeared on the 1969 student handbook 麻豆精品 S� is an orange-astronaut hybrid.

Many of 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 faculty and researchers are NASA veterans and hail from some of the biggest, most important programs in U.S. space history. Seventeen 麻豆精品 S疷CF researchers have asteroids named after them, and UCF even has a planet named in its honor.

麻豆精品 S淥ur involvement in space exploration has rocketed along since NASA provided our very first research grant. We are tremendously proud of the world-class space research carried out here 麻豆精品 S� missions to the moon and the outer planets, advancing the rapidly developing space industry, designing new space instrumentation and communication, and much more, 麻豆精品 S� says Michael D. Johnson, provost and vice president of academic affairs. 麻豆精品 S淭he annual Space Game celebrates UCF’s distinctive beginning and our simultaneously expanding prominence in space exploration and in athletics. This game reminds us that we have much to celebrate and that the best is yet to come. 麻豆精品 S�

Stellar Style

A key component to the uniqueness of this annual celebration is the team 麻豆精品 S檚 uniforms 麻豆精品 S� the culmination of nearly a year 麻豆精品 S檚 worth of work behind the scenes from several different departments that allows the uniforms to shine.

麻豆精品 S淚 think the thing that probably would surprise most people is that we do the design work in-house, 麻豆精品 S� says Emma Schneider, who served as director of #Brand design and created the 2021 and 2022 uniforms. 麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 one of the things that make it really special. It 麻豆精品 S檚 been my favorite project to work on, far and away. I just love seeing the whole thing start from this one concept and explode to touch every creative department within UCF, and then all the graphics and merchandising roll out that follows. As a designer, it 麻豆精品 S檚 the project that has everything in it and that makes it really rewarding. 麻豆精品 S�

In previous years, the theme has been inspired by various milestones: the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. The space shuttle. The 2022 uniforms are a nod to deep space and exoplanets. Integral to the design is exoplanet UCF 1.01, a discovery made 10 years ago by UCF alumni Kevin Stevenson 麻豆精品 S�12PhD and Nate Lust 麻豆精品 S�07 麻豆精品 S�14PhD along with UCF Pegasus Professor Joseph Harrington.

#Content designer Josh Brdicko is originally from Iowa and has had a creative drive for as long as he can remember. When his dad brought home NCAA Football 06 one day, Brdricko and his twin brother spent the first two hours 麻豆精品 S減laying 麻豆精品 S� the video game by creating teams 麻豆精品 S� color schemes, jersey designs, logos.

He was drawn to UCF when he saw the first SpaceU uniform in 2018. He says it was a professional goal to work with the brand and he got to live out that dream after getting hired in 2021 and collaborating this year with Schneider.

麻豆精品 S淭he Space Game was a big part that made me excited to work at UCF as opposed to the other Florida schools, 麻豆精品 S� Brdicko says.

Shortly after last year 麻豆精品 S檚 Space Game, Brdicko and Schneider, along with #content designer Sahid Alpizar (who worked with UCFAA from 2019 麻豆精品 S�22), began their research for this year 麻豆精品 S檚 uniforms. Schneider says she felt a lot of pride in reclaiming the Uniform of the Year award last year and felt a responsibility to knock it out of the park again.

In December they presented their ideas to leadership and Anderson, who ensures the uniforms are compliant from a rules and regulations standpoint.

麻豆精品 S淏rad is just as important as us in executing the design because he knows what we can do, 麻豆精品 S� Brdicko says.

麻豆精品 S淲e had one idea, and he was like, 麻豆精品 S楾hat 麻豆精品 S檚 illegal. We can 麻豆精品 S檛 do that, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Schneider interjects with a laugh. 麻豆精品 S淭he stuff we design is just made in Photoshop. It takes a few clicks. He 麻豆精品 S檚 got to figure out how to actually make it in real life. I have no idea how he does it. 麻豆精品 S�

Adds Brdicko: 麻豆精品 S淭he collaboration with all the departments is huge in executing this. 麻豆精品 S�

From Photoshop to the Field

While there is always a lot of hype surrounding the unveiling of the Space Game uniforms, they don 麻豆精品 S檛 just appear game-ready. That 麻豆精品 S檚 where Anderson comes in.

In addition to Nike, UCF employs four different vendors to create name plates, patches, facemasks and helmet decals resulting in the finished product. Anderson is in charge of coordinating all of the moving parts, and he says it 麻豆精品 S檚 always a photo finish to game day.

Once the jerseys are completed and in 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 possession, that 麻豆精品 S檚 when Anderson and his equipment operations team of CJ Bates and Kenny Yerves hunkers down.

Jerseys are hung in number order. The trio meticulously checks that each name is spelled correctly. Ensure duplicate names 麻豆精品 S� like Baker and Lee 麻豆精品 S� have the correct first initial incorporated. Each number is placed correctly. No numbers 麻豆精品 S� like 8, for instance 麻豆精品 S� are flipped. Numbers match on the front, back and sleeves.

On repeat for more than 120 jerseys.

Anderson will then go through a second time on his own through every single jersey to review the checklist again before they 麻豆精品 S檙e paired with their helmets and stocked in the locker room.

麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e pulling 16-17-hour days, four days a week throughout the season, 麻豆精品 S� Anderson says. 麻豆精品 S淧eople get excited when they see the finished product, but it didn 麻豆精品 S檛 just appear. It took 20 people 麻豆精品 S檚 vision and hard work coming to life to get it in that player 麻豆精品 S檚 locker and onto the field. So seeing the team 麻豆精品 S檚 and fans 麻豆精品 S� reactions to the uniform is a very good moment of appreciation and satisfaction for all the work that went into it. 麻豆精品 S�

That work is further rewarded by in-depth storytelling that artfully shows off every meticulous detail. The uniforms are highlighted in photo and video shoots set against incredible backdrops including the , and .

麻豆精品 S淲e set a standard and expectation in the roll-out of the first full uniform in 2018 that we 麻豆精品 S檝e continued to build on every year, 麻豆精品 S� says Eric DeSalvo 麻豆精品 S�09, associate athletics director of #Content. 麻豆精品 S淭he uniforms are incredible on their own, but we wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 be doing them or the team who produced them justice unless we told the story. And the story is all in the details. 麻豆精品 S�

Into Orbit

Just like the uniforms, the merchandise and retail collections also are coordinated nearly a year in advance to hit the shelves in time for the game the following season.

麻豆精品 S淲hat 麻豆精品 S檚 great about it is now it 麻豆精品 S檚 not just Nike making the product. Nike may be the only one who has the insight of what the uniforms are going to look like, but now we have other partners, your FloGrowns, that have jumped in with the Citronaut and Space Game, 麻豆精品 S� Skiles says. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e always pushing for more Citronaut product to be readily available year-round. 麻豆精品 S�

With the uniforms and merchandise coordinated, Skiles then turns his attention to the in-game experience. The brand experience and video production team are challenged to find ways to make the Space Game feel different from any other game.

麻豆精品 S淲e try to have a fully immersive experience 麻豆精品 S� from the songs the Marching Knights play to the lighting in the tunnel for the players, to the video board 麻豆精品 S檚 visuals, 麻豆精品 S� Skiles says.

As the Space Game continues to evolve, Skiles says the department is invested in continuing to keep telling the stories of what UCF students, faculty and alums are doing in space.

After the 2018 matchup against Temple, he vividly remembers hoping that the broadcast inspired the next generation of astronauts, engineers and researchers to dream of attending UCF.

麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 my hope with the Space Game 麻豆精品 S� that not only does it inspire more people to check out UCF and the SpaceU brand, but also attracts the best quality students, 麻豆精品 S� Skiles says. 麻豆精品 S淚t’s not just about cool uniforms to get football recruits here. It 麻豆精品 S檚 about telling the story of what our people have already accomplished and are working on for the future. And hopefully inspire future students across the world to say: 麻豆精品 S楽paceU 麻豆精品 S� that 麻豆精品 S檚 where I want to go. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

In February 2021, Terry Mohajir was introduced as 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 vice president and director of athletics. Seven months later the Big 12 Conference issued an invitation to UCF to join its league. This is Mohajir 麻豆精品 S檚 take on the events of those months 麻豆精品 S� and how the conference question factored into his early days on the job.

There 麻豆精品 S檚 no doubt the conference situation was on the radar from the very beginning. That 麻豆精品 S檚 one of the things I thought was attractive about this job. I thought UCF was poised to be the next school up to join the club. Being part of the Autonomy 5 is what we were trying to do, what everyone wants to do. I think for the last few years the alumni base and fan base have believed UCF could participate at that level. It came up during the interview process, and I told President (Alexander N.) Cartwright, 麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e been through conference realignment six times. I would be surprised if you could find anybody that has been through the process as much as I have. 麻豆精品 S� Not only that, but I 麻豆精品 S檇 also been through realignment twice before in the Big 12.

Usually, when you get hired, you have a little bit of time to get settled. But I had to hire a football coach. Gus (Malzahn) and I talked about it (potential realignment). But you 麻豆精品 S檝e got to be careful when you hire coaches not to overpromise. I told him I would work hard at it, and he knew I would. But at that point, we were already in a pretty good conference and we needed to figure out how to get back on top.

After we hired Gus I immediately started looking at conference realignment. We kept hearing things that suggested the conference landscape might change, even if we did not know when it might be. I talked to a couple of commissioners. I felt like our next biggest priority was to generate more revenue, but also we had to think about our national narrative so we would be attractive if there was another change.

I reached out to a lot of people to let them know we were open to the idea and we were ready. I talked to President Cartwright about the idea of constantly having this drip, drip, drip in the national media 麻豆精品 S� making sure we were top of mind. And the president agreed it was a good strategy. He 麻豆精品 S檚 been an incredible partner for UCF Athletics. The trustees are crazy about our meteoric rise 麻豆精品 S� they want to help us be nationally competitive and compete with the top teams in this state.

We hired an architect to do some conceptual drawings because we understood the role facilities could play in any potential realignment. We modified some of the renderings of the football campus, and at my first Board (of Trustees) meeting I was allowed to present . It was about telling people that we had a unique opportunity to build something that would be second to none. We were ready to take that next step. I told the president that once we released the renderings people would have a lot of ideas and questions, and we just had to stay the course.

After the announcement in July 2021 about Texas, Oklahoma and the SEC, you start looking at dominos. The Big 12 was very cautious about any interference through contacting schools. I knew about that from previous experience 麻豆精品 S� so we reached out to them and when the time was right they reached back to us. The fact we made contact first was good. The day it happened with Texas and Oklahoma I reached out to a couple of commissioners. We didn 麻豆精品 S檛 wait. I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 want it to get cold, and it was hot at that time.

I was calling all the national media about our facilities plan and trying to get their take. I made a lot of calls and it made national news. I had my list of media people I knew and when I 麻豆精品 S檇 drive home I 麻豆精品 S檇 call this person and this person and this person. I had that call list for about three weeks. It gave us a real opportunity to talk about who we are. The announcement of having Gus on board had a big impact as well. He 麻豆精品 S檇 been in the SEC, played for a national championship as a head coach, won a national championship as a coordinator.

At the same time, you get into the mode of 麻豆精品 S榃hat do we have to do to prepare? 麻豆精品 S� You pull your team together, a very intimate group of people. Then we went into action.

UCF had laid some groundwork five years earlier by preparing some materials for the prospect of moving to another conference, so we had a solid foundation to work with. Plus, UCF had accomplished a lot during those five years, so our brand had a lot to offer. A lot of it has to do with timing. At that time (five years ago) I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think the Big 12 was particularly interested in expansion. This time they had an interest in our market and had done a lot of research on our market. We became a national fit as they looked for some viewership to fill the void left by Texas and Oklahoma.

A week or so before Labor Day, the Big 12 reached out and wanted to have a conversation. Bob Bowlsby flew to Orlando and met at my house with me, Alex Cartwright and (Board of Trustees chair) Alex Martins. We had just moved in so there was stuff all over the place and painting going on, but we didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have much choice because we couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 really go out in the community for lunch. I had family in town because of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 in Daytona. Both my brothers were here as well as maybe five of my nephews, who were current students at Big 12 institutions. I knew Bob was coming so I just told my wife, Julie, 麻豆精品 S淵ou’ve got to find a way to shoo everybody out of the house on Sunday. 麻豆精品 S� So no one knew they came.

That Sunday (Aug. 29) we spent two or three hours with Bob. We knew Bob wanted to meet, but we were not sure exactly what was going to happen. Was it fact-finding and he had questions for us to learn more about us? Were there some initiatives we needed to handle? We were invited to apply for membership that day 麻豆精品 S� and we were very excited.

That was when we had a discussion about some of the logistics of the move. We talked about other schools coming in. We weren’t just a shoo-in 麻豆精品 S� we had to make a valid pitch and obviously we did. They were looking at other schools and they had some priorities. You had travel partners some of the schools were concerned about, but it played very well.

What was the buy-in going to be (to join the Big 12)? Coming off COVID-19, we were just trying to pay our bills. But we had some buy-out money from our previous coach and athletic director. We had both buy-in and buy-out expenses. We had to look at The American by-laws to make sure we knew when payments were due. There were a lot of logistical things to work through. You 麻豆精品 S檙e doing it by yourself to start because you can’t really talk about this all over the office. For four or five days I knew this was going to happen, but I didn’t bring anybody in. We had another conversation with Bob Bowlsby about some contractual issues and worked those out. Then one by one we started bringing our own staff members in to let them know.

By the time we played Boise State (Sept. 2) I knew we were going to be in. By then there were a lot of rumors in the media. That may be why I was so emotional at that game considering we got down 21-0. When we got the late interception, I was just happy because I knew we were going to win and I knew we were going to announce it the next week before we played Bethune-Cookman (Sept. 11).

The day it all happened (Sept. 10) there were several governance steps you go through. Our board approving, their board approving, the letter you send to The American. I was more worried about logistics than being caught up in the moment. But once our board approved it, I was pumped up.

I was in the league when we went from the Big Eight to the Big 12 (announced February 1994). I was in the league when Texas A&M, Colorado, Nebraska and Missouri all left (2011 and 2012) and TCU and West Virginia (2012 and 2013) came in. So I remember some of the conversations involved with all that.

The Big 12 couldn’t have taken us in 2022 because it was too early. So we were shooting for July 1, 2023, all along 麻豆精品 S� and we had to work out financials with The American. Creating relationships in a new league is huge 麻豆精品 S� and so I can’t thank Bob Bowlsby and Brett Yormark enough for including us in the Big 12 meetings all along. We couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 vote (in the Big 12), but we had a voice and we had input. We could learn the room 麻豆精品 S� that 麻豆精品 S檚 been the best part of the transition for me. Now we are back to being part of the governance and that 麻豆精品 S檚 important because this is such a volatile time in college athletics.

I think the current (Big 12) ADs believe we can compete at a high level coming in. I 麻豆精品 S檝e had a lot of those conversations. They don 麻豆精品 S檛 have to say that, but I believe they 麻豆精品 S檙e sincere. I think they believe that this is a lot more than just keeping the league together 麻豆精品 S攖hey 麻豆精品 S檙e excited about what all the new schools can bring.

It 麻豆精品 S檚 been a lot of work 麻豆精品 S� but rewarding, challenging work. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 think people realize how complicated the transition is because of where the Big 12 is competitively.

The four parallel tracks I’ve talked about are real things. We are trying to increase our operating capital and keep our best personnel. Then there are facility and maintenance costs that are going up 麻豆精品 S� and then the fourth thing is recruiting, which is . We 麻豆精品 S檙e not just competing with the Big 12, we 麻豆精品 S檙e competing with Florida, Florida State and Miami as well.

As we transition into the league it 麻豆精品 S檚 going to be fun. You 麻豆精品 S檙e going to see why those other schools have been successful 麻豆精品 S� because they 麻豆精品 S檝e been competing for 100 years. We 麻豆精品 S檙e going to play a school in men 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball (Kansas) that, in essence, invented basketball. We 麻豆精品 S檙e playing against schools that have had multiple Heisman Trophy winners and national coaches of the years 麻豆精品 S� and they have unbelievable resources.

Some of the places we will go are great college towns with great fans. A lot of those schools 麻豆精品 S� facilities are second to none and we 麻豆精品 S檝e got to catch up to that. Our four parallel tracks are connected with an 麻豆精品 S榓nd. 麻豆精品 S� Not an 麻豆精品 S榦r 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� and we 麻豆精品 S檝e got to jump from one track to the next because they all are equally important.

No matter how much money you have, talent acquisition is key and then you have to develop that talent. That 麻豆精品 S檚 how you win. That 麻豆精品 S檚 the message to our coaches 麻豆精品 S� you have to be really diligent in evaluation and recruitment and development. If you do those things very well you can beat anybody.

We need to pay homage to all the people who got us to this place. There was a foundation already being built before we got here.

We have all kinds of really cool opportunities to be the first to do things in the Big 12. What can we do that hasn’t been done before?

We 麻豆精品 S檙e starting from scratch a little bit. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a new beginning.

This is the start of the rest of our athletics lives.

Pop quiz: Name the five youngest universities among the current Power 5 conferences.

All before the invention of bubble gum, you 麻豆精品 S檝e got UCLA in 1919, Texas Tech in 1923, Miami in 1925 and Houston in 1927.

By far and away the youngest is UCF, founded in 1963. Initially named Florida Technological University, it was established to provide a pipeline of talent for the United States space program at nearby Cape Canaveral.

It 麻豆精品 S檚 impossible to appreciate the journey of UCF Athletics without a timeline that exhibits the youth of the institution and the manner in which the athletics program has skyrocketed to success.

• In 1963 UCF was founded.
• In 1968 the first classes were held.
• In 1969 the first varsity athletic event was held 麻豆精品 S� a men 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball game at Massey Institute in Jacksonville. And several other sports began competition in the 1970s.
• Ten years later, in 1979, UCF played football for the first time at the Division III level with no scholarships in its first three years. Its first game was held in a muddy cow pasture.
• In 1984-85, the majority of UCF’s sports programs were playing at the Division I level.
• Four decades of a rollercoaster ride 麻豆精品 S� including the football team 麻豆精品 S檚 first FBS game (the current highest Division I level) in 1996 麻豆精品 S� led to national notoriety
• On July 1, 2023, UCF begins an exciting new chapter as one of four schools to join the Big 12 Conference.

麻豆精品 S淎 lot of the national powers right now were playing (football) at the turn of the 20th century. 麻豆精品 S� And to understand what you 麻豆精品 S檝e got to make up in that time, it’s generations of donors, it 麻豆精品 S檚 generations of parents taking their kids to games, it 麻豆精品 S檚 generations of players growing up watching the team play and say, 麻豆精品 S業 would give anything to play for that team, 麻豆精品 S� says Andy Staples, senior writer for The Athletic

麻豆精品 S�UCF, without the advantage of decades and generations of all this, has put itself in position to be very competitive in its new league, 麻豆精品 S� Staples says.

Sunshine State Conference (1975-84)

UCF’s first conference affiliation was with the Sunshine State Conference, starting in 1975. The Knights were a charter member of the Division II league which included Biscayne College (now St. Thomas University), Eckerd, Florida Southern, Rollins and Saint Leo.

Following the 1983-84 season, UCF withdrew from the Sunshine State Conference and moved to the NCAA Division I level in the majority of its programs. The Knights competed as an independent until 1990.

Highlight of the Sunshine State Era: UCF won six Sunshine State championships in men 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball, three in men 麻豆精品 S檚 tennis, two in men 麻豆精品 S檚 golf and one in baseball.

New South Women’s Athletic Conference (1986-90, Women 麻豆精品 S檚 Only)

UCF was a charter member of the New South Women’s Athletic Conference, the forerunner of the Atlantic Sun. The women 麻豆精品 S檚 cross country, basketball, golf, tennis and volleyball teams competed in the conference. During UCF’s stint in the league, Florida A&M, FIU, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Mercer and Stetson were members.

Highlight of the NSWAC Era: UCF women’s soccer’s Michelle Akers 麻豆精品 S�89 helped lead the Knights to the 1987 NCAA Final Four and was honored with collegiate soccer’s top honor, the Hermann Trophy, a year later. Akers went on to be recognized as the FIFA Women’s Player of the Century after a longstanding and decorated career with the U.S. Women’s National Team.

American South Conference (1990-91)

In 1990, the Knights joined the American South Conference, its first Division I league affiliation for all sports except football. UCF spent one campaign in the league which also featured Arkansas State, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, New Orleans, Texas-Pan American and Southwestern Louisiana.

Highlight of the American South era: The American South Conference provided a home for the first time for both the men’s and women’s programs at UCF.

Sun Belt Conference (1991-92)

Following the 1990-91 academic year, the American South merged with the Sun Belt (which retained its name), forming an 11-institution league. UCF competed in the league for just one year against the likes of Arkansas-Little Rock, Arkansas State, Jacksonville, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, New Orleans, South Alabama, Louisiana, Texas Rio Grande Valley and Western Kentucky.

Highlight of Sun Belt era: UCF was crowned with the women 麻豆精品 S檚 golf title thanks in part to individual champion Liz Earley 麻豆精品 S�92, who won the individual title in a sudden-death playoff. Jannet and Mike Shumaker were recognized with the Coach of the Year award.

Atlantic Sun Conference (1992-05)

UCF joined the Atlantic Sun (then known as the Trans America Athletic Conference) in 1992. During UCF’s tenure in the league, membership changes occurred frequently. Including UCF, 16 institutions were part of the conference since 1992 麻豆精品 S� including 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 biggest rival at the time, Stetson, located just up the road in DeLand.

UCF was extremely successful in the ASUN 麻豆精品 S� winning nine league titles in women 麻豆精品 S檚 soccer, eight each in baseball and women 麻豆精品 S檚 outdoor track and field, seven in volleyball, five in women 麻豆精品 S檚 tennis, four in men 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball, three each in men 麻豆精品 S檚 soccer, men 麻豆精品 S檚 golf, women 麻豆精品 S檚 golf and men 麻豆精品 S檚 tennis, two in women 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball, one in softball (who fielded its first team in 2002).

Highlight of the ASUN era: The 2001 baseball team (pictured below) that climbed to its highest national ranking in program history (No. 7, Baseball America) and earned the top seed in the NCAA Columbia Regional. From 2000-02, the Knights dominated the league with a combined record of 67-17 against ASUN opponents.

Milestone: Knights Head to FBS (1996)

Although the football team remained independent from conference affiliation until 2002, quite likely the biggest move in UCF Athletics history came in 1996 when the football team first began competing at the NCAA FBS level. Below are excerpts from the April 1993 press release announcing that jump (at that time UCF had only been playing football for 14 seasons). Many of the same sentiments still ring true for 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 transition to the Big 12:

The University of Central Florida will upgrade its football program to the NCAA Division I-A level beginning with the 1996 season, President John C. Hitt announced today.

“Just as a great city needs a great university, a big-league city like Orlando should have a big-league college football program,” Hitt said in making the announcement at the Florida Citrus Bowl, UCF’s home field. 麻豆精品 S�

“We expect to reap a number of benefits by making the move to major college football,” Hitt said. “Historically, many elements of the community first become involved with a university through quality intercollegiate athletic programs and then expand that involvement into other areas of the university.”

麻豆精品 S淚n addition to increased revenues, the elevation of the football program is expected to result in greater national visibility for the university and Central Florida, increased alumni and donor activity, increased interest and camaraderie among the student body, and easier recruitment of student-athletes and students in general, the president said. Local merchants should also benefit financially through increased fan support at UCF athletic events and therefore the support of the business community, including the major attractions, should increase dramatically, 麻豆精品 S� he said.

麻豆精品 S淭his change isn’t something that will just happen; we will have to earn it, 麻豆精品 S� Hitt said. 麻豆精品 S淥ne of key requirements in moving up to Division I-A is for us to reach an average attendance of 17,000 per game prior to 1996. For this to happen, we will need support from all of UCF’s friends, from the student body and the campus community to alumni, community leaders and business leaders throughout Central Florida. 麻豆精品 S�

This was also the era of Daunte Culpepper, a Central Florida standout out of Ocala Vanguard High School, who put UCF on the map nationally (literally 麻豆精品 S� in 1998, the Knights made their first national television appearance on ESPN against Purdue). Culpepper finished his career as the Knights 麻豆精品 S� first NFL first-round draft pick.

麻豆精品 S淒aunte Culpepper helped UCF become a bigger thing than it had been because it was just getting into the FBS at the time, coming out of I-AA,” Staples says. “It made people sit up and take notice and then Daunte goes to the NFL and has this long, productive pro career as well. Now you 麻豆精品 S檙e thinking, 麻豆精品 S極K this is a program that can produce that kind of player, that can nurture that kind of player, get them to the NFL and then they can be successful in the NFL. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

Mid-American Conference (2002-04, Football Only)

After 24 seasons as a football independent, UCF joined the Mid-American Conference in 2002 as a football-only member. While it may not have made sense geographically to be playing teams like Kent State, Toledo and Western Michigan as conference opponents, options for joining a league were slim and it provided UCF stability and reliability in its scheduling.

Conference USA (2005-12)

UCF became an all-sports member of Conference USA in 2005 and advanced to the inaugural football championship that same year. It was a period of transition for CUSA, with Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa and UTEP also joining the league in 2005.

The UCF men’s basketball team made immediate strides on the court in a competitive league, finishing second during the 2006-07 regular season and saw Kirk Speraw named conference coach of the year. 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 Jermaine Taylor was also a bright spot for the Knights from 2005-09. He was chosen as the conference’s Player of the Year his senior season and selected in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft.

UCF won five CUSA titles in women 麻豆精品 S檚 soccer, four in women 麻豆精品 S檚 outdoor track and field, three in men 麻豆精品 S檚 golf, two each in football, women 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball and women 麻豆精品 S檚 indoor track and field, and one in softball.

Highlight of the CUSA era: The excellence of 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 women 麻豆精品 S檚 teams. Women 麻豆精品 S檚 soccer advanced to NCAA Sweet 16 in 2011 for first time in nearly three decades and was ranked among the top 10 nationally the following year in its final year as a member. The track and field team 麻豆精品 S檚 dynasty of six indoor and outdoor championships in three years resulted in the first NCAA individual champion in school history and a top-five finish at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championship. Women 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball returned to the NCAA Tournament twice thanks to two tournament titles and softball earned a bid to the NCAA regional with its second conference championship in program history in 2008.

American Athletic Conference (2013-23)

In 2013 UCF joined Houston, Memphis and SMU in leaving Conference USA for the American Athletic Conference 麻豆精品 S� featuring members of the BIG EAST who played football. It also kickstarted the War on I-4 rivalry with nearby conference foe South Florida. UCF went a perfect 7-for-7 in the annual all-sports standings before exiting The American in 2023.

UCF concluded its 10-year tenure in the AAC with more league titles during that decade than any other conference member. UCF teams won 52 AAC titles from 2013-14 through 2022-23 麻豆精品 S� 21 regular-season crowns and 31 more via conference postseason tournaments, league title games or other conference champion designations.

麻豆精品 S淲ithout question that level of success (in the AAC) played a major role in our opportunity to join the Big 12 Conference. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Terry Mohajir, vice president and director of Athletics

麻豆精品 S淲e take great pride in the tremendous accomplishments of our teams during their 10 years in the American Athletic Conference, 麻豆精品 S� says UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir. 麻豆精品 S淲ithout question that level of success played a major role in our opportunity to join the Big 12 Conference. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淓very time some more stuff happened (with conference realignment), UCF happened to be playing very good football and people noticed,” Staples says. “That 麻豆精品 S檚 why when the Big 12 lost Texas and Oklahoma, UCF is coming off its most successful period in its history. And it was an easy choice. It was obvious where the Big 12 should go. 麻豆精品 S�

Highlight of the AAC era: The football team 麻豆精品 S檚 historical 25-0 run over a span of 745 days from 2017-19. The accomplishment is listed in the NCAA record book among the longest win streaks ever recorded and marks the fourth-longest win streak this millennium (Miami, 34 麻豆精品 S� 2000-03; Florida State, 29 麻豆精品 S� 2012-14; Alabama, 26 麻豆精品 S� 2015-16).

Big 12 Conference (2023-present)

The Big 12 announced in September 2021 that UCF would join BYU, Houston and Cincinnati as future members. The Big 12 does not sponsor men 麻豆精品 S檚 soccer, so the Knights will compete in the Sun Belt Conference (which features fellow Power 5 programs West Virginia, Kentucky and South Carolina) in that sport.

Below are excerpts from the Sept. 10, 2021, announcement when the UCF Board of Trustees voted unanimously to accept an invitation for UCF to join the Big 12. Mohajir was quoted:

麻豆精品 S淭his is a landmark day for anyone ever associated with UCF or UCF Athletics. As we anticipate a future move to the Big 12 Conference, we first owe a vote of thanks to all those at UCF who have gone before us. There 麻豆精品 S檚 a long list of student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, university presidents and support staff, fans and donors and, of course, our student body, plus so many others whose hard work and successes have helped pave the way for today 麻豆精品 S檚 announcement. The bases were already loaded, and I feel very blessed and honored to get to step up to the plate on behalf of UCF.

麻豆精品 S淚 speak for all of us at UCF in expressing our excitement for the opportunities that lie ahead. I 麻豆精品 S檓 confident our Knight teams will rise to the challenges to come.

麻豆精品 S淗ere at UCF we are in the business of providing the best possible opportunities for our student-athletes to thrive while they are here and to have post-collegiate career success. We are convinced that competing as a member of the Big 12 Conference absolutely will help us accomplish those goals.

麻豆精品 S淚n addition, Orlando is one of the most vibrant cities in the world 麻豆精品 S� and the NIL (name, image, likeness) opportunities for our student-athletes here are endless compared to many college towns. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淯CF has always kind of looked at the next step. If these programs are thinking that UCF is going to come in and just try to fit in, that 麻豆精品 S檚 not going to be how it goes.” 麻豆精品 S� Andy Staples, 聽The Athletic senior writer

麻豆精品 S淯CF has always kind of looked at the next step. If these programs are thinking that UCF is going to come in and just try to fit in, that 麻豆精品 S檚 not going to be how it goes,” Staples says. “UCF is going to come in and try to take over. I think Cincinnati, Houston, BYU probably feel the same way, but you 麻豆精品 S檝e seen it with UCF. When UCF went into the American, it was a step up in competition 麻豆精品 S� but it didn 麻豆精品 S檛 take long before UCF was one of the best programs in the league. It 麻豆精品 S檚 got everything it needs to be successful. It has all the ingredients. 麻豆精品 S�

麻豆精品 S淛ust because Oklahoma and Texas are gone (in 2024 to the sec), no one is going to be able to walk through this league,” says Nicole Auerbach, The Athletic. “We 麻豆精品 S檝e seen Kansas State and Baylor and different teams make Big 12 title games recently, but I would not be surprised if UCF is competing to win this league pretty soon after getting there.”

I will be the first to admit that I do not get attached to my teams the way some people do.

But the 2019 men’s basketball team and its story were too compelling, even for a cynic like me.

It was UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins against his mentor in Duke 麻豆精品 S檚 Coach K. It was a pair of seemingly superhuman sports figures in our beloved 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall ’19 and the Blue Devils 麻豆精品 S� future No. 1 NBA Draft pick, Zion Williamson. It was 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 quickly rising brand against arguably the biggest brand in college basketball. It was the most watched sporting event in UCF history. And it turned out to be an instant March Madness classic.

But it was more than that.

For those of us who were alongside Coach Dawkins every day in practice, with BJ Taylor getting ready for every game in the locker room, laughing with Chad Brown ’19 on all the road trips, that loss was heartbreaking, devastating 麻豆精品 S� the truest definition of the agony of defeat.

And, yes, every school that loses in a tournament and has its season end says that.

But this group was truly special.

To fully understand and appreciate the impact of that March Madness team, you 麻豆精品 S檝e got to look back four years prior. As someone who was there for nearly all of working as the primary communications contact for the team during that era, let me take you back to where it started for me.

***

I remember when I first saw Tacko Fall on the court. I went to the Amway Arena for the Hardwoord Classic All-Star game in April 2015 to scope out and score some social media content of 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 recently signed 7-foot-6 recruit who would be joining the Knights in the fall.

Tacko scored 10 points in that game, and I walked away thinking to myself, 麻豆精品 S淭his is going to be cool, but is this really going to work out? 麻豆精品 S�

You could see his lack of true coordination. He struggled running up and down the court. Given that he had only picked up a basketball for the first time a couple years prior and grew to giant heights in a short amount of time, his awkwardness wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 surprising.

That day I wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 witnessing the kid that would turn into 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 all-time leader in blocked shots, and a future leader for NCAA career field-goal percentage. This was not the 2017 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. I wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 witnessing some phenom who was going to take UCF to new heights and eventually suit up for the Boston Celtics.

And it 麻豆精品 S檚 what makes the journey that transpired so much more special.

***

I 麻豆精品 S檝e heard Johnny Dawkins say on more than one occasion the best recruiting job he ever did was convince shooting guard Matt Williams 麻豆精品 S�16 to stay for the 2016-17 season.

Williams was an Orlando native and had been with the Knights since his freshman year in 2012, but he was committed to transferring to Wake Forest at the time coach Dawkins took over 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 program.

As the story goes, Dawkins invited Williams to continue training at 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 facilities while he waited to move to North Carolina. Every day Williams showed up, he saw Dawkins in the basketball offices hard at work. He quickly had a change of heart and decided to stay for one last ride.

I could tell immediately with the first tournament that season in South Carolina things were going to be different. Tacko had made great strides. You could see the way the coaching staff was working with him that it knew the lovable center was going to be the key in taking the program a step forward.

The Knights blew out Mississippi State and beat Charleston on its home floor. They took Villanova to the wire. That first weekend was big for UCF and hinted at what was to come.

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 run to NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in 2017 was significant for the program, which hadn 麻豆精品 S檛 been to the postseason since the 2012 NIT. That season holds some of the best memories of my career.

A.J. Davis 麻豆精品 S�17 麻豆精品 S檚 free throws that . Knocking out on the road, and less than 48 hours later suiting up for the against Illinois.

Electric atmosphere. Court rush. Coach Dawkins bites the apple. in Times Square. Marching Knights atop an serenading the city. The MSG (Madison Square Garden) freight elevator ride with coach Dawkins, BJ and everyone.

Most of all, Matt Williams 麻豆精品 S� impassioned speech in the locker room after UCF lost to TCU; how he was so fulfilled by his decision to stay. His love for coach Dawkins and his teammates. How excited he was for the future.

I truly believe that whole experience was the reason two years later the Knights were able to do what they did.

***

After a 2017 campaign plagued by injuries to our key players, saw a walk-on starting the majority of the season and still somehow managing to pull out 19 wins, 鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 2018-19 season was finally going to be the year.

Only it did not start out auspiciously.

In the second game of the year, UCF lost to Florida Atlantic. At home.

All due respect to the Owls, that was not the same team that just made the 2023 Final Four.

Our locker room was dejected. The goal from the jump was NCAA Tournament or bust.

It 麻豆精品 S檚 really something to watch the ups and downs of young adults. And I always found it interesting to watch when coach Dawkins chose between chewing them out or building them back up. It 麻豆精品 S檚 an art form for a coach to have a pulse on what 麻豆精品 S檚 needed in the moment.

Credit to the team, they never gave up on their goal.

That season, coach Dawkins continually preached the message, 麻豆精品 S淕et lost in the fight. 麻豆精品 S�

The Knights did that in their win at top-10 Houston. And again in their top-20 win over Cincinnati. And UCF used its disappointing AAC conference tournament first-round loss to Memphis as fuel to get lost in that fight once again heading into the Big Dance for the first time since 2005.

I 麻豆精品 S檝e never seen a team more dialed in. We had CBS following us around for all-access content and it was as if they weren 麻豆精品 S檛 even there. BJ Taylor sat down to talk to the A-crew of Grant Hill, Jim Nantz and Bill Raftery and it was as if he was conducting an interview ahead of a regular season Tuesday night matchup at home.

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 in the first round was the program 麻豆精品 S檚 first NCAA Tourney victory in history. And that was big.

What happened next was bigger.

We . In the pre-game press conferences. In Tacko Fall 麻豆精品 S檚 麻豆精品 S淚 won 麻豆精品 S檛 allow (Zion) to put me on one of his highlight tapes 麻豆精品 S� . In the courtside handshake between coach Dawkins and coach K before tipoff. In Aubrey Dawkins 麻豆精品 S�18 wanting to help his dad do something at UCF no one else had.

We all know the game. At the buzzer: Duke 77. UCF 76.

The things that don 麻豆精品 S檛 get talked about enough are the tactics and the strategy the staff put in to defend the Blue Devils. It was unbelievable.

鲍颁贵 麻豆精品 S檚 fans were there and loud, and I remember noticing that from my courtside seat.

To this day, I 麻豆精品 S檒l see on my social media timelines when some random account poses the question, 麻豆精品 S淲hat 麻豆精品 S檚 the most heartbreaking sports moment? 麻豆精品 S� and people will still say .

Nearly everyone in the world saw the postgame locker room scene because it had millions of views on Twitter and YouTube. The tears and the sobs. The heartbreak. How real and true and honest coach Dawkins was in that moment.

I felt for them. I felt for the kids. They were so geared in and ready to shock the world.

I use that phrase only because Duke was the top-ranked team in the country and we had never advanced to that moment before.

But this wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 a Cinderella story.

I honestly think if UCF plays that game 10 times, the Knights are winning four of the 10. We would have had a legit shot to make it to the Final Four if that tip-in goes in 麻豆精品 S� that 麻豆精品 S檚 the kind of team UCF had become over those last four years.

It was quite a journey to watch it all happen.

The fact that it came on the heels of the football team 麻豆精品 S檚 25-0 run was the perfect ante up.

We doubled down and it made the nation wonder, what can 麻豆精品 S檛 UCF do?

Between Shaquem Griffin 麻豆精品 S�16, McKenzie Milton 麻豆精品 S�19, Tacko, BJ 麻豆精品 S� you had some of the most loveable characters in UCF history on campus at the same time. And on top of that, there was crossover appeal.

McKenzie Milton was going to basketball games to cheer on his friend, BJ Taylor. Guys were shouting each other out in press conferences. There was a lot of UCF synergy at that time. And it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 just because of the success. It was the people.

I will be the first to admit, as I said at the beginning, that I do not get attached to my teams the way some people do.

With those guys, I did.

They were so invested. They were so in love with UCF and with Central Florida and Orlando and that group just loved what it was doing. They loved being around the fans.

Chad Brown is just a big, loveable teddy bear. I respect Aubrey 麻豆精品 S檚 integrity and the bond he and his dad share.

I can honestly say Tacko Fall is the kindest, most genuine student-athlete I 麻豆精品 S檝e ever encountered. I saw him charm every reporter, every random stranger who stopped him in the airport for a photo, every person he interacted with. It was because of how likeable he was.

To this day, BJ Taylor asks me about my family every time we talk. He wants to see photos of my kids. I 麻豆精品 S檝e been in this industry a long time. I haven 麻豆精品 S檛 come across another young person like BJ.

Those guys had such an impact on my life. I think prior to that I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 really allow it to happen. And that 麻豆精品 S檚 the joy of what we do 麻豆精品 S� we get to work with these young people who are so full of life and I don 麻豆精品 S檛 know if I was taking advantage of it enough.

I think these guys gave me the gift of seeing how powerful it can be to let myself get lost in the fight. I got lost in the fight with them.

I think that run and that team gave UCF fans the hope for the future. I really do. The Knights can have success in anything they want.

And I can 麻豆精品 S檛 wait to watch it happen.