The UCF baseball team learned it is headed to the NCAA Auburn Regional while at a team-bonding pool party, hosted by head coach Rich Wallace �鶹��Ʒ S�04 �鶹��Ʒ S�s uncle, who lives next door to the UCF rowing facility on Lake Pickett.

�鶹��Ʒ S�[We talked to the guys and thought] we �鶹��Ʒ S�re in Orlando, might as well get out in the pool and sunshine and enjoy this thing, do it the UCF way, �鶹��Ʒ S� Wallace says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I think the guys are excited for the challenge. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The regional will run Friday, May 29 to Monday, June 1 at Auburn �鶹��Ʒ S�s Plainsman Park in Auburn, Alabama.

Baseball is one of 10 UCF programs to compete at an NCAA postseason regional or championship event in 2025-26, joining������� �鶹��Ʒ S�s�����Ի���wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s soccer, indoor track & field,������� �鶹��Ʒ S�s basketball, ����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s and wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s tennis, wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s golf, softball and rowing. The 10 NCAA appearances ties for the most in UCF history with the 2018-19 athletic year.

Postseason Outlook

UCF earned the No. 2 seed in the four-team regional and will open play against the No. 3 seed NC State Wolfpack on Friday at 6 p.m. ET. The winner of the game will advance to meet the winner of Friday �鶹��Ʒ S�s earlier matchup between the No. 4-national seed Auburn and Milwaukee.

All games of the 64-team field are available on the ESPN family of networks.

The final eight teams to advance out of the Super Regional round will head to Omaha, Nebraska, for the 79th Men �鶹��Ʒ S�s College World Series at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The Men �鶹��Ʒ S�s College World Series starts Friday, June 12.

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Road to the NCAA Tournament

For the second time in three years, the UCF baseball team has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA appearance will mark UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s second under third-year head coach����and the program �鶹��Ʒ S�s 14th NCAA Regional appearance in program history.

UCF is one of six Big 12 programs to be selected to the tournament. The Knights head into the postseason with a 31-21 overall record and set Big 12 era records in both conference wins with 19 (19-11) and league series wins with seven.

The Knights’ 19 league wins mark the most since 2005 when UCF was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

The qualification marks the first time the Knights have advanced to the NCAA Championship in back �鶹��Ʒ S�to �鶹��Ʒ S�back years since making five straight appearances from 2015-2019 thanks to their dynasty of American Athletic Conference titles.

Rowing is one of 10 UCF programs to compete at an NCAA postseason regional or championship event in 2025-26, joining������� �鶹��Ʒ S�s�����Ի���wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s soccer, indoor track & field,������� �鶹��Ʒ S�s basketball, ����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s and wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s tennis, wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s golf, softball and baseball. The 10 NCAA appearances ties for the most in UCF history with the 2018-19 athletic year.

Postseason Outlook

The Knights are looking to build off their Top 15 finish last year �鶹��Ʒ S� the highest in program history.

The NCAA Division I Wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s Rowing Championships are comprised of 22 teams and provides three events (I Eights, II Eights and Fours), each covering a 2,000-meter course. Each team is required to field two boats of eight rowers each and one boat of four rowers.

The event opens with heats on Friday, May 29, followed by semifinals on Saturday and finals on Sunday. UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s boat seedings and heat sheets for day one are:

• First 4+: UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s highest �鶹��Ʒ S�seeded crew enters at eight. The Knights will race in Heat 1 against No. 17 Columbia, No. 9 Brown, No. 2 Stanford and No. 13 Miami, competing out of lane four.
• First 8+: Seeded 10th, the Knights line up in Heat 2 with Boston, No. 3 Texas, No. 8 California and No. 14 Ohio State, racing from lane two.
• Second 8+: Slotted as the 17-seed, UCF will face No. 11 Syracuse, No. 2 Stanford, No. 1 Tennessee and No. 14 Ohio State, launching from lane one.

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Road to the NCAA Championship

UCF has been ranked in the top 25 all season, climbing as high as No. 11 on the road to repeating as Big 12 champions.

In her third season at the helm of the program, UCF head coach Mara Allen was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. She has led the Knights to first-place finishes in all but one race this season.

Junior kinesiology major Brigitte Kappler was named Big 12 Rower of the year, keeping the honor in Orlando after senior Hannah Lovejoy claimed the distinction last year. Lovejoy, who graduated with her accounting degree earlier this month, went on to be recognized with Order of Pegasus this year.

Freshman mechanical engineering major Madison Lovejoy was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year after competing in the Black and Gold �鶹��Ʒ S�s top two boats for the entirety of the spring season.

The Knights are heading to the NCAA Super Regional for the first time since 2022 and just the second time in program history thanks to a gutsy performance in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.

With UCF’s 4-2 victory over No. 9-seeded Florida State on the Seminoles’ home field on Sunday, the Knights will now face UCLA for a chance to advance to the Women’s College World Series for the first time.

The softball team is the eighth UCF program to compete at an NCAA postseason regional or championship event in 2025-26, joining ����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s�����Ի���wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s soccer, indoor track & field,������� �鶹��Ʒ S�s basketball,������� �鶹��Ʒ S�s and wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s tennis and women’s golf.

Resiliency in NCAA Regional

The Knights scored their sixth-consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament and were tabbed as the No. 6 seed in the Tallahassee Regional, kicking off postseason play against Jacksonville State on Friday.

Down to the last out of the opening game and trailing 1-0, sophomore catcher and health sciences major Beth Damon came through with one of the biggest hits of her career, sending in the tying run to force extra innings where UCF ultimately prevailed for a 2-1 walk-off victory.

After a 10-1 win over Stetson on Saturday, the Knights advanced to championship Sunday against the Seminoles. UCF fell 2-1 to Florida State in the first game, forcing an immediate winner-take-all matchup in the double-elimination tournament.

After the Seminoles tied game 2 in the top of the fourth, sophomore utility player and pre-integrated business major Izzy Mertes responded for the Knights with a two-run home run to give UCF all it needed for the victory.

�鶹��Ʒ S�It took every ounce of us to be able to get to this point, and I �鶹��Ʒ S�m so proud of the fight that they had, �鶹��Ʒ S� says head coach Cindy Ball Malone. �鶹��Ʒ S�It is very difficult to play here, and I �鶹��Ʒ S�m so proud of the resilience of our team to stay together and fight. �鶹��Ʒ S�

The win, UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s first over Florida State since April 6, 2011, represented the sixth over the Seminoles in program history, third over Florida State in Tallahassee, and the Knights �鶹��Ʒ S� first in NCAA Tournament play.

NCAA Super Regionals Info

UCF is one of two Florida schools remaining in the tournament. The Knights will travel to No. 8-seed UCLA from May 22-24.

The Bruins boast a 50-8 record this season and are coming off of back-to-back victories over South Carolina in which they outscored the Gamecocks 22-3.

Game 1 of the Best-of-3 series will take place on Friday, May 22, at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPNU. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 9 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.

If necessary, game 3 would take place on Sunday, May 24 at a time to be determined.

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Road to the NCAA Tournament

This year marks UCF’s 13th all-time appearance in the premiere postseason tournament.

UCF is one of seven Big 12 Conference teams selected to the tournament after producing a dominant regular season with 38 wins. Along the way, the Knights notched three victories over opponents ranked among the top 15 in the nation and a program-record 14 wins in Big 12 Conference play.

UCF, ranked at No. 23 heading into the postseason, has climbed as high as No. 15 in the national rankings this year, just two spots shy of their program-best record achieved in 2015 and 2022.

The NCAA Wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s College World Series will be held from May 28-June 4/5 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

UCF remains the only Florida school standing in this year’s postseason. For the third-straight year, the Knights ended the Gators �鶹��Ʒ S� season, as UCF completed a dramatic 4-3 comeback at the USTA National Campus to advance to the Sweet 16.

The Knights will head to Winston-Salem on Friday, May 8, for their matchup with No. 4 Wake Forest. The winner will advance to the Elite 8, where they will face the winner of Oklahoma/Arizona.

UCF in 2026 NCAA Tournament

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s nationally ranked ����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s and wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s tennis teams each clinched their spot in the NCAA Tournament, with the ����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s team securing hosting rights for the first and second rounds at the USTA National Campus.

UCF is the only university in the state of Florida to host a regional, and is one of just two schools in the state to see both its men’s and women’s team clinch spots in the premiere postseason tournament.

The semifinal and championship rounds will be held at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia, May 16 �鶹��Ʒ S�17.

Wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s Tennis Postseason Recap

The No. 20 wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s team headed into the postseason riding high from clinching back-to-back Big 12 Conference regular season championships.

After advancing to the second round with their 4-1 victory over Navy at the NCAA Raleigh Regional, the Knights fell to the eighth-seeded NC State.

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Tournament History

The UCF wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s team made its 11^th postseason appearance in program history, and the seventh of head coach Bryan Koniecko �鶹��Ʒ S�s 10-year tenure. Prior to his arrival in 2016, the program had made just four NCAA Tournament appearances.

The men secured their ninth all-time bid to the tournament as the No. 16 national seed, continuing the streak of making the postseason in all three seasons of Head Coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess �鶹��Ʒ S� tenure, beginning in 2024. Last year �鶹��Ʒ S�s squad made history, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time.

The No. 14 wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s golf team was selected to compete as the No. 3 seed in the Ann Arbor Regional, clinching its seventh-consecutive appearance at the premiere postseason competition. The seeding marks their highest in program history and is also the best of any Big 12 Conference team in this year �鶹��Ʒ S�s competition.

The wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s golf team is the seventh UCF program to compete at an NCAA postseason regional or championship event in 2025-26, joining ����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s and wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s soccer, indoor track & field, ����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s basketball and ����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s and wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s tennis.

Postseason Outlook

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s regional includes Southern California as the top seed, followed by Duke, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Northwestern, Kansas, Texas Tech, UNLV, Columbia, Quinnipiac and Oakland.

The three-day event begins Monday, May 11, at University of Michigan Golf Course hosted by Michigan. The Knights are familiar with the course as they were previously selected for the same regional in 2022.

The top five teams to finish at each of the six regional sites will advance to the NCAA Championship, which will be held May 22 �鶹��Ʒ S�27 at the��Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.

UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s Road to the NCAA Tournament

This will be UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s 20th regional appearance and the 11th of the last 15 seasons. Since head coach Emily Marron took over the program ahead of the 2012-13 season, the Knights have either qualified as a team or sent an individual to every NCAA regional.

The Knights have been nationally ranked all season and recently placed among the top three at the Big 12 Championship for their highest finish since joining the conference in 2023-24.

Sophomore Mila Jurine, a communication major from France, was crowned as the first individual Big 12 champion in UCF wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s golf history. Jurine and senior psychology major Pimpisa Sisutham were named to the Big 12 Tournament Team.

UCF and the Big 12 unveiled the 2026 conference slate in January, with every game initially scheduled on Saturday. Two of those games are now shifted to Friday:

• Oct. 30 vs. Baylor (Mission X Space Game)
• Nov. 20 vs. Iowa State (Senior Knight)

TV and streaming designations and kickoff times will be added as announced.

2026 Schedule & Game Day Themes

-Home games in bold-

9/3 vs. Bethune-Cookman, 7 p.m., ESPN+ (Season-Opener)
9/12 at Pittsburgh
9/19 vs. Georgia State, 7 p.m., ESPN+ (Family Weekend)
9/26 vs. TCU (Big 12 Opener)
10/3 at Houston
10/10 at Oklahoma State
10/24 vs. BYU (Homecoming)
10/30 vs. Baylor, 7:30 p.m., ESPN (Mission X Space Game)
11/7 at Kansas
11/14 vs. Arizona State
11/20 vs. Iowa State, 6 p.m., FS1 (Senior Knight)
11/28 at Colorado

The Big 12 Championship Game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, and will once again be played at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Dallas, Texas.

Under the direction of head coach Scott Frost, UCF carries early momentum into the 2026 season after landing quarterback Alonza Barnett III and a strong group of transfers through the portal. The Knights also secured a pair of four-star high school recruits, highlighting a solid overall class.

TICKETS

Season tickets for the 2026 campaign can be purchased at . Single game tickets are not yet for sale.

WHY WE BOUNCE

The 2026 campaign will mark the 20th season that UCF football plays its home games in Acrisure Bounce House. To recognize UCF’s 20 years of Acrisure Bounce House, ��a season-long celebration of the countless memories made inside the place Knight Nation calls home. The 2026 campaign is more than just another season. It is a chance to tell our story.

We want to know why YOU bounce. If you �鶹��Ʒ S�d like to help us tell our story of the bonds built through game day experiences, , and be ready to include photos.

A well-regarded civic leader who has helped propel Orlando �鶹��Ʒ S�s trajectory as the fastest major metro area in the United States, Martins has spent 30 of his nearly 40 years in professional sports management as part of the Orlando Magic organization. For his many years of dedicated service and leadership, Martins became the 14th person inducted to the NBA franchise �鶹��Ʒ S�s Hall of Fame.

The UCF��grad, who earned his��master �鶹��Ʒ S�s in business administration��in 2001,��joins��the likes of��fellow Hall of Famers��Shaquille O �鶹��Ʒ S�Neil, Anfernee �鶹��Ʒ S�Penny �鶹��Ʒ S� Hardaway and Dwight Howard.

�鶹��Ʒ S�His decades of work with the Orlando Magic and his continued investment in our university reflect the character and commitment that define UCF. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S� UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright

�鶹��Ʒ S�Chair Martins��leads with humility,��generosity��and a deep sense of responsibility to this community, �鶹��Ʒ S� says��UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. �鶹��Ʒ S�His decades of work with��the Orlando Magic and his continued investment in our university��reflect the character and��commitment��that��define��UCF. As chair of our Board of Trustees, I see every day how deeply he believes in this institution and the��opportunities��we��create for��Central Florida. His induction into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame is a well-deserved recognition of a remarkable career�����Ի���all of us at��UCF��are��proud to celebrate this moment with him. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Man of the Hour

Martins��was��inducted on Monday, March��23,��at��Kia Center, near the Orlando Magic Fan Experience.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We are excited to welcome Alex Martins into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame, �鶹��Ʒ S���says��Orlando Magic��chairman��Dan��DeVos. �鶹��Ʒ S�His innovative business acumen has transformed our organization, while working tirelessly to make the Magic an invested community partner. For his efforts that spanned three decades, this is truly a worthy recognition for Alex and his family, and we look forward to continuing to work with him in his role as vice chair. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Ties that Bind

Martins��was named����in 2021 and��also��serves on the dean �鶹��Ʒ S�s executive council for the��. Martins served on the developmental board of the globally acclaimed ��at UCF, which is funded through a $9 million endowment by Rich and Helen DeVos and awards dual master �鶹��Ʒ S�s degrees in��sport management��and business administration. Under Martins �鶹��Ʒ S� leadership, the Magic contributed $1.5 million to the construction of��UCF Downtown��in 2015, the first major private donation for the campus.

He��is a member of the College of Business �鶹��Ʒ S� Hall of Fame and recipient of the university �鶹��Ʒ S�s Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Magic Career

Martins��serves as vice chair of��the Orlando��Magic. In this position, he acts as a senior advisor to the Magic Board of Directors to advance long-term strategic initiatives and serve as a resource to Magic executives.

Martins also represents the Magic as the team �鶹��Ʒ S�s alternate governor to the NBA Board of��Governors, and��oversees all operations of the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL and the Osceola Magic of the NBA G League.

Martins served as the Orlando Magic �鶹��Ʒ S�s��CEO��for 14 seasons (2011-25). He has held various senior-level management capacities with the Magic between 1989-98 and upon his return to the organization in 2005, including director of media relations, executive vice president of marketing and franchise relations,��president��and chief operating officer.

During his tenure as CEO, the��Sports Business Journal��named the Magic as one of the �鶹��Ʒ S�Best Places to Work in Sports, �鶹��Ʒ S� the only franchise in the four major professional sports leagues to receive the recognition��in 2024.

His effort and collaboration with local business and political leaders��helped to��secure the Kia Center as a sports and entertainment home, which opened in October 2010. The Kia Center was named the��Sports Business Journal �鶹��Ʒ S�s Sports Facility of the Year in 2012.

Martins has also held senior executive positions with the New Orleans Hornets, the NFL �鶹��Ʒ S�s Cleveland Browns and Tavistock Group. He started his career as a student assistant in the��Villanova sports information department,��assisted��in the Philadelphia 76ers public relations department and was also the assistant sports information director at Georgetown University.

With its numerous industries to sustain a career and vibrant culture to build a life, Orlando isn �鶹��Ʒ S�t a hard sell. Still, when it comes to promoting all this city has to offer, you �鶹��Ʒ S�d be hard pressed to find someone who loves it more than Andrea (Rodrigues) Sage �鶹��Ʒ S�12.

The advertising-public relations grad spent the last decade in various sales-related positions with the Tampa Bay Rays, Orlando Magic and insulated beverageware company Corkcicle (headquartered in Orlando).

That experience along with the leadership and life skills she developed at UCF and her beloved hobby as the mastermind behind �鶹��Ʒ S� an immensely popular social media account that explores new activities, restaurants and happenings in Central Florida �鶹��Ʒ S� gave her what she needed to land her dream gig as marketing manager for Visit Orlando.

�鶹��Ʒ S�I get to marry my love for this community and something I �鶹��Ʒ S�m passionate about doing �鶹��Ʒ S� marketing this city. It �鶹��Ʒ S�s perfect for me, �鶹��Ʒ S� Sage says. �鶹��Ʒ S�To find this opportunity with Visit Orlando, it truly has been a dream come true. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Tourism Shapes Orlando

Sage �鶹��Ʒ S�s mission in her role at Visit Orlando as a marketing manager, specializing in domestic tourism, is to bring visitation to the destination, period.

Orlando is the most visited destination in the U.S. bringing more than 75 million visitors. According to Visit Orlando, tourism supports 37% of all jobs in the region.

Central Florida �鶹��Ʒ S�s tourism industry generated an economic impact of $94.5 billion in 2024, a 2.2% increase over the previous year, according to a study by Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics and a leader in industry research.

As 2025 numbers work on being finalized, all signs point to the continued momentum of the region �鶹��Ʒ S�s tourism.

It �鶹��Ʒ S�s not hard to see why Orlando is in demand:

• Standard-setting theme parks
• Marquee sporting events �鶹��Ʒ S� earning Orlando the No. 1 spot for Sports Event Cities in the U.S., according to Sport Business Journal
• Vibrant arts scene
• Top-of-the-line hotels and resorts
• 58 Michelin-recognized restaurants
• Proximity to beautiful beaches and Port Canaveral �鶹��Ʒ S�s cruise ships

Sage gives a glimpse into what goes into helping shape Orlando �鶹��Ʒ S�s reputation as one of the world �鶹��Ʒ S�s most desirable destinations.

Advertising All of Orlando

Sage �鶹��Ʒ S�s role with Visit Orlando oversees many facets. She might be placing a billboard in Baltimore, a well-timed ad on a streaming platform, or organize a tropical oasis in the middle of New York City on a 30-degree Fahrenheit day, enticing winter-weary New Yorkers to plan their next vacation.

She recently spent a week overseeing the production of an eco-tourism campaign video shoot at several locations to highlight the area �鶹��Ʒ S�s natural beauty, hiking and springs.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Culinary, arts, theme parks, nature, cultural experiences, whatever your travel bug is, this destination brings it all. �鶹��Ʒ S� �鶹��Ʒ S� Andrea (Rodrigues) Sage �鶹��Ʒ S�12

�鶹��Ʒ S�Adults with kids, adults without kids, this vacation has all your needs �鶹��Ʒ S� culinary, arts, theme parks, nature, cultural experiences, whatever your travel bug is, this destination brings it all, �鶹��Ʒ S� Sage says.

Competing on the Global Stage

Orlando �鶹��Ʒ S�s prime competitors in the tourism market depends on who you �鶹��Ʒ S�re talking to.

It could be California (theme parks), Las Vegas (conferences), or Spain and Italy (international visitation). As cruise lines have come roaring back after the pandemic, the Caribbean is now in the mix, too. Orlando doesn �鶹��Ʒ S�t just compete with other cities for tourists, but entire states and countries.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Our destination is amazing, but every Jan. 1 the visitor tally resets, and there is a lot of work happening behind the scenes to make sure we remain top of mind, �鶹��Ʒ S� Sage says.

Success Fueled by UCF

A St. Petersburg, Florida, native, Rodrigues was recruited to UCF to play for the wo����� �鶹��Ʒ S�s soccer team. From 2008-12, she helped lead the Knights to five NCAA postseason appearances, including the 2011 Elite 8, three conference championships and one of the program �鶹��Ʒ S�s highest national rankings (No. 6) in school history.

During her collegiate career, she also joined the Portuguese National Team, which exposed her to places and cultures that would ultimately spark her interests in travel and exploration today.

As an elite scholar-athlete, she points to the intangible soft skills she gained �鶹��Ʒ S� work ethic, goal-setting, communication, collaboration and time management all at an elevated standard of excellence �鶹��Ʒ S� as formative to her life as a working parent.

�鶹��Ʒ S�Being a UCF student-athlete has made who I am. �鶹��Ʒ S�

�鶹��Ʒ S�Being a UCF student-athlete has made who I am, �鶹��Ʒ S� Sage says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I take interviews today as a 36-year-old and still talk about how it has positively shaped me. I would go from a 6 a.m. strength training to study hall to three classes to practice to a night class, still have homework and study and then travel to a road game the next day.

�鶹��Ʒ S�The controlled chaos I lived in then, it is innate in me and still my normal today. I have two little kids, I �鶹��Ʒ S�m married, I have a full-time job, I work out every day, I have a hobby. It just feels right. It is a controlled chaotic environment that I love. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Living Where the World Vacations

Rodrigues says what she appreciates most about living in Orlando is getting to explore new places in her own backyard. She started @cheatdayorlando in 2021 after becoming a mother. Since then, she has grown the account to nearly 100,000 followers and landed a regular gig on the 106.7 FM morning show Johnny �鶹��Ʒ S�s House spreading the word about new experiences in the area.

�鶹��Ʒ S�It doesn �鶹��Ʒ S�t feel like you �鶹��Ʒ S�re stagnant in Orlando �鶹��Ʒ S� you can have a different experience just 10 minutes away, �鶹��Ʒ S� she says. �鶹��Ʒ S�I love that there �鶹��Ʒ S�s something for everyone to feel like home because we have a melting pot of culture. �鶹��Ʒ S�

Spring Break Scene

Whether you �鶹��Ʒ S�re a local enjoying a staycation or coming to Orlando for your Spring Break, Rodrigues shares her pro tips on some new experiences worth checking out:

• ICON Park will soon feature Ripley �鶹��Ʒ S�s Crazy Golf, a glow-in-the-dark immersive indoor miniature golf course with many unconventional ways to putt.
• Harlow Grove Restaurant and Lounge, a new trendy restaurant in Winter Garden, opened this month and features a rooftop terrace and elevated menu.
• Maitland �鶹��Ʒ S�s Enzian Theater is a single-screen independent cinema cafe that offers cozy, vintage decor and seating, with a full kitchen menu. For the parents out there with little Spring Breakers, consider the theater �鶹��Ʒ S�s Peanut Butter Matinee Family Film Series, which offers free admission to kids 12 and under. Cars 2 will be featured at noon on March 22.

Seattle offensive tackle Amari Kight �鶹��Ʒ S�24 and defensive back Shaquill Griffin �鶹��Ʒ S�16 or New England safety Richie Grant �鶹��Ʒ S�20 could become the latest Knights to claim Super Bowl rings when the two squads square off on Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. on NBC in Levi �鶹��Ʒ S�s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

To date, 13 former Knights have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, most recently integrated business alum Jordan Franks �鶹��Ʒ S�18 with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in 2023.

After joining the Knights in 2023 as a graduate transfer, Kight was a two-year starter on the offensive line for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He earned a bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in sport business management.

During his freshman year as a defensive back at UCF, Griffin helped clinch the program �鶹��Ʒ S�s first New Year �鶹��Ʒ S�s Six bowl championship (2014 Fiesta Bowl) and went out to finish his career as an all-conference standout. The 9-year NFL veteran and 2019 Pro Bowl selection was initially drafted in 2017 by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round and has been affiliated with several NFL teams. He resigned with the Seahawks last June and is currently on the practice squad. Griffin earned a bachelor �鶹��Ʒ S�s degree in human communication.

Grant, who signed with the Patriots’ practice squad in October, was an all-conference selection who helped lead the Knights during their historic 25-0 unbeaten streak in 2017 �鶹��Ʒ S�18 before he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2021. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sport and exercise science and a minor in medical sociology.

Tied at 72 with less than a minute remaining in Saturday �鶹��Ʒ S�s game, junior forward Jordan Burks drilled a 3-pointer in front of the Knights �鶹��Ʒ S� bench that ignited UCF on to its 81-75 victory over the No. 17 Jayhawks.

As the buzzer sounded, droves of the more the 8,000 in attendance stormed the court in celebration �鶹��Ʒ S� a nearly identical scene to the Knights �鶹��Ʒ S� 65-60 win over then-No. 3 Kansas in the first Big 12 Conference game in school history on Jan. 10, 2024.

�鶹��Ʒ S�We beat a good basketball team tonight �鶹��Ʒ S� the tradition, the coaching, the players they have. Just really proud of our players for playing for 40 minutes, �鶹��Ʒ S� UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins says. �鶹��Ʒ S�They showed a lot of heart throughout the game because Kansas is [terrific]. I thought our guys did a great job of sustaining effort on the court. I thought we finished strong at the end of the game when Kansas made a really good run to tie the ball game up. Those were things we were talking about as a team prior to us going away for Christmas break; how we have to play in conference, and I thought our guys it reflected that today in how we finished the game. �鶹��Ʒ S�

UCF is now ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since 2019.

This year �鶹��Ʒ S�s squad now improves to 12-1, marking the program �鶹��Ʒ S�s best start under Dawkins since he took the helm in 2016. On Monday, UCF cracked into the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2019, debuting at No. 25 in the Week 9 poll.

The ranking marks just the sixth week UCF has appeared in the AP Top 25 since the program �鶹��Ʒ S�s inception in 1969 and the second time under Dawkins.

Senior guard and Orlando native Riley Kugel led with 19 points, followed by guard Themus Fulks with 16 points and Burke with 14. UCF �鶹��Ʒ S�s 44 first-half points marked the most the Jayhawks have allowed this season, after previously holding then-No. 5 Duke and then-No. 17 Tennessee to 41 points apiece.

Up next, the Knights continue league play when they head to Oklahoma State for an 8 p.m. matchup on Jan. 6 before returning home Jan. 11 to face Cincinnati at 5 p.m.

The Big 12 boasts the most Top 25 teams (seven) of any conference in the country.

�鶹��Ʒ S�At the end of this day, this needs to be behind us and we have to throw all of our preparation into Oklahoma State because that �鶹��Ʒ S�s how this league is, �鶹��Ʒ S� Dawkins says. �鶹��Ʒ S�You �鶹��Ʒ S�re going to have 17 more games like we had tonight. None of them are going to be different. All of these teams are well-coached, all these teams have a lot of talent so we have to prepare for it that way. �鶹��Ʒ S�