As UCF approaches its inaugural season as the youngest member of a Power 5 conference, the athletics department is taking a look back to commemorate this special moment in history. The following feature is a part of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 12 for XII series 麻豆精品 S� 12 stories that define UCF and the meteoric rise of the Knights in their journey to the Big 12 Conference.
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.
UCF 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 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 UCF 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.
UCF 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 UCF 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 UCF 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�
