UCF Knights Football - wikipedia UCF Knights Football UCF Knights Football 2017 UCF Knights football team First season 1979 Athletic director Danny White Head coach Josh Heupel 1st season, 0 -- 0 ( -- ) Bowl record 4 -- 5 (. 444 ) Claimed nat'l titles 1 ( 2017 ) Conference titles 5 ( 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017 ) Division titles 5 ( 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2017 ) Rivalries South Florida Bulls ( rivalry ) Consensus All - Americans Colors Black and Gold Fight song Charge On Mascot Knightro Marching band Marching Knights Outfitter Nike The UCF Knights football team represents The University of Central Florida ( UCF ) in the sport of American football. The Knights compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) and the East Division of the American Athletic Conference ( The American ). Their current head coach is Josh Heupel, formerly a player and coach at Oklahoma and offensive coordinator at Missouri. The Knights play their home games at the 44,000 - seat Spectrum Stadium, which is located on UCF 's main campus in Orlando, Florida, United States. UCF first fielded a varsity football team in the fall of 1979 as a NCAA Division III program and subsequently completed their ascension to Division I -- A, now known as the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ( FBS ), in 1996, becoming the only program in NCAA history to have played in all four divisions of football. As a Division I -- AA program, the Knights made the 1990 and 1993 playoffs, and were picked as the preseason No. 1 team to start the 1994 season. As of the 2017 regular season, UCF has 243 victories, has won five division championships and five conference championships, and an undefeated season in 2017. The Knights claim a national championship for the 2017 season despite being excluded from that season 's College Football Playoff. The Knights have made nine postseason appearances since joining the FBS, including winning two major bowls : the 2014 Fiesta Bowl and the 2018 Peach Bowl. The program has produced one Consensus All - American, Kevin Smith in 2007, and three Heisman Trophy candidates, Daunte Culpepper ( QB ) in 1998, Kevin Smith ( RB ) in 2007, and McKenzie Milton ( QB ) in 2017. UCF has produced a long - line of accomplished NFL players, including Blake Bortles, A.J. Bouye, Kemal Ishmael, Brandon Marshall, Matt Prater, Asante Samuel, and Mike Sims - Walker. UCF has had three first - round picks in the NFL Draft, players in fourteen Super Bowls, and seven pro-bowlers. The Knights ' main rivals are the South Florida Bulls. Contents 1 History 1.1 Early history ( 1979 -- 1984 ) 1.2 Gene McDowell era ( 1985 -- 1997 ) 1.3 Mike Kruczek era ( 1998 -- 2003 ) 1.4 George O'Leary era ( 2004 -- 2015 ) 1.5 Scott Frost era ( 2016 -- 2017 ) 2 Head coaches 3 Venues 3.1 Citrus Bowl ( 1979 -- 2006 ) 3.2 Spectrum Stadium ( 2007 -- present ) 4 Rivalries 4.1 East Carolina 4.2 South Florida 4.3 Tulsa 4.4 All - time records versus rivals 5 Program records and achievements 5.1 National championship 5.2 Conference championships 5.3 Divisional championships 5.4 Bowl games 5.5 Division I -- AA Playoffs 5.6 Division II Playoffs 5.7 All - time record vs. conference teams 6 Individual awards and honors 6.1 All - Americans 6.2 Conference honors 6.3 Heisman Trophy 6.4 Honored numbers 6.5 Other honors 7 Knights in professional football 7.1 Knights in the Pro Bowl 7.2 Knights in the Super Bowl 8 Schedule 8.1 Future non-conference opponents 9 See also 10 Footnotes 11 References 12 External links History See also : List of UCF Knights football seasons and List of UCF Knights bowl games Early History ( 1979 -- 1984 ) The UCF football program can be traced back to a speech given by the university 's second president, Dr. Trevor Colbourn, in January 1979. Colbourn believed that a successful athletics program would bring the university greater renown, and tasked Dr. Jack O'Leary with the job of creating a new football program at the school. In addition, Colbourn changed the name of the school to the University of Central Florida ( prior to this, the college was known as Florida Technological University ), to express the university 's expanded academic scope. Beginning at the Division III level, O'Leary, then the university 's athletic director, held a meeting of prospective players, who paid $14 per night to stay in the dorms and brought their own uniforms to the tryouts, in March 1979. This would be the first football tryouts for prospective players, and would serve as the first that many students would hear about the new athletic program. O'Leary had previously served as an assistant coach at Alabama under Paul `` Bear '' Bryant. He would spearhead the effort to raise more than $40,000 to start the program, and would complete a deal for the team to play in the Tangerine Bowl. Without a budget to hire a staff, O'Leary reached out to six UCF graduate students as volunteer assistants. From there, O'Leary was able to lure Don Jonas, a former NFL quarterback and Orlando dignitary, to become UCF 's first head football coach on a voluntary basis. One day during a practice, O'Leary pulled the team aside and unveiled the template for uniforms of `` The Fighting Knights ''. He would reveal a template that would follow the team into the 21st century : black jerseys, gold pants and gold helmets. Less than one year after Colbourn had envisioned a football program for the university, UCF played its first game on September 22, 1979 against St. Leo University. The Knights would prove victorious with a 21 -- 0 shutout, and less than a week later, the Knights would win their first home game by defeating Ft. Benning, 7 -- 6. Jonas led the Knights to a 6 -- 2 inaugural season, behind an average attendance of 11,240, including a Division III record crowd of 14,138. Following the season, in March 1980, Jonas was offered the Knights head coaching job as a full - time position. After leading the team to a 4 -- 4 -- 1 and 4 -- 6 record in 1980 and 1981 respectively, Jonas would leave the Knights following the 1981 season. During the 1980 season, the Knights earned the only tie in program history, an 11 -- all game against Miles, and Tim Kiggins became the first Knight to sign a professional contract. After his departure, Jonas remained involved in the program, including doing radio broadcasts of UCF football games and a radio sports talk show. Jonas led the Knights to a 14 -- 12 -- 1 (. 518 ) record in three seasons. Following the departure of Don Jonas, Sam Weir, who was the head coach at Lake Howell High School, became UCF 's new head coach and led the Knights in their move up to Division II in 1982. Another change to the university 's athletic programs in 1982 was the departure of O'Leary as athletic director, and the hiring of Bill Peterson, who was the Florida State head coach from 1960 -- 70. In their first season playing Division II ball, the Knights went 0 -- 10, and Weir decided not to return for the 1983 season. One bright spot of the season was that Mike Carter became the first Knight to sign with an NFL team, the Denver Broncos. Lou Saban replaced Weir as the Knights head coach in 1983. Saban had previously coached at Miami, Army, Northwestern, and in the AFL and NFL with the Buffalo Bills and Boston Patriots, to name just a few. In UCF 's first Black and Gold Spring game held in 1983, the defense won 14 -- 6. The Knights finished the 1983 season 5 -- 6, including the team 's first win over a Division I -- AA opponent. Starting the 1984 season filled with optimism, the Knights were shaken by a 1 -- 6 start. Following the disappointing beginning to the season, Saban stepped away from the program, and was replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach Jerry Anderson. Saban had a 6 -- 12 (. 333 ) record during his tenure as the Knights head coach. Anderson finished out the year with the team in an interim position, with a 1 -- 3 (. 250 ) record. UCF finished the season with a 2 -- 9 mark. In the course of the three seasons following Jonas ' departure, the Knights went through three head coaches, and amassed a 7 -- 25 record. Gene McDowell era ( 1985 -- 1997 ) Reeling after a disappointing string of seasons, there were discussions within the community about the possibility of dismantling the program, and Peterson announced his retirement as the university 's athletic director. In addition, due to financial troubles, the team had to postpone plans to move up to Division I - AA. Without a head coach or athletic director, President Colbourn hired Florida State assistant coach Gene McDowell to fill both positions. McDowell took the helm in 1985, and hired his eventual successor and former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mike Kruczek as his offensive coordinator. The Knights would finish with a 4 -- 7 mark in McDowell 's first year, including a 21 -- 42 loss to UCF 's first - ever Division I -- A opponent, Louisville. Due to financial hardships, McDowell waived half of his annual salary, and FSU head coach Bobby Bowden donated uniforms and cleats to the program. McDowell would the lead the Knights to their first winning season since 1979, with a 6 -- 5 record in 1986. Also that year, Ted Wilson became the first UCF player to be selected in the 1987 NFL Draft, being picked by the Washington Redskins in the 10th round. Following an 8 -- 3 regular season record in 1987, the Knights earned their first trip to the Division II playoffs, where they earned a 1 -- 1 record. After starting the 1988 season with five straight wins, UCF would be ranked No. 2 in Division II. During a game against the defending D - II national champions Troy at the Citrus Bowl, UCF fans were so loud at one point that the Trojans quarterback Bob Godsey could n't call plays. Godsey complained to the referee about the crowd noise, but instead of helping Troy, the referee called a delay of game penalty on the Trojans. The `` noise penalty '' is legendary at UCF, and the win over Troy thrust the Knights into the position as the No. 1 ranked team in D - II. Between 1986 and 1990 under the leadership of McDowell, the Knights held a 24 -- 6 record at the Citrus Bowl. During McDowell 's tenure, the program moved up to Division I - AA in 1990. In their first year in the division, the Knights earned a 10 -- 4 record, a program best, and a trip to the I -- AA playoffs. UCF would make it to the semifinals, and became the first school in history to qualify for the I -- AA playoffs in its first season of eligibility. The Knights would finish the 1991 and 1992 with winning seasons as well. In 1992, Dr. John Hitt, UCF 's fourth president, announced that the program would make the move to Division I-A in 1996, and he hired Steve Sloan as the university 's new athletic director. Earning their eighth winning season in 1993, the Knights would again make the playoffs. During the season, the team won their first game over a Division I -- A team, a 38 -- 16 victory at Louisiana Tech. After another impressive season, UCF was selected as the preseason No. 1 to start the 1994 season. The 1994 season would prove disappointing however, as the Knights would finish the season ranked No. 20 with a 7 -- 4 record. During the team 's final season in Division I - AA, the Knights were reinvigorated by freshman sensation Daunte Culpepper. The quarterback would lead the Knights to a 6 -- 5 record, and their tenth straight winning season in 1995. On September 1, 1996, UCF officially made its foray into Division I-A. At that time, the Knights became the first football program to play in four different NCAA divisions ( III, II, I - AA and I-A ). In their first two seasons in Division I-A, the Knights posted identical 5 -- 6 records behind Culpepper. In 1997, assistant coach Alan Gooch was named the national assistant coach of the year, due to his work with deaf running back Dwight Collins. In the wake of a federal fraud scandal revolving around improper cellular phone benefits and use, McDowell resigned as head coach on January 20, 1998. Over his 13 -- year tenure at UCF, McDowell earned an 87 -- 61 (. 587 ) record. Mike Kruczek era ( 1998 -- 2003 ) After the abrupt departure of Gene McDowell, offensive coordinator Mike Kruczek was named UCF 's new head coach on an interim basis. He would receive the position permanently later in 1998. Daunte Culpepper led UCF to its best season ever with a 9 - 2 record in 1998 ( with losses only coming to Purdue and Auburn ). Culpepper finished 6th in the Heisman Trophy voting and set the NCAA record for completion percentage that year ( 73.4 % ). Following the season, Culpepper was drafted with the 11th pick in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, marking the highest ever draft pick of a UCF player. The Knights proved to be a scary team on the road against heavily favored opponents, with close losses including a 10 - 6 loss at Auburn in 1998, a 24 - 23 loss at Georgia in 1999, and a 21 - 17 loss at Georgia Tech in 2000. Kruczek 's biggest victory would come in 2000 against Alabama at Bryant -- Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, when the Knights won 40 - 38 on a last - second field goal by Javier Beorlegui. After finishing 9 -- 2 in 1998, UCF received a tentative verbal agreement to play in the inaugural Oahu Bowl. That arrangement, however, was contingent on UCLA finishing the season undefeated ; the Oahu Bowl was otherwise committed to taking a team from the Pac - 10. On the final day of the regular season, Miami upset UCLA, setting off a chain reaction that sent Washington to the Oahu Bowl and left the Knights out in the cold. Kruczek guided the team as a Division I-A independent until 2002. After six difficult years as an independent, UCF played its much - anticipated first season as a member of the Mid-American Conference in 2002. They finished runner - up in the East division with a 6 -- 2 conference record. They finished the season 7 -- 5 overall, completing their 14th winning season in the past 17 years. The excitement, however, would be short - lived. After signing a three - year contract extension at the beginning of the 2003 season, Kruczek was fired following a 3 -- 7 start. Kruczek was replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach and former player Alan Gooch who finished out the dismal 3 - 9 season with losses to Mid-American Conference rivals Marshall and Miami ( OH ). The Marshall game marked UCF 's first nationally televised home football game as it was aired on ESPN2. Kruczek ended his 6 -- year stewardship of UCF with a 36 -- 30 (. 545 ) record. An increasing travel burden, inability to compete with much better MAC teams, and lack of natural rivals within the midwest - based MAC saw UCF begin to explore the possibility of a different conference affiliation after just a couple years in the conference. In 2003, UCF was invited as an all - sports member of Conference USA beginning with the 2005 season. George O'Leary era ( 2004 -- 2015 ) Coach O'Leary Following the disappointing 2003 season, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator and former Georgia Tech head coach George O'Leary was named UCF 's new head coach in 2004. This was a controversial and bold hire because O'Leary had previously left Georgia Tech after the 2001 season and been named head coach at Notre Dame, but resigned in disgrace five days into his tenure after inconsistencies were found on his resume. The difficult coaching transition for 2004, the Knights ' final year in the Mid-American Conference, saw the team hit rock bottom, going 0 -- 11. In 2005, UCF started their first season as a member of Conference USA. Not expected to improve much over 2004, they surprisingly won their first conference game against Marshall, 23 -- 13, ending the school 's 17 - game losing streak, then the nation 's longest such streak. UCF fans celebrated by storming the field and tearing down the goal posts. Students came back to the campus and celebrated further by jumping into UCF 's Reflection Pond ( a practice normally reserved for Spirit Splash ). UCF then went on to win eight out of the remaining nine games on their schedule, finishing 7 -- 1 in C - USA games and 8 -- 5 overall, winning the East Division and hosting the first ever C - USA Championship game, which they lost, 44 - 27, to Tulsa. Shortly thereafter, UCF was invited to play in their first ever bowl game, the Hawaii Bowl, losing to Nevada 49 - 48 in overtime due to a missed PAT that would have tied the game. In 2005 O'Leary was chosen by SportsIllustrated.com for the coach of the year award and received votes for the larger Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award award. In May 2006, UCF extended O'Leary's contract for 10 years and increased his pay to $1 million plus incentives per year after he engineered the fourth - best single - season turnaround in college football history. After an anemic 2006 which saw the Golden Knights go a mere 4 -- 8, the team rebranded in 2007 in preparation for its move to its new on - campus venue, Spectrum Stadium. They dropped the `` Golden '' from their name, becoming the `` UCF Knights ''. Fortunes seemed to have changed as the Knights moved into new facilities. After defeating a BCS school for just the second time ever, NC State by a score of 25 - 23, they inaugurated their new stadium by hosting and losing to national power # 6 Texas by a score of 35 - 32. The Knights lost to archrival South Florida by a score of 64 - 12 in Tampa, but went on to have a 10 -- 4 overall record and won the C - USA East again, hosting the Championship game against Tulsa once more. UCF defeated Tulsa in a near - reversal of the 2005 Conference USA Championship Game 44 - 25, thereby gaining UCF 's first ever Conference Championship title and a berth in the 2007 Liberty Bowl. Following UCF 's victory, the Knights received 35 votes in the AP Poll, but did not reach the top 25, ranking 27th. The Knights lost the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee by a score of 10 - 3 to Mississippi State. The Knights went on to finish the year with its first 10 win season in the FBS. In 2007, Kevin Smith set an NCAA record with 450 rushing attempts and rushed for 2,567 yards, placing him 2nd on the NCAA 's all - time single season rushing list behind only Oklahoma State 's Barry Sanders. Despite this, he was not selected even as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. He also was the only running back in the 2007 season to rush for more than 100 yards against the Texas Longhorns. He was a fan favorite, especially with student section at Bright House Networks Stadium. Smith originally stated that he would return for his senior season at UCF, however, he later changed his mind, announcing on January 6, 2008 that he would declare for the 2008 NFL Draft. He was selected with the first pick in the third round by the Detroit Lions. On March 18, 2008, running back Ereck Plancher collapsed shortly after a conditioning drill, and was then transported to a nearby hospital where he died approximately one hour later. ESPN 's `` Outside The Lines '' program on November 2, 2008 interviewed players who were at the training session at which Plancher became ill, and which after he died, and stated that the session was longer and far more rigorous than O'Leary and other UCF Athletics officials have admitted to publicly. They also alleged that O'Leary and other coaches had initially warned players off from providing assistance to Plancher when he became visibly distressed. After a 14 - day trial in 2011, a jury found the UCF Athletics Association guilty of negligence in the death of Plancher. The jury awarded each of his parents $5 million. Upon appeal, however, the Florida Supreme Court sided with the University of Central Florida, ruling that sickle - cell disease caused the death and the university did n't owe any money to Plancher 's family. After a lackluster 4 -- 8 season in 2008, UCF bounced back with an 8 -- 5 record in 2009, including winning their last six straight C - USA games. Among those wins was their first victory over a nationally ranked team, beating then # 12 Houston on November 14 by a score of 37 -- 32 at Spectrum Stadium. UCF finished with a 45 -- 24 loss to Rutgers in the St. Petersburg Bowl, their third bowl appearance in five years. Entering the 2010 season, with the recruitment of Jeffrey Godfrey and return of key seniors, including Bruce Miller, there were high hopes for the Knights. After winning 5 straight games, and posting an 11 - game conference winning streak, the Knights were ranked for the first time in school history following their nationally televised 40 -- 33 victory over Houston on the road. For the polls released on November 7, 2010, UCF was ranked in all three major college polls. The Knights were ranked 25 in the AP Poll, 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 25 in the Harris Poll. In their first game as a nationally ranked squad, the Knights fell 31 - 21 to Southern Miss in Orlando. UCF would bounce back and defeat Tulane by a score of 61 -- 14 and Memphis by a score of 37 -- 17. With the wins, the Knights secured the C - USA Eastern Division championship and reentered the polls. The Knights would go on to win the 2010 Conference USA championship game, defeating SMU 17 -- 7. Following the win, UCF entered the BCS standings for the first time in program history, ranking No. 25. The Knights ended the 2010 season with a 10 -- 6 victory over Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, marking the team 's first - ever bowl victory. UCF would end the season ranked 20th in the final coaches poll and 21st in the final AP rankings. 2011 proved to be a disappointing season as UCF finished with a 5 -- 7 record and were not bowl eligible for the first time since 2008. The season included out - of - conference losses to FIU and BYU, as well as conference losses to then - winless UAB, a 1 -- point loss to # 23 Southern Miss and the continuation of the Knights woes at quarterback, as Jeff Godfrey and Blake Bortles battled for playing time. Following the 2011 season, Jeff Godfrey planned on transferring, though he later decided to return to the Knights as a wide receiver. It was announced on December 7, 2011 that UCF would join the Big East Conference, renamed the American Athletic Conference soon thereafter, in all sports beginning in 2013. Following an investigation into recruiting violations in the men 's basketball and football programs in 2011, on July 31, 2012, the NCAA announced sanctions -- in addition to penalties UCF had previously self - imposed. The NCAA imposed a one - year postseason football ban. The penalty was in addition to a $50,000 fine, adding two years to UCF 's previously proposed three years ' probation, reduction of football scholarships, and tighter limits of football recruiting visiting days. In 2012, the Knights finished 10 -- 4 and won their fourth C - USA East Division championship, though they would fall 33 -- 27 in overtime to Tulsa in the league title game. UCF would play in the 2012 Beef ' O ' Brady 's Bowl and win 38 - 17 over Ball State as quarterback Blake Bortles would be named the game 's MVP after throwing four touchdown passes. On April 19, 2013, UCF won its appeal with the NCAA and was eligible for postseason play in 2013. The appeal would prove crucial, as in 2013, O'Leary led the Knights to their first twelve - win season ( 12 -- 1 ), first perfect conference record ( 8 -- 0 ), first win against a Big Ten opponent ( Penn State ), first win against a Top -- 10 team ( # 8 Louisville ), third conference title, and the program 's first appearance and victory in a BCS bowl game, defeating # 6 Baylor 52 -- 42 in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. The game was one of the biggest upsets of the BCS era. On January 7, 2014, UCF was ranked # 10 in the season 's final AP Poll, the highest ranking in school history. Blake Bortles would be drafted in the first round at third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 NFL Draft. The Knights finished 9 -- 4 in 2014. The Knights kicked off the season in Dublin, Ireland against Penn State, losing to the Nittany Lions by a score of 26 - 24. O'Leary's squad dropped to 0 -- 2 after losing to # 20 Missouri by a score of 38 - 10. Central Florida then won its next five ; defeating FCS foe Bethune -- Cookman, Houston, BYU in overtime, Tulane and Temple. The Knights ' five - game winning streak was snapped with a 37 - 29 loss to UConn on November 1. UCF won its next four to close the regular season ; topping Tulsa, SMU, archrival South Florida and East Carolina. O'Leary's Knights accepted a bid to the 2014 St. Petersburg Bowl, a game they lost to NC State by a score of 34 - 27. The 2015 season, which began with high hopes, would be a disaster. After dropping their first three, UCF lost to South Carolina by a score of 31 - 14 on September 26 to fall to 0 -- 4. Following UCF 's 59 -- 10 loss to Houston on homecoming, dropping the Knights to an 0 -- 8 record to start the 2015 season, O'Leary resigned as head football coach. Quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett was named interim head coach and led the team for the remaining four games of the season. UCF finished the 2015 season at a winless 0 -- 12, its third such campaign in program history. Scott Frost era ( 2016 -- 2017 ) Coach Frost After an extensive coaching search, Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost was named as UCF 's tenth head coach on December 1, 2015. Serving under head coach Mark Helfrich, Frost had overseen one of college football 's quickest and most explosive offenses at Oregon that helped the Ducks rise to national prominence, won multiple Pac - 12 conference championships, coached quarterback Marcus Mariota into a Heisman Trophy winner in 2014 and sent many players into the National Football League. All this after a successful collegiate playing career at quarterback for Stanford and Nebraska in the 1990s and in the National Football League as a quarterback for five years. In 2016, Frost and his explosive, up - tempo offense led the Knights to a 6 -- 7 record. UCF began the Frost era with a 38 - 0 shutout win over FCS opponent South Carolina State. After losing its next two to Big Ten opponents # 5 Michigan in a rout and Maryland in double overtime, the Knights defeated FIU and East Carolina. Central Florida then suffered a close 26 - 25 loss due to a late field goal to Temple on October 15. The Knights rebounded the following week to defeat UConn by a score of 24 - 16. UCF suffered a defeat on October 29 to Houston, then responded with wins over Tulane and Cincinnati, gaining bowl eligibility. Frost 's squad concluded the regular season with losses to Tulsa and archrival South Florida. The Knights lost to Arkansas State in the 2016 Cure Bowl by a score of 31 - 13. After the 2016 season, Oregon fired Mark Helfrich. Amidst rumors that he might be interested in the Ducks opening, Frost announced he was not interested in Oregon and that he would return as UCF 's head coach in 2017. Ironically, the position eventually went to UCF 's rival coach, South Florida head coach Willie Taggart. Surprising even himself, Frost and his team went on to an undefeated regular season in 2017, defeating FIU, Maryland, Memphis, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Navy, Austin Peay, SMU, UConn, Temple, and rival USF in a War on I - 4 shootout. The breakout season for Frost and his team made him one of the most sought - after coaches on the market, drawing interest from Florida and his alma mater, Nebraska. Frost passed on the Florida job but avoided questions about returning to Nebraska. In the 2017 American Athletic Conference Championship game, Frost 's team went on to play Memphis for the second time and won the title in a 62 - 55 double overtime thriller, securing UCF 's third conference championship win. Just hours after winning the AAC, sources confirmed that Frost would be taking a seven - year, $35 million deal to become Nebraska 's new head coach. Frost and his staff returned for one last game in the 2018 Peach Bowl. The No. 12 ranked Knights faced No. 7 ranked Auburn, and defeated them 34 -- 27 to close out their undefeated season with a 13 -- 0 record. After the win, UCF athletic director Danny White proclaimed UCF to be the NCAA FBS Division Football national champion. The claim sparked considerable controversy and debate over whether the College Football Playoff should be expanded. The team celebrated with a parade at Walt Disney World. Additionally, the team 's coaches were paid bonuses for their performance, and the school has stated plans to hang a national championship banner in Spectrum Stadium. Head coaches UCF has had eight head coaches since organized football began in 1979. The Knights have played nearly 400 games in their 34 seasons. In that time, 3 coaches have led the Knights to the postseason : Gene McDowell, George O'Leary, and Scott Frost. McDowell in 1987, 1990, and 1993, O'Leary in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2012, and Frost in 2016 and 2017. O'Leary and Frost are the only coaches to win a division or conference championship at the school. Before leading UCF in 1983 and 1984, Lou Saban was a head coach in both the American Football League ( AFL ) and the National Football League ( NFL ). O'Leary also coached in the NFL between 2002 and 2004. Tenure Coach Years Record Pct. 1979 -- 1981 Don Jonas 14 -- 12 -- 1. 518 1982 Sam Weir 0 -- 10. 000 1983 -- 1984 Lou Saban 6 -- 12. 333 1984 Jerry Anderson Interim 1 -- 3. 250 1985 -- 1997 Gene McDowell 13 87 -- 61. 587 1998 -- 2003 Mike Kruczek 6 36 -- 30. 545 2003 Alan Gooch Interim 0 -- 2. 000 2004 -- 2015 George O'Leary 12 81 -- 68. 544 2015 Danny Barrett Interim 0 -- 4. 000 2016 -- 2017 Scott Frost 19 -- 7. 731 2018 -- Present Josh Heupel N / A -- 39 seasons 244 -- 209 -- 1. 539 Venues Citrus Bowl ( 1979 -- 2006 ) Camping World Stadium, the Knights home field from 1979 to 2006. Until 2007, the Knights had played all of their home games at the Citrus Bowl ( now Camping World Stadium ) in downtown Orlando. Located about 10 miles ( 16 km ) from UCF 's main campus, the stadium originally opened in 1936. Though UCF would not play its first football game at the Citrus Bowl until September 1979, a 7 -- 6 victory over Fort Benning, the stadium 's first college football game was played in January 1947 between Catawba and Maryville. By 2005, Orlando - city officials in conjunction with UCF 's administration, expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the aging facility. While UCF was the primary leasing tenant of the Citrus Bowl for nearly three decades, they received minimal revenue from football games, and the stadium 's 70,000 seat capacity was seen as too large for the Knights. With an average attendance of 10,000 -- 15,000 people per game, the stadium was left with the appearance of being largely empty. When the university approached the city about possible renovations and new revenue - sharing measures for the stadium, they were met with resistance. The city wanted UCF to consider relocating, or to spend considerable expense to upgrade the facility. At one point during the negotiations, stadium officials told then UCF Athletic Director Steve Orsini that `` the value of UCF 's fans was nothing. '' Spectrum Stadium ( 2007 -- present ) Spectrum Stadium, the Knights home field since 2007. In early 2005, as a response to the deteriorating condition of the Citrus Bowl, and lack of revenue derived from the games there, UCF proposed building an on - campus stadium for the first time. In December 2005, the UCF Board of Trustees approved the construction of a new on - campus stadium. The new stadium, Bright House Networks Stadium was originally planned to open in time for the 2006 football season, but neighborhood opposition delayed the time frame by a year. Stadium construction began in 2006 and was finished in time for the 2007 season. The first home - game took place on September 15, 2007, as the Knights nearly upset the No. 6 - ranked Texas Longhorns. The seating capacity of the stadium is 44,206, and plans provide for a future expansion to 65,000 seats. Although the Knights lost their first on - campus home game, they finished the remainder of the stadium 's inaugural season undefeated, including the Conference USA home opener against Memphis. UCF hosted and won the 2007 and 2010 C - USA Championship Games, defeating Tulsa and SMU, respectively. Following the 2014 season, the stadium underwent an $8 million renovation. The Wayne Densch Center for Student - Athlete Leadership was constructed on the east facade of the stadium, and a party deck known as the `` Carl Black and Gold Cabana '' was added to the east stands. By many accounts the stadium was built cheaply and as fast as possible. Due to these factors the stadium tends to bounce up and down giving it the nickname `` The Bounce House ''. The stadium was renamed from Bright House Networks Stadium to Spectrum Stadium in April 2017 following Charter Communications purchase of Bright House Networks and merging Bright House into its Spectrum cable service. Rivalries Though UCF remains a relatively young program that has shifted conferences several times, it has several long - standing rivalries with schools throughout the duration of Conference USA and The American. The university 's biggest rival historically is their instate rival, the University of South Florida Bulls, played from 2005 to 2008, and since 2013. Other rivalries include the East Carolina University Pirates and the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane. UCF once had a major rivalry with the Marshall University Thundering Herd, but the rivalry with Marshall has become less important since the Knights joined The American because the schools no longer play each other regularly. UCF only holds a winning record in its rivalry with Marshall (. 727 ). One other rivalry, known as the Civil Conflict, unofficially exists between UCF and Connecticut. However, UCF does not acknowledge the rivalry, and has publicly dismissed it. East Carolina Main article : East Carolina -- UCF football rivalry The rivalry began with the teams ' first meeting in 1991, with annual meetings beginning in 2005 when the Knights entered C - USA. Playing in the same division East Carolina and UCF were permanent opponents under the conference 's scheduling structure. In recent years, the match between UCF and East Carolina has determined the winner of the Eastern Division. In 2007, UCF 's only conference loss came at the hands of the Pirates. UCF won the division anyway, and ultimately took the conference title. In 2008, UCF was looking like they were going to ruin East Carolina 's dreams of the Eastern Division title like they did to Marshall, but with a late rally, the Pirates won in overtime making the Pirates the first C - USA team to beat UCF in Spectrum Stadium. A loss at East Carolina also determined them as the Eastern Division champions in 2009, while a UCF win at home was the difference in 2010. In the final scheduled meeting of the two schools in 2012, it would be UCF that would win 40 -- 20, despite falling behind 14 -- 0 early on. As of now, the final count in the series in 9 -- 4 in favor of East Carolina. The rivalry resumed when the Pirates joined UCF in the American Athletic Conference in 2014. UCF won as time expired on a 51 - yard Hail Mary pass from Justin Holman to Breshad Perriman, 32 -- 30. This allowed for them to win back to back conference championships. ECU would blow out a winless UCF team the next year, 44 - 7. One year later, UCF would beat ECU 47 - 29 under first - year head coach, Scott Frost, against ECU 's first - year head coach, Scottie Montgomery. South Florida Main article : South Florida - UCF football rivalry The War on I -- 4 dates years before the two schools ever played a game against each other. The matchup was the subject of much discussion and fan enthusiasm since the 1990s, though the first game was not played until 2005. The rivalry, often known as the `` War on I -- 4 '' or `` I -- 4 Corridor Clash '', continued as a four home - and - away series through the 2008 season. The Bulls won each of the four games, which all drew strong crowds, but South Florida declined to continue the series after 2008. The UCF -- South Florida game resumed as a regular conference game beginning with the 2013 season, as UCF joined the American Athletic Conference. The Knights won the first game as conference members 23 -- 20 before 45,952 in Orlando. In 2014, the Knights won for the first time at Raymond James Stadium, and delivered the first home shut - out in South Florida history, 16 - 0. In 2015, USF defeated the Knights 44 - 3 to finish a winless season for the Knights. In 2016, the War On I - 4 trophy was introduced for the first time. USF took home the trophy by defeating UCF 48 - 31 and clinching their first 10 - win season in school history, only for UCF to take the trophy back from them the following year during their national championship season in 2017. Tulsa The games between the Knights and Tulsa Golden Hurricane occurred on a two - year scheduling cycle when both schools were members of C - USA, except for three times that the teams met in the Conference USA title game ( 2005, 2007, 2012 ). Tulsa leads the series 7 -- 3, with the Golden Hurricane winning three times in the regular season and twice in the conference championship game. In both 2007 and 2012, the Golden Hurricane and Knights played each other twice, once in the regular season and once in the conference championship. The rivalry resumed in 2014 when the Golden Hurricane joined The American, with UCF winning the game 31 -- 7. Tulsa would win in 2015 against a winless UCF team, 45 - 31, and in the year after, 35 - 20. All - time records versus rivals Team Name Trophy Active Games played First meeting Last meeting UCF wins UCF losses Win Pct. East Carolina Y 16 1991 2017 won 63 -- 21 6 10. 375 Marshall 11 2002 2012 won 54 -- 17 8. 727 South Florida War on I -- 4 Y Y 9 2005 2017 won 49 - 42 6. 333 Tulsa Y 10 2005 2016 lost 20 -- 35 7. 300 Reference : Program records and achievements National championship Under head coach Scott Frost, the 2017 Knights completed a 13 - 0 undefeated season, including a win in the 2018 Peach Bowl over the Auburn Tigers. The Knights were not selected for the College Football Playoff, but Auburn defeated both participants in the CFP National Championship Game by double - digit scores in the regular season. As a result, UCF athletic director Danny White made a statement that UCF would claim the 2017 national championship, hanging a national title banner and holding an official national championship parade and celebration. On January 9, 2018, the Colley Matrix, an NCAA - recognized major selector of FBS national champions, ranked UCF No. 1. The NCAA does not officially select a national champion in FBS football. Season Conference Coach Selector Overall record Conference record Bowl 2017 The American Scott Frost Colley Matrix 13 -- 0 8 -- 0 Won Peach Bowl Total national championships Conference championships Under George O'Leary's leadership, the Knights won four C - USA Eastern Division Championships ( 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012 ), and two Conference USA Championships ( 2007, 2010 ). O'Leary also led the Knights to The American conference championship in their first year in the league ( 2013 ), earning the conference 's automatic berth to a BCS bowl game. In 2014, the Knights clinched back - to - back conference championships. The Knights won The American conference championship again in 2017 under head coach Scott Frost. Season Coach Conference Overall Record Conference Record 2007 C - USA George O'Leary 10 -- 4 7 -- 1 11 -- 3 7 -- 1 2013 The American 12 -- 1 8 -- 0 2014 9 -- 4 7 -- 1 2017 Scott Frost 13 -- 0 8 -- 0 Total Conference Championships 5 Note : denotes co -- championship. Divisional championships UCF made four appearances in the Conference USA Championship Game, more than any other C - USA school, with the last being in 2012. Three of the four appearances were against Tulsa of the Western Division. The Knights won two of the four C - USA Championship Games in which they appeared. Season Division Coach Championship Game Result 2005 C - USA East George O'Leary Tulsa 44, UCF 27 2007 Tulsa 25, UCF 44 SMU 7, UCF 17 2012 Tulsa 33, UCF 27 2017 The American East Scott Frost No. 14 Memphis 55, No. 11 UCF 62 Total Division Championships 5 Note : denotes co -- championship. Bowl games Further information : List of UCF Knights bowl games UCF has played in nine bowl games in its history and has a 4 -- 5 record in those games. UCF has been bowl eligible for eight of the past thirty seven seasons, after receiving its first bowl invitation in 2005. The Knights nearly earned a bowl berth in 1998, when Daunte Culpepper led the team to a 9 -- 2 record. UCF has played in a bowl game when ranked three times, being ranked # 24 in 2010 prior to their bowl game, # 15 prior to their match - up in the BCS bowl game with Baylor, and # 10 prior to playing Auburn in the College Football Playoff New Year 's Six in 2018. Season Coach Bowl Winner Loser 2005 George O'Leary Hawaii Bowl Nevada L 48 49 2007 Liberty Bowl Mississippi State L 3 -- 10 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl Rutgers L 24 45 Liberty Bowl Georgia W 10 -- 6 2012 Beef ' O ' Brady 's Bowl Ball State W 38 -- 17 2013 Fiesta Bowl No. 6 Baylor W 52 -- 42 2014 St. Petersburg Bowl NC State L 27 -- 34 2016 Scott Frost Cure Bowl Arkansas State L 13 -- 31 2017 Peach Bowl No. 8 Auburn W 34 -- 27 Division I -- AA playoffs The Knights appeared in the Division I -- AA playoffs twice with a record of 2 -- 2. Season Coach Playoff Opponent Result 1990 Gene McDowell First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Youngstown State William & Mary Georgia Southern W 20 -- 17 W 52 -- 38 L 44 -- 7 1993 First Round Youngstown State L 30 -- 56 Division II playoffs The Knights appeared in the Division II playoffs once with a record of 1 -- 1. Season Coach Playoff Opponent Result Gene McDowell Quarterfinals Semifinals Indiana ( PA ) Troy State W 12 -- 10 L 10 -- 31 All - time record vs. conference teams Since joining a conference for the first time in 2002, the Knights are 74 -- 50 (. 597 ) in league play. UCF is 23 -- 13 (. 639 ) in conference games since joining The American in 2013. Opponent Won Lost Win pct. Streak First Last Cincinnati. 667 Won 2 2015 2017 Connecticut. 500 Won 1 2013 2016 East Carolina 6 10. 375 Won 2 1991 2017 Houston 5. 625 Lost 2 2005 2016 Louisville 0 1.000 Won 1 2013 2013 Memphis 10. 909 Won 9 1990 2017 Navy 0 1.000 Won 1 2017 -- Rutgers 0 1.000 Won 1 2013 2013 SMU 7. 875 Won 4 2007 2017 South Florida 6. 333 Won 1 2005 2017 Temple. 500 Won 1 2013 2017 Tulane 6. 750 Won 1 2001 2016 Tulsa 7. 300 Lost 2 2005 2016 Totals 48 35 (. 578 ) Individual Awards and honors All - Americans Every year, several publications release lists of their ideal `` team ''. The athletes on these lists are referred to as All - Americans. The NCAA recognizes five All - American lists. They are the Associated Press ( AP ), American Football Coaches Association ( AFCA ), Football Writers Association of America ( FWAA ), Sporting News ( TSN ), and the Walter Camp Football Foundation ( WCFF ). UCF has had numerous players honored as first team All - Americans. To date, Kevin Smith is the only Consensus All - American. Daunte Culpepper -- Quarterback, 1997 ( NFL Draft Report ) Kevin Smith -- Running back, 2007 ( AP, FWAA, WCFF, SN, SI, ESPN, CBS Sports, College Football News, Scout.com ) Joe Burnett -- Kickoff returner, 2008 ( ESPN, SI ) Quincy McDuffie -- Kickoff returner, 2012 ( SI ) Jacoby Glenn -- Cornerback, 2014 ( AP ) Mike Hughes -- Kickoff returner, 2017 ( FWAA ) Shaquem Griffin -- Linebacker, 2017 ( AFCA ) Conference honors Coach of the Year 2017 : Scott Frost 2013 : George O'Leary 2010 : George O'Leary 2007 : George O'Leary 2005 : George O'Leary Offensive Player of the Year 2017 : McKenzie Milton 2013 : Blake Bortles 2007 : Kevin Smith Defensive Player of the Year 2016 : Shaquem Griffin 2014 : Jacoby Glenn 2012 : Kemal Ishmael 2010 : Bruce Miller 2009 : Bruce Miller Special Teams Player of the Year 2012 : Quincy McDuffie 2008 : Joe Burnett Freshman of the Year 2015 : Tre'Quan Smith 2010 : Jeff Godfrey 2005 : Kevin Smith Heisman Trophy Quarterbacks Daunte Culpepper and McKenzie Milton, and running back Kevin Smith are the only Knights to finish in the Top -- 10 of voting for the Heisman Trophy. Year Name Position Finish 1998 Daunte Culpepper Quarterback 6th 2007 Kevin Smith Running back 8th 2017 McKenzie Milton Quarterback 8th Honored numbers UCF retires a student - athlete 's jersey but does not retire the respective jersey numbers. The Knights coaching staff can choose to reissue a given number, as the retirement of the jersey does not require that the number not be worn again. 1 Wayne Densch -- Philanthropist to the UCF region 8 Daunte Culpepper -- Quarterback, 1995 -- 1998 19 Joe Burnett -- Cornerback, 2005 -- 2008 24 Kevin Smith -- Running back, 2005 -- 2007 Other honors AFCA Coach of the Year Award -- Scott Frost, 2017 Archie Griffin Award -- McKenzie Milton, 2017 Associated Press College Football Coach of the Year Award -- Scott Frost, 2017 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award -- Scott Frost, 2017 Home Depot Coach of the Year Award -- Scott Frost, 2017 Paul `` Bear '' Bryant Award -- Scott Frost, 2017 Knights in professional football Further information : List of University of Central Florida alumni and List of UCF Knights in the NFL draft Brandon Marshall, Class of 2006 NFL Kamar Aiken -- Wide receiver, Indianapolis Colts Blake Bortles -- Quarterback, Jacksonville Jaguars A.J. Bouye -- Cornerback, Jacksonville Jaguars Leger Douzable -- Defensive tackle, San Francisco 49ers Clayton Geathers -- Safety, Indianapolis Colts Shaquill Griffin -- Cornerback, Seattle Seahawks Kemal Ishmael -- Safety, Atlanta Falcons Brandon Marshall -- Wide receiver, New York Giants Justin McCray -- Offensive tackle, Green Bay Packers Latavius Murray -- Running back, Minnesota Vikings Breshad Perriman -- Wide receiver, Baltimore Ravens Matt Prater -- Kicker, Detroit Lions Josh Robinson -- Cornerback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Josh Sitton -- Offensive guard, Chicago Bears CFL Brandon Alexander -- Defensive back, Winnipeg Blue Bombers Joe Burnett -- Cornerback, Calgary Stampeders Troy Davis -- Defensive end, Toronto Argonauts Quincy McDuffie -- Wide receiver, Ottawa Redblacks Terrance Plummer -- Linebacker, Toronto Argonauts Keith Shologan -- Defensive tackle, Montreal Alouettes Knights in the Pro Bowl Daunte Culpepper -- Quarterback, Minnesota Vikings : 2001, 2004, 2005 Asante Samuel -- Cornerback, New England Patriots / Philadelphia Eagles : 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Brandon Marshall -- Wide receiver, Denver Broncos / Miami Dolphins / Chicago Bears / New York Jets : 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 Latavius Murray -- Running back, Oakland Raiders / Minnesota Vikings : 2015 Josh Sitton -- Offensive guard, Green Bay Packers / Chicago Bears : 2012, 2016 Matt Prater -- Kicker, Denver Broncos / Detroit Lions : 2013, 2016 Knights in the Super Bowl Atari Bigby -- Safety, Green Bay Packers -- XLV Michael Greco -- Safety, Green Bay Packers -- XLV Cornell Green -- Offensive tackle, Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- XXXVII Mike Gruttadauria -- Center, St. Louis Rams -- XXXIV Shawn Jefferson -- Wide receiver, San Diego Chargers -- XXIX & New England Patriots -- XXXI Darcy Johnson -- Tight end, New York Giants -- XLII Charles Lee -- Wide receiver, Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- XXXVII Asante Samuel -- Cornerback, New England Patriots -- XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII Josh Sitton -- Offensive guard, Green Bay Packers -- XLV Bruce Miller -- Fullback, San Francisco 49ers -- Super Bowl XLVII Jah Reid -- Offensive tackle, Baltimore Ravens -- Super Bowl XLVII Matt Prater -- Kicker, Denver Broncos -- Super Bowl XLVIII Schedule UCF is one of 12 full members and 12 football members of the American Athletic Conference. In football, the only sport sponsored by The American that uses a divisional format, UCF plays in the conference 's East Division. Division rivals include Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, South Florida, and Temple. The West Division consists of Houston, Memphis, football - only member Navy, SMU, Tulane, and Tulsa. UCF plays an eight - game conference schedule, four home and four away. These games operate on a two - year cycle, as a home - and - home series. The Knights currently have games scheduled through 2023. Among the games scheduled are finishing a home - and - away series with Stanford ( at home ). They also have an away game against Texas ( 2023 ). Of note is that the game against the Longhorns will be the final game of a three - game contract between UCF and Texas. The contract was organized as such : for the first game, the Knights would host the Longhorns to open up their new stadium, Spectrum Stadium ; the remaining games ( one was played in 2009 ) would be played at Darrell K Royal -- Texas Memorial Stadium, the home stadium of the Longhorns, as a `` repayment '' for opening UCF 's new stadium. UCF has an upcoming home - and - home series with in - state opponent FAU in 2018 and 2019. The first game is will be played Spectrum Stadium on September 22, 2018, and the second at FAU Stadium on September 7, 2019. UCF has also scheduled a home - and - home series with Pittsburgh, with the Knights hosting on September 29, 2018 and visiting Pittsburgh on September 21, 2019. UCF has a planned home - and - home series with Georgia Tech as well. The first game was scheduled for September 16, 2017 at Spectrum Stadium, but the game was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma ; it is unknown if the game will be made up in the future. The second game in the Georgia Tech series will be at Bobby Dodd Stadium on September 19, 2020. Future non-conference opponents Announced schedules as of October 3, 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 vs. South Carolina State at FAU vs. North Carolina at Texas at North Carolina vs. Stanford at Georgia Tech vs. FAU at Pittsburgh vs. Pittsburgh Reference : See also University of Central Florida Faculty and Administrators Footnotes Jump up ^ Of the 12 full members of The American, 11 sponsor football, with Wichita State as the only exception. The 12th football member is Navy, which is an American member only in that sport. References General : Holic, Nathan, and the UCF Alumni Association. University of Central Florida : The Campus History Series ( 2009 ), ISBN 978 - 0 - 7385 - 6768 - 6 MacCambridge, Michael. ESPN College Football Encyclopedia : The Complete history of the Game ( 2005 ), ISBN 1 - 4013 - 3703 - 1 In - text : Jump up ^ `` Colors - UCF Brand Guide ''. Retrieved June 6, 2017. Jump up ^ `` UCF signs shoe, apparel contract with Nike ''. Orlando Sentinel. March 19, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2010. Jump up ^ McMurphy, Brett. `` Old Big East now American Athletic ''. ESPN. Retrieved April 4, 2013. Jump up ^ Rittenberg, Adam ( December 5, 2017 ). `` UCF hires Heupel as coach ; Shannon to be DC ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` A look back at UCF 's football 's move to Division I-A '' ( Press release ). UCF Knights. July 19, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Division I -- AA Football Comes to Orlando ''. University of Central Florida Athletic Association. Retrieved January 1, 2011. ^ Jump up to : Anderson, Nick ( January 7, 2017 ). `` ' We are on the map. ' Unbeaten UCF stakes claim to football national championship ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 January 2018. Jump up ^ Romero, Iliana Limón ( December 9, 2017 ). `` UCF QB McKenzie Milton finishes eighth in Heisman Trophy voting ''. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 29, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Trevor Colbourn : the man who started UCF football ''. ^ Jump up to : `` The Birth of Saturday Knights Live : Part 1 of 8 -- The History of UCF Football ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. June 16, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Facts About UCF ''. UCF Office of Institutional Research. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2011. Jump up ^ Russon, Gabrielle. `` Trevor Colbourn : Former UCF president dies at 87 ''. Jump up ^ `` UCFKnights.com - General ''. www.ucfknights.com. Jump up ^ `` Hail to the Fighting Knights ''. UCF Athletics. Jump up ^ Holic, Nathan ; Association, UCF Alumni ( September 23, 2017 ). `` University of Central Florida ''. Arcadia Publishing -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ Greene, Jerry. `` Greene : O.J., monks paved way to gates ''. ^ Jump up to : `` Finally, Gametime Arrives : Part 2 of 8 -- The History of UCF Football ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. June 22, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2011. Jump up ^ `` UCFKnights.com - General ''. www.ucfknights.com. Jump up ^ `` The History of UCF Football... Finally, It 's Game Day ! ''. ^ Jump up to : `` The Birth of Saturday Knights Live... The History of UCF Football ''. UCF Athletics. ^ Jump up to : `` UCF Football History ''. UCF Athletics. Jump up ^ `` UCF Tailgating - BBQSuperStars.com ''. Jump up ^ `` Five New Members Await Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony ''. UCF News - University of Central Florida Articles - Orlando, FL News. ^ Jump up to : `` The Knights Move Up to D - II : Part 3 of 8 -- The History of UCF Football ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. June 29, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2011. Jump up ^ `` UCF took winding road to Division I-A - Online Athens ''. onlineathens.com. Jump up ^ `` Gypsy Lou was 25 years ahead of his time at UCF ''. Jump up ^ Brannen, Nick ( February 25, 2015 ). `` Denver Broncos 360 ° ''. Lulu.com -- via Google Books. Jump up ^ `` Former UCF Head Football Coach Lou Saban Passes Away ''. Jump up ^ Daughters, Amy. `` John L. Smith and the 10 Worst Interim Coaches in College Football History ''. Jump up ^ http://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2323&context=centralfloridafuture Jump up ^ `` The Knights Move Up to D - II '' ( Press release ). UCF Knights. Jump up ^ Green, Shannon. `` UCF football embraces former head coach Gene McDowell ''. ^ Jump up to : `` UCF Develops Winning Ways : Part 4 of 8 -- The History of UCF Football ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. July 10, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Ex-NFL player from Zephyrhills heading to prison on gun, drug charges ''. Tampa Bay Times. Jump up ^ `` UCF Develops Winning Ways ''. UCF Athletics ( Press release ). Jump up ^ `` UCFKnights.com - UCF Knights ''. www.ucfknights.com. Jump up ^ `` Ten Memorable Home Football Games ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` Division I -- AA Football Comes to Orlando : Part 5 of 8 -- The History of UCF Football ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. July 18, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2011. Jump up ^ Sentinel, Orlando. `` UCF Football milestones ''. Jump up ^ `` UCFKnights.com - Football ''. www.ucfknights.com. Jump up ^ `` UCFKnights.com - Football ''. www.ucfknights.com. Jump up ^ `` A look back at UCF football 's move to Division I-A ''. Jump up ^ `` Division I - AA Football Comes to Orlando : : Part 5 of 8 : Saturday Knights Live... The History of UCF Football ''. www.cstv.com. Jump up ^ Karsnick, Pat ( October 11, 1994 ). `` Samford takes bite out of Golden Knights ''. Central Florida Future. pp. 15 -- 16. ^ Jump up to : `` Daunte 's World... Orlando 's Biggest Attraction : Part 6 of 8 -- The History of UCF Football ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. July 26, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2011. Jump up ^ Anderson, Ryan ( August 26, 1996 ). `` I-A... IT 'S TIME TO PLAY ''. Central Florida Future. pp. 1, 27. Jump up ^ `` Plus : College Football -- Central Florida ; Coach Quits After Guilty Plea ''. The New York Times. January 21, 1998. Retrieved May 26, 2010. Jump up ^ Callos, Alex. `` The Best Coach in the History of Every College Football Team ''. Jump up ^ Shrieves, Linda ( September 11, 1998 ). `` Ucf Coach Mike Kruczek ''. Orlando Sentinel. Jump up ^ `` Boilermakers Face Off Against Rival Hoosiers '' ( Press release ). Purdue Boilermakers. Jump up ^ Greene, Jerry ( November 8, 1998 ). `` Big Time Eludes Ucf On Auburn 's Big Play ''. Orlando Sentinel -- via Sun Sentinel. Jump up ^ `` 1999 Georgia Football Schedule ''. August 13, 2014. Jump up ^ `` NCAA Football - Central Florida vs. Georgia Tech ''. usatoday30.usatoday.com. Jump up ^ `` NCAA Football - Central Florida vs. Alabama ''. usatoday30.usatoday.com. ^ Jump up to : `` UCF Football Flashback -- Going on Krucz Control : Part 7 of 8 -- The History of UCF Football ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. August 8, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 1998 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ Greene, Jerry ( December 2, 1998 ). `` Knights Accept Oahu Bid ''. Orlando Sentinel. Jump up ^ Schmitz, Brian ( December 6, 1998 ). `` The UM Grinch Ruins the Party for the Knights ''. Orlando Sentinel. Jump up ^ `` USATODAY.com - Central Florida makes bowl debut in Hawaii ''. usatoday30.usatoday.com. Jump up ^ Favat, Brian ( June 13, 2011 ). `` A Brief History Of UCF Knights Football ''. BC Interruption. Jump up ^ `` 2002 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` Central Florida signs Kruczek to three - year extension ''. USA Today. SportsTicker. April 23, 2003. Jump up ^ `` Central Florida ( 3 - 7 ) fires coach Kruczek ''. ESPN.com. November 10, 2003. Jump up ^ `` 2003 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` Football Readies for ESPN2 Meeting with UCF ''. Jump up ^ `` Mike Kruczek Coaching Record ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ Schmadtke, Alan ( September 24, 2003 ). `` Ucf A Hot Property In Realignment Talk ''. Orlando Sentinel. Jump up ^ `` UCF Begins New Chapter in C - USA '' ( Press release ). UCF Knights. July 1, 2005. ^ Jump up to : `` George O'Leary Makes His Mark at UCF : Part 8 of 8 -- The History of UCF Football ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. August 17, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2011. Jump up ^ Wong, John W. Fountain With Edward ( December 15, 2001 ). `` Notre Dame Coach Resigns After 5 Days and a Few Lies '' -- via www.nytimes.com. Jump up ^ `` 2004 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` Marshall vs. UCF - Game Recap - September 24, 2005 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ Collette, Jason ( January 14, 2012 ). `` Knights, Herd, Renew Rivalry ''. SB Nation Tampa Bay. Jump up ^ `` Q&A : Another Day in the Life of UCF ''. UCF News - University of Central Florida Articles - Orlando, FL News. Jump up ^ `` 2005 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` Tulsa vs. UCF - Game Recap - December 3, 2005 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Nevada tops UCF after kick sails wide ''. December 25, 2005 -- via www.nytimes.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF Head Coach George O'Leary Signs 10 - Year Contract Extension ''. Jump up ^ `` UCF Football Coach O'Leary Signs 10 - Year Contract Extension ''. University of Central Florida. May 25, 2006. Retrieved January 1, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 2006 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` Football Facility Now Known as Spectrum Stadium '' ( Press release ). UCF Knights. Jump up ^ `` UCF Athletics Reveals New Logo and Font '' ( Press release ). University of Central Florida Athletics Association. Retrieved August 3, 2009. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. NC State - Game Recap - September 1, 2007 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Texas vs. UCF - Game Recap - September 15, 2007 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. South Florida - Game Recap - October 13, 2007 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Conference USA - Championships ''. conferenceusa.com. Jump up ^ `` Tulsa vs. UCF - Game Recap - December 1, 2007 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Football : UCF Climbs to No. 19 in AP Poll ''. UCF News - University of Central Florida Articles - Orlando, FL News. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Mississippi State - Game Recap - December 29, 2007 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. ^ Jump up to : Green, Shannon. `` Kevin Smith offers insight to UCF 's young backs on injury prevention ''. Orlando Sentinel. Jump up ^ `` Smith aiming for Sanders ' single - season, Dayne 's career rushing records ''. ESPN. Associated Press. December 18, 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2010. Jump up ^ `` UCF 's Smith turning pro, reversing decision from last month ''. ESPN. Associated Press. January 6, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2008. Jump up ^ Owens - Green, Shannon. `` Former UCF, NFL standout Kevin Smith returns to school eager to start new chapter of life ''. Jump up ^ `` ' OTL : ' Plancher 's death raises tough questions for UCF ''. ESPN.com. November 2, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Report : Plancher showed signs of distress at end of workout ''. ESPN. April 25, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` Florida Supreme Court sides with UCF over 2008 football player death ''. Sports Illustrated. Jump up ^ Limón, Iliana ( June 30, 2011 ). `` Ereck Plancher trial : Jury finds UCFAA guilty of negligence in Plancher 's death ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 30, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 2008 UCF Knights Stats - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` 2009 UCF Knights Stats - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` Houston vs. UCF - Game Recap - November 14, 2009 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Rutgers - Game Recap - December 19, 2009 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF coach George O'Leary says he wo n't name a starting quarterback until season opener Sept. 4 ''. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Houston - Game Recap - November 5, 2010 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF Football Earns First National Ranking ''. UCF News - University of Central Florida Articles - Orlando, FL News. Jump up ^ `` UCF ranked No. 23 in coaches poll and No. 25 in AP, vaulting into Top 25 for first time in school history ''. Orlando Sentinel. November 7, 2010. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Austin Davis rallies Southern Miss, throwing for 264 yards, 4 TDs ''. ESPN. November 13, 2010. Retrieved January 1, 2011. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Tulane - Game Recap - November 20, 2010 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Memphis - Game Recap - November 27, 2010 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` 5 Reasons to Believe UCF Will Win C - USA ''. UCF News - University of Central Florida Articles - Orlando, FL News. Jump up ^ `` UCF defeats SMU for Conference USA 2010 Title ''. ESPN. December 4, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2010. Jump up ^ Limón, Iliana ( December 6, 2010 ). `` UCF ranked No. 25 in final BCS standings ''. Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010. Jump up ^ `` UCF caps best season in school history with bowl win ''. ESPN. December 31, 2010. Retrieved December 31, 2010. Jump up ^ `` UCF football ranked in final Top 25 polls ''. Orlando Sentinel. November 11, 2011. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 2011 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` Florida Intl vs. UCF - Game Recap - September 3, 2015 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. BYU - Game Recap - September 23, 2011 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. UAB - Game Recap - October 20, 2011 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Southern Mississippi - Game Recap - November 12, 2011 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. ^ Jump up to : `` UCF 's Godfrey happy to play big role ''. Jump up ^ `` Old Big East to be renamed American Athletic Conference ''. Jump up ^ `` It ''. UCF News - University of Central Florida Articles - Orlando, FL News. Jump up ^ `` UCF football and basketball teams hit with one year postseason ban from NCAA ''. Jump up ^ `` UCF banned from postseason for year ''. July 31, 2012. Jump up ^ `` NCAA adds 1 - year postseason bans to UCF penalties ''. WESH TV Orlando. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2012. Jump up ^ `` NCAA adds 1 - year postseason bans to UCF penalties ''. NBC News. Retrieved August 2, 2012. Jump up ^ `` 2012 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Tulsa - Game Recap - December 1, 2012 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Ball State vs. Central Florida : 2012 Beef ' O ' Brady 's Bowl - ''. www.espn.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF wins NCAA appeal, no postseason ban for 2013 ''. CFN 13. Retrieved April 19, 2013. Jump up ^ `` 2013 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Penn State - Game Recap - September 14, 2013 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Louisville - Game Recap - October 18, 2013 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Baylor - Game Recap - January 1, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ Young, Bob ( January 2, 2014 ). `` UCF Kicks Down Door, Crashes Final BCS Party ''. The Arizona Republic. Phoenix. Retrieved January 2, 2014. Jump up ^ Jackson, Darrell ( January 2, 2014 ). `` UCF Pulls Biggest Upset in BCS with 52 - 42 Victory Over Baylor ''. Glendale Star. Retrieved January 2, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Football : UCF No. 10 in Final AP Poll ''. UCF News - University of Central Florida Articles - Orlando, FL News. Jump up ^ `` Tall order : Jags draft 6 - 5 QB Bortles at No. 3 ''. Jump up ^ `` 2014 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` Penn State vs. UCF - Game Recap - August 30, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Missouri - Game Recap - September 13, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Bethune - Cookman vs. UCF - Game Recap - September 20, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Houston - Game Recap - October 2, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` BYU vs. UCF - Game Recap - October 9, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Tulane vs. UCF - Game Recap - October 18, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Temple vs. UCF - Game Recap - October 25, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Connecticut - Game Recap - November 1, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Tulsa vs. UCF - Game Recap - November 14, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` SMU vs. UCF - Game Recap - November 22, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. South Florida - Game Recap - November 28, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. East Carolina - Game Recap - December 4, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` NC State vs. UCF - Game Recap - December 26, 2014 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. South Carolina - Game Recap - September 26, 2015 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Houston vs. UCF - Game Recap - October 24, 2015 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF football coach George O'Leary is retiring ''. Orlando Sentinel. October 25, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015. Jump up ^ `` George O'Leary steps down as UCF Knights head coach ''. ESPN. October 25, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Interim head coach Danny Barrett talks about responsibility of taking over UCF football ''. Orlando Sentinel. Jump up ^ `` 2015 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF set to hire Oregon OC Scott Frost to replace George O'Leary ''. CBS Sports. December 1, 2015. Archived from the original on December 1, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Heisman Trophy ''. heisman.com. Jump up ^ Bianchi, Mike ( October 5, 2016 ). `` UCF coach Scott Frost, like Houston 's Tom Herman, will soon get a big - time coaching offer ''. Orlando Sentinel. Jump up ^ Green, Shannon. `` UCF 's Scott Frost was born to coach, with parents fueling his journey from Nebraska to Florida ''. Jump up ^ `` Scott Frost Bio ''. Jump up ^ `` 2016 UCF Knights Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com ''. College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Jump up ^ `` South Carolina State vs. UCF - Game Recap - September 3, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Michigan - Game Recap - September 10, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Maryland vs. UCF - Game Recap - September 17, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Florida Intl - Game Recap - September 24, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. East Carolina - Game Recap - October 1, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Temple vs. UCF - Game Recap - October 15, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Connecticut - Game Recap - October 22, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Houston - Game Recap - October 29, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Tulane vs. UCF - Game Recap - November 5, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Cincinnati vs. UCF - Game Recap - November 12, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Tulsa vs. UCF - Game Recap - November 19, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. South Florida - Game Recap - November 26, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Arkansas State vs. UCF - Game Recap - December 17, 2016 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Helfrich out as Oregon coach after stunning slide ''. Jump up ^ `` UCF coach denies he 's candidate for Oregon job ''. Jump up ^ `` Spirited Taggart ready to restore ' Oregon brand ' ''. Jump up ^ `` Florida Intl vs. UCF - Game Summary - August 31, 2017 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Maryland - Game Summary - September 23, 2017 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Memphis vs. UCF - Game Summary - September 30, 2017 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Cincinnati - Game Summary - October 7, 2017 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` East Carolina vs. UCF - Game Summary - October 14, 2017 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Navy - Game Summary - October 21, 2017 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Austin Peay vs. UCF - Game Summary - October 28, 2017 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. SMU - Game Summary - November 4, 2017 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` Connecticut vs. UCF - Game Summary - November 11, 2017 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ `` UCF vs. Temple - Game Summary - November 18, 2017 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ Kercheval, Ben ( November 25, 2017 ). `` Three TDs in 53 seconds ? UCF beats USF in college football 's game of the year ''. CBS Sports. Jump up ^ `` Memphis vs. UCF - Game Summary - December 2, 2017 - ESPN ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ Sherman, Mitch ( December 2, 2017 ). `` Homecoming : Frost leaves UCF for Nebraska ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ Sparks, Matthew ( January 7, 2018 ). `` Knights ' success should mark new day for CFP ''. The Daily Independent. Retrieved January 8, 2018. Jump up ^ Gleeson, Scott ( January 6, 2018 ). `` Nick Saban, Kirby Smart both OK with UCF 's national title claim ''. USA Today. Retrieved January 8, 2018. Jump up ^ Adelson, Andrea ( January 7, 2018 ). `` UCF honors ' national championship ' with parade at Walt Disney World ''. ESPN.com. Retrieved January 8, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Unbeaten UCF celebrates self - proclaimed national title at Disney World ''. Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Longtime coach Saban dies at age 87 ''. ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 29, 2009. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2013. Jump up ^ `` UCF president John Hitt : On - campus stadium a ' godsend ' ''. Orlando Sentinel. January 15, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2012. Jump up ^ `` UCF Trustees Approve Financing Plan, Groundbreaking for On - Campus Football Stadium ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. December 14, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2012. Jump up ^ `` UCF exploring open - air bar in Bright House Networks Stadium ''. Orlando Sentinel. April 2, 2012. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` UCF 's East Side Club gets a new name, new six - figure title sponsor ''. Orlando Sentinel. August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015. Jump up ^ `` UCF President John Hitt eager to open Wayne Densch Student Athlete Leadership Center ''. Orlando Sentinel. November 21, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Spectrum Stadium ''. UCF Athletics. April 12, 2017. Jump up ^ `` USF, UCF Finally Meet ''. Sun - Sentinel. September 16, 2005. Retrieved November 30, 2012. Jump up ^ `` UConn Randomly Creates Rivalry With Central Florida, Dubs It ' Civil Conflict ' - UConn - NESN.com ''. NESN.com. Jump up ^ Duffy, Thomas. `` UConn Promotes ' Rivalry ' Game with UCF, Knights Deny Any Involvement ''. Bleacher Report. Jump up ^ Sherman, Rodger ( June 1, 2015 ). `` UConn - UCF 's new ' Civil Conflict ' rivalry trophy is already the country 's worst ''. SBNation.com. Vox Media. Jump up ^ `` Tulane, ECU to Join Big East in ' 14, Leaving C - USA ''. ABC News. November 27, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Getting Prepared for I - 4 Corridor Clash ''. South Florida Bulls. November 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2013. Jump up ^ Auman, Greg ( August 16, 2006 ). `` Schedule news, new commitment... '' Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 12, 2012. Jump up ^ Auman, Greg ( September 6, 2008 ). `` Should USF play UCF every year ? ''. Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 14, 2012. Jump up ^ Auman, Greg ( April 29, 2011 ). `` USF says no contracts proposed for football with UCF ''. Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 14, 2012. Jump up ^ Bianchi, Mike ( December 7, 2011 ). `` Finally, Big East gives UCF some much - needed good news ''. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved August 13, 2012. Jump up ^ Hightower, Kyle ( November 30, 2013 ). `` No. 17 UCF survives scare from rival USF, 23 - 20 ''. Yahoo !. Retrieved December 31, 2013. Jump up ^ `` UCF Football Game Notes -- C - USA Championship Dec. 1 ''. University of Central Florida Athletic Association. November 26, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2012. Jump up ^ `` C - USA Championship Postgame Notes Tulsa vs UCF ''. University of Tulsa Athletic Association. December 1, 2012. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` UCF 2014 Bowl Guide ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. December 2014. Jump up ^ Adelson, Andrea ( January 9, 2018 ). `` The national championship celebration before the title game ''. ESPN.com. Jump up ^ Simmons, Roger ( January 9, 2018 ). `` National champions : UCF Knights finish season ranked No. 1 in Colley Matrix ''. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved January 14, 2018. Jump up ^ Seeley, Andy ( January 10, 2018 ). `` Knights Ranked No. 1 - UCF '' ( Press release ). UCF Athletics. Jump up ^ `` If Bama can claim made - up national titles, so can UCF ''. SBNation.com. Jump up ^ `` Who has won the most national titles in college football ? Depends on who does the counting ''. Fox News. Associated Press. December 28, 2012. Jump up ^ `` UCF, Root For Rout Of Miami ''. Orlando Sentinel. December 5, 1998. Retrieved December 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Silent Knights : Miami 's Win Is UCF 's Loss ''. Orlando Sentinel. December 6, 1998. Retrieved December 19, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Awards compiled NCAA 2008 Record Book Division 1 Football ''. NCAA. DocStoc. Archived from the original on July 14, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2009. Jump up ^ `` 1998 Heisman Trophy - 64th Award ''. Heisman Trust. 2007. Archived from the original on November 8, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011. Jump up ^ `` 2007 Heisman Trophy - 73rd Award ''. Heisman Trust. 2007. Archived from the original on November 8, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011. Jump up ^ Romero, Iliana Limón ( December 9, 2017 ). `` UCF QB McKenzie Milton finishes eighth in Heisman Trophy voting ''. Orlando Sentinel. Jump up ^ `` Policy Governing the Commemoration of Athletic Jerseys ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. October 23, 2010. Archived from the original on August 20, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` UCF Athletics To Commemorate Four Football Jerseys During Homecoming Game vs. Rice ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. October 18, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Scott Frost, Matt Campbell, and Many Others Honored During American Football Coaches Awards in Charlotte '' ( Press release ). American Football Coaches Association. January 9, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Milton Named Archie Griffin Award Winner '' ( Press release ). UCF Knights. January 22, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2018. Jump up ^ Russo, Ralph D. ( December 18, 2017 ). `` College football : Scott Frost named AP Coach of the Year after leading UCF to undefeated season ''. NCAA.com. Associated Press. Jump up ^ `` UCF 's Frost Wins 2017 Eddie Robinson Award '' ( Press release ). Football Writers Association of America. December 14, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2018. Jump up ^ `` 2017 UCF Head Coach Scott Frost Winner of The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award ; Mark Andrews of Oklahoma Named the 2017 John Mackey Award Recipient '' ( Press release ). ESPN. December 6, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Scott Frost Named American Heart Association 's 2017 Paul `` Bear '' Bryant Coach of the Year '' ( Press release ). American Heart Association. January 10, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2018. Jump up ^ Limón Romero, Iliana. `` UCF, other departing C - USA members on track to pay exit fees without fight ''. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 10, 2012. Jump up ^ Rybaltowski, Matt. `` Big East announces divisions for 2013 - 14 : Louisville, Cincy in East ; Temple in West ''. CBSSports.com. Retrieved December 10, 2012. Jump up ^ Myerberg, Paul ( November 13, 2012 ). `` Big East announces divisions, adds conference title game ''. USA Today. Retrieved December 10, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` UCF Announces Future Non-Conference Football Games ''. University of Central Florida Athletics Association. September 3, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2010. Jump up ^ Hightower, Kyle. `` UCF wants Texas in ' 07 ''. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 10, 2012. Jump up ^ Green, Shannon. `` UCF football announces series with Pittsburgh ''. OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved January 20, 2017. Jump up ^ Goldberg, Rob. `` Georgia Tech vs. UCF Canceled Due to Hurricane Irma, Will Not Be Rescheduled ''. Bleacher Report. Retrieved 4 February 2018. Jump up ^ `` UCF Knights Football Schedules Future Schedules ''. FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 13, 2018. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to University of Central Florida. Official website UCF Knights football Venues Citrus Bowl ( 1979 -- 2006 ) Spectrum Stadium ( 2007 -- present ) Bowls & rivalries Bowl games Rivalries : Connecticut East Carolina South Florida Culture & lore Knightro `` Charge On '' Marching Knights Kernkraft_400 People Head coaches NFL draftees Alumni Statistical leaders Seasons 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Links to related articles UCF Knights Sports Overview Baseball Men 's Basketball Women 's Basketball Cross Country Football Golf Rowing Men 's Soccer Women 's Soccer Softball Tennis Track and Field Women 's Volleyball Arenas and stadiums CFE Arena ( Multipurpose ) John Euliano Park ( Baseball ) Spectrum Stadium ( Football ) The Venue at UCF ( Volleyball ) UCF Soccer and Track Stadium ( Soccer, Track and field ) UCF Softball Complex ( Softball ) Notable people Athletic Directors Alumni Rivalries East Carolina South Florida Culture and lore Cheerleading KnightMoves Knightro Marching Knights UCF Fight Song Conference affiliations American South Conference ( 1990 -- 1991 ) Atlantic Sun Conference ( 1992 -- 2005 ) Mid-American Conference ( 2002 -- 2005 ) Conference USA ( 2005 -- 2013 ) American Athletic Conference ( 2013 -- ) The University of Central Florida -- Orlando, Florida -- Founded 1963 University of Central Florida Located in : Orlando, Florida Campuses Orlando Main Campus Downtown Orlando Health Sciences Rosen Regional Campuses Academics The Burnett Honors College College of Arts and Humanities College of Business Administration College of Dental Medicine College of Education and Human Performance College of Engineering and Computer Science College of Graduate Studies College of Health and Public Affairs College of Medicine College of Nursing College of Optics and Photonics College of Sciences Undergraduate Studies Rosen College of Hospitality Management Athletics American Athletic Conference Baseball Men 's Basketball Women 's Basketball Football Men 's Soccer Women 's Soccer Softball Track and Field Women 's Volleyball Rivalries : East Carolina South Florida Athletic Facilities : CFE Arena John Euliano Park Spectrum Stadium The Venue at UCF UCF Soccer and Track Stadium UCF Softball Complex Facilities Arboretum Burnett House Knights Plaza Robinson Observatory Sanford Grammar School UCF Library System University Housing Research UCF Research Centers Center for Emerging Media Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers Central Florida Research Park Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy Florida Solar Energy Center Florida Space Institute Innovation Way Institute for Economic Competitiveness Institute for Simulation and Training Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government National Center for Forensic Science National Center for Simulation Department of Defense Research Centers : Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation Army Simulation and Training Technology Center Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division Media Central Florida Future Centric The Florida Review Pegasus WUCF - FM WUCF - TV Traditions University History KnightMoves Knightro Marching Knights Pegasus Spirit Splash UCF Fight Song Student Life Greek Life Recreation Student Government Student Housing People Alumni Athletic Directors Board of Trustees Faculty and Administrators Police Department Presidents Student Government Founded : 1963 Students : 63,016 Endowment : 155.5 million American Athletic Conference football East Division Cincinnati Bearcats Connecticut Huskies East Carolina Pirates South Florida Bulls Temple Owls UCF Knights West Division Houston Cougars Memphis Tigers Navy Midshipmen SMU Mustangs Tulane Green Wave Tulsa Golden Hurricane Championships & awards Conference champions All - time standings Championship Game ( 2015 -- ) Awards Seasons 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=UCF_Knights_football&oldid=824075267 '' Categories : UCF Knights football Sports clubs established in 1979 1979 establishments in Florida Hidden categories : Wikipedia pages with incorrect protection templates Use mdy dates from September 2017 Pages using div col without cols and colwidth parameters Pages using Columns - list with deprecated parameters Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 5 February 2018, at 04 : 41. 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Question: when did the university of central florida start playing football
Answer: fall of 1979