28°35′55″N 81°11′55″W / 28.59861°N 81.19861°W The UCF Knights are the athletic teams that represent the University of Central Florida in unincorporated Orange County, Florida near Orlando. The Knights participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I (FBS for football) as a member of the Big 12 Conference. Since men's soccer is not sponsored by the Big 12, they play in the Sun Belt Conference.
| UCF Knights | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | University of Central Florida |
| Conference | Big 12 (primary) Sun Belt (Men's soccer) |
| NCAA | Division I (FBS) |
| Athletic director | Terry Mohajir |
| Location | Orlando, Florida |
| Varsity teams | 16 (6 men's, 10 women's) |
| Football stadium | FBC Mortgage Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Addition Financial Arena |
| Ice hockey arena | RDV Sportsplex (club team) |
| Baseball stadium | John Euliano Park |
| Softball stadium | UCF Softball Complex |
| Soccer stadium | UCF Soccer and Track Stadium |
| Tennis venue | UCF Tennis Complex |
| Other venues | UCF Cross Country Complex UCF Intercollegiate Rowing Center The Venue at UCF |
| Mascot | Knightro |
| Nickname | Knights |
| Fight song | Charge On |
| Colors | Black and gold[1] |
| Website | ucfknights |
The university has asked to be identified as UCF when being referenced as opposed to Central Florida. Television networks and other media outlets, most notably ESPN, were initially slow to adopt this policy, but had mostly adapted by 2017. The "Knights of Pegasus" – as the nickname was originally called – was a submission put forth by students, staff, and faculty in 1970 who wished to replace UCF's unpopular original mascot, the Citronaut, which was a mix between an orange and an astronaut.[2] In 1993 through 2007, the teams were rebranded and known as the Golden Knights. The Knights were also chosen over "Vincent the Vulture," which was a popular unofficial mascot among students at the time. In 1994, Knightro debuted as the Golden Knights' official athletic mascot.[3] Since 2014, the Citronaut has made a limited return for some "throwback" games in football.
UCF sponsors 16 varsity sports: 6 for men (baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, and tennis; the minimum number of men's sports required for a Division I school) and 10 for women (basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, and volleyball). UCF also used to sponsor a men's wrestling team, but it was discontinued after the 1986 season.
The Knights 16 varsity teams have combined to win 89 conference championships and two national championships as of the end of the 2020–21 school year,[citation needed] albeit neither of the national championships were bestowed by the NCAA, making them one of just three Power Five conference members to never win a NCAA national championship.[a] One Golden Knights athlete, Aurieyall Scott, has won an individual NCAA championship. Scott won the 60 meter dash at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship.[4] The UCF cheerleading team (which is not considered a varsity team) has captured three national titles at the College Cheerleading and Dance Team Nationals.[5]
Athletic facilities on the campus include the 45,300-seat FBC Mortgage Stadium, the 10,000–seat Addition Financial Arena, 3,000–seat Venue, John Euliano Park, the UCF Soccer and Track Stadium, and the UCF Softball Complex.[6]
UCF was invited to join the Big 12 Conference on September 10, 2021, and accepted the invitation later that day.[7] The American Athletic Conference announced on June 10, 2022 that UCF had been approved for an early exit of the conference following the 2022-23 season (albeit with an increased buyout cost), permitting them to enter the Big 12 Conference for the 2023-24 season.[8]
- ^ "Colors | University of Central Florida Brand Guide". Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ^ "UCF Receives Knighthood". University of Central Florida Athletic Association. April 19, 2007. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "One School Many Mascots". Central Florida Future. January 20, 2004. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
- ^ "Scott Sprints to UCF's First NCAA Championship". University of Central Florida Athletic Association. March 9, 2013. Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "UCF Cheer Wins Division IA National Championship".
- ^ "FBC Mortgage Stadium at the University of Central Florida". Whartonsmith. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ "UCF Board of Trustees Accepts Invitation to Join Big 12 Conference". UCFKnights.com. September 10, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ Adelson, Andrea (June 10, 2022). "Cincinnati, Houston, UCF reach exit deal with American, to join Big 12 in 2023".
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