UCF - Athletics

Athletics

The University of Central Florida features a large variety of intercollegiate athletics teams known as the UCF Knights that competes in NCAA's Division I as part of Conference USA. UCF will join the Big East Conference for all sports on July 1, 2013.

Men's sports include Baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, and tennis.

Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, softball, Tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Co-ed sports include cheerleading. The women's volleyball team won the AIAW Division II national championship in 1978.

In 2007, UCF made notable changes to its athletic program. A newly developed "athletic village" on the north end of campus known as Knights Plaza was opened which consisted of new sports facilities, including the new UCF Arena, the new 45,000 seat Bright House Networks Stadium, a new softball complex, and the only Division I indoor football practice facility in the state. This made UCF the first university to ever open a new stadium and arena during the same year, for the 2007-08 season. The athletic complex surrounding Knights Plaza also includes Jay Bergman Field, the UCF Soccer and Track Stadium and numerous practice facilities. To mark the start of the new era in Knights athletics, culminating in the homecoming of the Knights football team from playing in off-site facilities, the university's athletic teams were renamed from the Golden Knights to the Knights, new logos and an update to their mascot, Knightro, were introduced before the start of the 2007-08 sports season.

UCF joined Conference USA for all sports in 2005, and during their first year with the conference the Knights football team, under the leadership of second-year coach George O'Leary, concluded the fourth-best turnaround in NCAA history by winning the conference's eastern division and earning its first bowl berth in the 4th Annual Hawai'i Bowl. Celebrating their inaugural year in their new on-campus stadium, the 2007 UCF Football team won the Conference USA Championship for the first time in the school's history, and the eastern division for the second time in three seasons, securing a berth to the school's second bowl game, the 49th Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl. The Knights football team secured their third bowl berth following an 8-4 season in the 2009 St. Petersburg Bowl. For the first time in school history, on November 7, 2010, the Knights garnered national rankings, ranking 25th in the AP Poll, 23rd in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 25th in the Harris Poll. The Knights won the 2010 Conference USA Championship game, defeating SMU 17–7, securing a berth in their fourth bowl game. After winning their second league title in four years, UCF entered the BCS Standings for the first time in program history, ranking #25. The Knights ended the 2010 season with their first-ever bowl victory, a 10–6 victory over Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

The UCF men's basketball team has advanced to the NCAA tournament four times ('94, '96, '04, '05) since its 1990 Division I debut, all under then head coach Kirk Speraw. The 2008–09 UCF men's team featured senior Jermaine Taylor, who was one of the nation's top scorers averaging over 20 points per game. The women's basketball team is the 2009 Conference USA champions, and have previously won two tournament and three regular season championships in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The 2009–2010 men's basketball team featured the reunion of Chicago players Marcus Jordan and AJ Rompza. Though after the conclusion of the season, the university decided to not retain 17-year head coach Kirk Speraw for the upcoming season, and in March 2010 announced the hiring of Donnie Jones as the new Knight's men's basketball head coach. Following a 10–0 start to the 2010–11 season, and being one of nine unbeaten teams, the Knights were nationally ranked for the first time in program history. At the time, UCF was one of only four schools to be ranked in the BCS standings and the AP men's basketball poll.

UCF's cheerleading squad has captured two national titles at the College Cheerleading and Dance Team Nationals, in 2003 and 2007. As the reigning national champions, they were followed by WE tv's hit cheerleading show, Cheerleader U.