April 24, 2007
Orlando, Fla. (www.UCFAthletics.com) - The following story is part three in a series of eight short features detailing the history, legacy and folklore behind the making of the Florida Technological University (FTU) and University of Central Florida (UCF) name, logo and mascot. Accompanying each story on-line at UCFAthletics.com is a corresponding photo gallery displaying historical images from each era of UCF Knights athletics.
In 1970, FTU's athletics programs had a nickname; they were the "Knights". The students had a logo to rally behind, a democratically chosen design that appeased both the new athletics moniker in addition to the institutions' Greek-themed Pegasus.
It was the 1970's and the start-up Knights were well on their way. After just one year at the club level, Torchy Clark's basketball squad was the first to gain varsity status gaining NCAA Division II recognition for the 1970-71, thus beginning what would be UCF Athletics' 38th anniversary in 2007-08. Clark's club went 17-9 in that first season and so was the start of his legendary career at the school.
During the first half of the 1970's, all of FTU's athletics programs took on varsity status. The men's teams competed as an Independent at the NCAA Division II level, while the women competed in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. Success was nothing new to the early Knights, and thus the move to charter a new statewide athletics conference - the Sunshine State Conference along with Biscayne College (now St. Thomas University), Eckerd College, Florida Southern College, Rollins College and St. Leo College, which the Knights remained through May 1984.
With several milestones accomplished during the 1970's, perhaps the largest two came in successive years to close out the decade.
The first came shortly after Dr. Trevor Colbourn succeeded President Millican as the new school president in 1978. Colbourn, through an act of State Legislature, led the effort to change the school's name to the University of Central Florida, one that identified with a larger statewide appeal to correspond with rapidly growing enrollment. The era of "U.C.F" athletics had now begun.
Near the same time, Colbourn, during his inaugural speech, spoke of bringing the sport of football to the school. The very next season, Dr. Jack O'Leary, the school's first full-time athletics director, brought in former professional football player and Orlando notable Don Jonas to build UCF's first football team.
Welcome to "Saturday Knights Live". Home football games were played under the lights on Saturdays at the Tangerine Bowl. However, no live mascot character existed at home contests in those early years. Witnesses remember students dressing up as the part of a Knight from time to time, but with no official promotional tie to the athletics department.
This first decade displayed many incarnations of the "Knights" theme, but the best early depiction came at the start of the program when the first armor-suited Knight strolled onto the Tangerine Bowl grounds riding her "gallant steed Romeo". Yes, the knight was actually Kathi McCutheon, who donated her horse, gear, time and transportation to depict the first Horse and Rider.
Later, another UCF Fighting Knight was seen strolling the sidelines at home football games in the mid-1980's, this time, courtesy of Hollywood movie star and Florida resident Burt Reynolds, who donated a black stallion from his own ranch to long-time friend and UCF Athletics Director Bill Peterson.
The tradition of the horse and rider still thrives today largely due to the upkeep and care provided by UCF's Equestrian Club.
Did you know: The "Golden Knights" nickname was first used in 1980 as the name of the student group who were dedicated to helping the football program.