Dec. 8, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Most postgame press conferences sound the same. Coaches and players are asked about the key plays of the contest. Praise is usually issued to opposing players and that is about it.
That is why a comment from head coach Kirk Speraw following the Knights' 71-63 victory over cross-state foe USF on Saturday was unique. The game was played in front of a boisterous crowd of 6,695 spectators at the UCF Arena, good for the second-largest crowd in school history.
The fans, especially the UCF students, were loud and rowdy, making it tough for the Bulls when they had the ball. Because of the activity in the stands, Speraw chose to commend UCF's sports marketing staff during the press conference.
"Jimmy Skiles did an unbelievable job of getting those people here. It was great to have the students and crowd," Speraw said.
Skiles, who handles the marketing efforts for men's basketball, created the Knightmare student section a year ago. The first 2,000 students who entered the arena Saturday received a free Knightmare t-shirt. Leading up to the game, Skiles and his staff raised awareness about the contest in front of the Student Union, and also utilized Internet sites like Facebook and MySpace.
Skiles was in attendance last December when the Knights faced USF in Tampa. The contest was played in front of 4,031 fans at the Sun Dome.
Saturday's total was just shy of the UCF single-game attendance record. Last January, 7,097 fans watched the Knights host Tulsa in the inaugural C-USA game at the UCF Arena. Since the program moved into the venue last fall, nine of the top-10 crowds in school history have been recorded.
UCF fans will be able to see the Knights in action again Friday when the squad hosts Florida Tech at 7 p.m. Season tickets, which begin at just $99, are still available. To order your season tickets today, contact the UCF ticket sales office at (407) UCF-1000.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
Notes: Senior guard Jermaine Taylor (Tavares, Fla.) ranks third in C-USA in scoring at 19.9 points per game... Seven of UCF's next eight games are at home. The only contest away from Orlando during that stretch is a Dec. 20 tilt against Florida in Jacksonville.