Jan. 5, 2009
The following column from UCF radio voice Marc Daniels appears in the January edition of KnightVision, the official publication of UCF Athletics.
When Bright Networks Stadium opened in September of 2007, many who thought an on-campus stadium at UCF was not possible saw a dream come true.
Two months later the new UCF Arena opened and while attention was not as great, the accomplishment was equally impressive.
UCF had done something no other university had ever done. They would open a football and basketball facility in the same year. It was a statement that the UCF administrators viewed these programs as key building blocks to not just generate revenue but build a fan base beyond what many thought was possible.
In two short seasons, Bright House Networks Stadium has developed a reputation as a loud and imposing venue for visiting teams. The Knights are among the top teams in the attendance category in Conference USA. Now the mission is to do the same for UCF men's basketball.
Memphis is the power program of the conference and the Tigers are what everyone else in the league strives to be, a national contender every season. But while John Calipari's team plays in front of near capacity crowds at the FedEx Forum, an NBA building, no one else in the league can match UCF's on-campus home. The 10,000-seat venue rivals any other court in the country. No kidding. Rupp Arena and Pauley Pavilion have history that bleeds and Cameron Indoor has tradition that whispers, but the furniture and lights are old and need a face lift.
Tradition is built over time and while UCF has a basketball tradition thanks to Torchy and Bo Clark, the new generation of Knight teams seeks their place in UCF history.
Kirk Speraw is in his 16th season as UCF's coach. He has taken four teams to the NCAA Tournament and then did something few still understand and appreciate.
Speraw took a team from the Atlantic Sun, a conference often ranked near the bottom of league power ratings, and moved to a top-10 league in the newly configured C-USA. No other team in the country in the expansion of 2005 made the leap like UCF did in college basketball.
Expected to be a cellar-dweller for years, Kirk's teams have finished fifth, second and fourth in the league and have gone 27-19 against conference foes. Praised by the media outside of Orlando more than his home market, Speraw is viewed as one of the top X and O coaches in the country. Don't take my word on that. Ask John Calipari or Tubby Smith what they think of Kirk. Or better yet, go ask Jamie Dixon at Pittsburgh and Jim Calhoun at Connecticut. Both still ask Kirk how he game planned for them in recent NCAA Tournament games to be so competitive when the talent scale was tipped so heavily to one side.
This brings to us you and your fellow fans. For those of you who have become regulars to UCF home games your support is appreciated by the guys wearing the Black and Gold. For those who make a game or two or have yet to experience the new UCF Arena on game day, you're missing a good show.
The show features one of the most exciting players in the country in Jermaine Taylor who is a YouTube highlight reel. And while this year's version of the Knights is one of the youngest teams in the nation, it still plays an up-tempo style that makes pace of play never an issue.
But UCF must build a home court reputation for noise. For those who attended last season's triple-overtime thriller against Tulsa, the atmosphere was big time. Over 7,000 fans gave UCF a glimpse of what a true home court advantage can be. UCF students get it. Their support can never be questioned and their turnout for the game against USF earlier this season was another example of give them what they want, an exciting product (and a free t-shirt to the first 2,000 students), and they will come.
To keep them coming UCF must win. Kirk knows that. UCF must not just strive to just compete in C-USA. The Knights must strive to compete with Memphis and be a title contender in a very good league. In order to do that, UCF must continue to recruit top talent.
Four years ago, Speraw convinced Jermaine Taylor to be the first true C-USA signee. Four years later, Speraw has added perhaps his best signee in Keith Clanton. The local prep star is another sign of the program's growth and ability to land big time talent.
But it comes back to the noise. Top recruits want to play in front of loud, large and loyal fans. It is a major factor in recruiting. It is a major factor in getting on television. And it is a major factor in generating revenue. And generating revenue plays a major factor in getting big name opponents to visit UCF.
UCF's biggest game at its new building is looming. Memphis will arrive on Jan. 10. It will be nationally ranked and feature several NBA prospects. The program that others strive to be has become the road show of the conference. Last time Memphis played in Orlando, the old UCF Arena was filled. Before that game, Kirk Speraw gave John Calipari a tour of what would become the new home of the Knights. Calipari saw the vision and commented back then how UCF was the program to watch because you don't build a facility like that and not be serious.
How serious are UCF fans? The biggest statement fans can make is to assure standing-room only is all that is available on game night. But it's not just that night, it has to be every night your team plays at home. That's how traditions get built. That's how good teams become very good teams. That's how you get a reputation as a place you don't want to play if you're an opponent. So get your tickets and get inside. The arena is as good as it gets. All that's left is for you to bring the noise.