Feb. 18, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. - For years it was a major missing link separating UCF and its football team from its alumni, student body and fan base. In 2007, the problem was rectified as the Knights came home to campus and began enjoying all of the comforts and advantages of playing their home games at Bright House Networks Stadium. For the first time, alumni came back to their old stomping grounds to root on their team. For the first time students could walk to the game, smelling the sweet BBQ smoke along the way. Like nearly every other major university in America, UCF now had its own gathering place for Saturdays in the fall.
The results have been immediate, dramatic and all positive. UCF has attracted the first sellouts in school history the past two years. The rollicking good time in the stands and around the stadium has helped the team on the field as well.
The Knights have played well in front of those sellouts, winning eight of the first 10 games at Bright House Networks Stadium. UCF's offense has gained an average of 85 more yards per game at home than on the road over the 2007-08 seasons combined (4,699 vs. 3,599). The fans, meanwhile, have not only seen their team triumph often but also have enjoyed a dramatically improved tailgating scene in and around the stadium before even walking through its gates. The UCF campus has an element of pageantry it for so long lacked. Everyone has won.
"I don't think there's anything more exciting than being in Bright House on a Saturday," Bruce Miller says. "It means a lot. It's always full and, when there's a big play, it just erupts. It gets everybody on the team going - the guys on field, on the sideline - it gets everybody up. It's a great experience being a part of game day here."
UCF led Conference USA in attendance in 2007 and placed second in 2008. It has helped with recruiting as most UCF signees this year in interviews cited the on-campus stadium and great atmosphere as a reason for signing with the Knights. Defensive tackle Torrell Troup can't say enough about how much better of a situation the team is in now that when he played at a half-empty Citrus Bowl Stadium his freshman year.
"It's 10 times better," he says of the atmosphere on campus. "It's not so far away so more students can come and more fans can support us. It seems like there's more noise here. You can hear the noise in the locker room before the game even starts. It's great to play in front of all our fellow students. The Citrus Bowl was far and a lot of people didn't want to travel. Now, no one has an excuse. Everyone is here and watching and having a great time.
"Even on the road, nothing in Conference USA compares to Bright House. None of the other fans are as loud as our fans. They really get behind us and it's a big advantage. There are times when you can see the confusion because the other team's offense can't hear their plays."
More fun-filled Saturdays await the Knights and their fans in 2009 as UCF will play seven home games at Bright House Networks Stadium, up from the six home contests the team played a year ago. Season ticket information is available here at UCFAthletics.com. Packing Bright House Networks Stadium on Saturdays in the fall is symbiotic as it is not only a thrilling full-day's experience for UCF fans, but helps the Knights as well.
"From the second we run out of the tunnel and the crowd goes wild it get everybody on the team fired up," Miller says. "It's worth a few points on the field right there."