April 20, 2010
By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - With the Orlando Magic looking to defend their NBA Eastern Conference title, Amway Arena has been garnering plenty of attention lately. The UCF men's basketball program has ties to the facility, which is scheduled to close in the coming months when the Amway Center opens.
Amway Arena originally opened in 1989, and the Knights played four regular-season contests in the building during its early days. In fact, the Knights played in the second half of a college doubleheader on Feb. 4, 1989, that served as the first basketball games inside the arena. After Stanford faced Florida, UCF met cross-town rival Rollins in front of 6,800 fans. The Tars posted an 88-73 victory.
The next winter, the Red Lobster Classic, an event that UCF participated in annually, moved from the Orange County Civic Center, and the Knights faced Georgia at the arena. In 1990, UCF played its final contests at the arena, meeting both Stanford and DePaul in the tournament.
UCF's most recent activity inside the arena came in 2005, when the Knights practiced at the building while preparing for the NCAA Tournament.
The UCF ticket sales office is currently accepting season-ticket deposits for the 2010-11 campaign at (407) UCF-1000 or online at UCFAthletics.com. By placing their deposit now, fans will receive a free 2010-11 NIKE Knightmare t-shirt with their ticket purchase. Season tickets start at just $99.
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.