ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – UCF ranked 17th in the nation (tied with Wisconsin) in the first Amway Coaches Poll of the 2019 season announced today. It marked the second straight year that the Knights have been ranked in the top 25 to start a season (23rd in 2018).
UCF -- which went 12-1, won the American Athletic Conference Championship and made its second straight New Year’s Six Bowl in 2018 -- opened the 2019 poll of coaches with 436 points.
Since 2005, UCF has been ranked or received votes in 12 seasons, which includes top-25 finishes in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2018. The Knights ended last season ranked 12th in the Amway Coaches Poll with 876 points.
Six Knights have appeared on 12 preseason watch lists, with Jordan Johnson and Richie Grant each named to four. Second-year head coach Josh Heupel was tabbed as one of 23 coaches on the preseason watch list for the 2019 Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Trophy.
UCF began preseason camp Wednesday and will continue practicing through August in preparation for the season and home opener Aug. 29 at Spectrum Stadium versus Florida A&M (7:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network).