Football at UCF may be relatively new compared to some of the blueblood college programs that have been around for many more decades.
After all, the Knights didn't field a team until 1979 and didn't begin competing in the current NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) until 1996.
By that timetable, UCF's 10 postseason bids between 2005-18 (including a Fiesta Bowl win in 2013 and consecutive New Year's Six bowl appearances after the 2017 and 2018 campaigns) sound more than a little impressive.
Throw in back-to-back American Athletic Conference titles in 2017 and 2018, a 25-game winning streak over that stretch and it's no surprise Spectrum Stadium (also known as "The Bounce House")—sold out in terms of season tickets for the first time in 2019—is slated to continue bouncing.
UCF ranks as one of only nine programs that have made three or more New Year's Six bowl appearances from 2014 through the 2018 season (joining Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Washington).
In many ways, UCF's current enrollment of 68,500 students (annually awarding about 17,000 degrees) is a bit mind-boggling considering classes began only in 1968. In that regard, the Knights describe themselves, quite aptly, as "the future largest fan base in college athletics."
UCF athletics also has been branded as innovative, hip, fun, non-traditional and even disruptive—maybe a nod to the Knights' national championship following their perfect 13-0 season in 2017.
The UCF fan base has been described as young--even first generation--digital, innovative and rowdy, with a chip on its shoulder.
Along the way, all that success has led to the establishment of more than a few UCF traditions, even if a number remain relatively new. Here's a closer look at what Knights' fans have come to know and love surrounding football weekends:
1. Knightro—The official UCF athletics mascot is unabashedly beloved, maybe because Knightro makes for a perfect image opportunity with fans of all ages. It's a combination of the outfit, the headgear, the attitude and the lack of a voice that makes him intimating and yet fun-loving at the same time. It's safe to say that Knightro ranks high on the UCF popularity index—and he's hard to miss in his black-and-gold outfit. (The official UCF colors of black and gold were designated in 1968.) The costume design has undergone a number of revisions, most notably in 2007 when UCF released a new logo and Knightro's garb was redone to match. A group of eight UCF students—known as Team Knightro--play the role behind the mask. Knightro made its debut in 1994 and is regularly involved in community service events around UCF and Orlando. Before Knightro, UCF was unofficially represented by Citronaut starting in 1969. Those were followed by several more knight-themed mascots—Knights of Pegasus (that name received 824 of 1,313 student votes in 1970), Sir Wins-A-Lot (debuted in 1980) and Mack the Knight (debuted in 1989). The first Knightro (officially named the UCF mascot in 1995 and paired with a female version, Glycerin) was played by Trey Gordon, who helped arrange the initial graphic rendering of the mascot. The original costume weighed as much as 50 pounds but has since been reduced by half.
2. Official Name—Since 2007 UCF athletic teams officially have been known as the Knights. The nickname apparently came about in part because students voted for it in recognition of longtime UCF director of records and registration Ed Knight Jr. who helped many students maintain military deferments during the Vietnam War.
3. Uniform Combos—The UCF football equipment room contains a full list of options of helmets, jerseys and pants in multiple black tones (anthracite and pewter), gold and white (except no gold jersey option). Once the choice is made as to what combination the Knights will wear each game week, those selections are promoted by various UCF social media. Beginning in 2017 one game each year features a nod to NASA and the Space Coast, with the Knights wearing specially designed helmets and uniforms.
4. "Go 1-0"—This immediately became UCF head coach Josh Heupel's mantra for his football players, as a way to meet daily goals of achievement and avoid becoming caught up in attempting to accomplish a season's worth of objectives all at once. Then, when it comes to the season, as Heupel says, "It's our job to go 1-0 every week."
5. "The War on I-4"—UCF's natural rivalry with USF now has not only a name but a large trophy that goes to the annual winner of ongoing athletic competition between the two institutions. Six points are awarded in each applicable sport based on either head-to-head events or conference championship finishes. The Knights were runaway winners in 2018-19 after also claiming the top spot in the first two years of the competition.
6. Charge On Shield—There's a Charge On shield that is affixed onto a locker room wall for players to hit as they enter or leave that area. The shield was introduced to the locker room in 2014. The large Polaris star represents the university's motto of "Reach for the Stars." The "ChargeOn" text slanted at an upward trajectory over a mountain peak symbolizes that the 2014 Fiesta Bowl victory would not be the top achievement of the program and that UCF football would continue to rise. The 12 stars in a circle at the bottom represent the 12 regular-season games.
7. Knight Walk—UCF football players, led by Knightro, make the journey from their team bus drop-off spot on IOA Plaza (west side of stadium) to their Spectrum Stadium locker room about two hours prior to kickoff of home games with hundreds of fans lining the way.
8. Knight Lights—UCF fans turn on their cellphone flashlights en masse for all prime-time home-game kickoffs.
9. UCF Knights Cheer Team—The Knights' cheerleading squad finished first in 2019 in the World Cup Championship and three UCF individuals helped the U.S. National team win the ICU World Cheerleading Championship. Coach Linda Gooch's squad finished second in the 2019 UCA Nationals, marking the 24th time in 26 years UCF has placed in the top 10 in the collegiate championships—including national titles in 2003 and 2007.
10. Memory Mall—Located just across Gemini Boulevard from Addition Financial Arena, this is the prime tailgating spot for all those wearing black and gold. Alumni and students can reserve their spots and tents in advance—then they bring their own food and drink to enjoy.
11. "The Bounce House"—The nickname given to UCF's football stadium—now Spectrum Stadium and formerly Bright House Networks Stadium—comes from the bouncy feel in the seating areas when a packed house energetically cheers on its Knights. It comes when Zombie Nation's "Kernkraft 400" reverberates through the facility. Spectrum Stadium opened in 2007 as an on-campus replacement for what is now known as Camping World Stadium (originally the Citrus Bowl) in downtown Orlando.
12. Mom Squad — This group comprises mothers of current UCF football players. They communicate, cheer and coordinate community service as they support their sons on the Knights' roster.
13. Pegasus—That's the white horse, with the UCF riding knight on board, that ceremonially takes the field before each football game as the University's official mascots. Horses have been donated to UCF over the years by Burt Reynolds in the 1980s and UCF trustee Rick Walsh in the 1990s. In 2001, Centauro was donated to UCF, a University equestrian club began and the Pegasus Mascot Team was established. The Lipizzaner Stallions provided horses beginning in 2009, then UCF in 2014 formed a relationship with Arabian Nights and Al-Marah Arabian Horses in Clermont, Florida. Horses currently come from Painted Oaks Academy near campus, with multiple white Arabian horses currently used for various athletic and other UCF events. A new addition to the UCF equine lineup in 2018 was mini horse Knugget, who quickly has become a fan favorite in part through his creative Twitter and Instagram accounts.
14. March to Victory—The renowned UCF cheerleaders and the UCF marching band take their own path into Spectrum Stadium 90 minutes before Knights' home contests.
15. Alma Mater—The entire UCF squad stands arm in arm to sing the UCF alma mater, win or lose, after each home game.
16. "Orlando's Hometown Team"—That phrase is only a few years old, yet it reflects UCF's plan to dominate the local sports scene and make fans living in Orlando identify with the Knights as the team that represents their hometown. Whether the slogan is found on car magnets or flags or any variety of other forms, it's become a common site not just in the neighborhoods around the UCF campus but all over the greater Orlando area and beyond.
17. "Spirit Splash"—A Homecoming tradition, the annual "Spirit Splash" involves thousands of UCF students making a run through the Reflecting Pond in front of the John C. Hitt Library.
18. More Than Athletic Success—UCF takes pride in its student-athlete classroom accomplishments in the same way it fetes its sports successes. For example, the 2019 spring semester marked the 23rd consecutive semester that UCF athletes achieved a combined 3.0 grade-point average (or higher), creating the longest streak in school history in that category. Specifically for football, the Knights in the spring of 2019 posted an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) figure of 987, ranking UCF 11th among all 130 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision programs.
19. Winning is Contagious—UCF is the only NCAA FBS institution in the country that saw each of its teams that competes in head-to-head competition (10 sports) produce winning records in both 2017-18 and 2018-19. In addition, UCF ranked 17th nationally, according to CBS Sports, in terms of the Knights' across-the-board athletic performance in 2018-19. (The CBS formula puts more weight on football, men's basketball and women's basketball, three marquee sports that UCF excelled in this past season.) The football team went 12-1, won another American Athletic Conference championship and earned a New Year's Six bowl berth, playing in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. Both the men's and women's basketball programs earned at-large bids to the NCAA Championship, with the men advancing to the second round. Two wild-card sports also added to the calculation, including NCAA Championship runs by UCF's volleyball and men's soccer teams. UCF ranked just ahead of Duke, Texas and Maryland in the top 20. The Knights were the only team in the top 25 from The American. (Cincinnati came in tied for 38th.) Michigan topped the chart for 2018-19.
20. Sold Out—This qualifies as the most recent of UCF traditions. After 419 percent growth in new football season ticket sales from 2016-18, the Knights sold their entire allotment of 2019 season tickets, virtually ensuring sellouts for all six home games.