A homecoming date versus 2021 College Football Playoff semifinalist Cincinnati--plus attractive non-conference home matchups with Atlantic Coast Conference foes Louisville and Georgia Tech--highlight a 2022 UCF football schedule that includes seven home dates at the Bounce House.
It's the first time UCF has played host to two Power 5 teams in the same season—as the Knights look forward to their future transition to the Big 12 Conference.
UCF faces assignments against six teams selected for postseason bowl games to finish the 2021 campaign— two-time defending American Athletic Conference champion Cincinnati, 2019 AAC champion Memphis, Louisville, East Carolina, SMU and South Carolina State.
The AAC by June 1 will announce the first three weekends of kickoff times and television details as well as those specifics for any midweek contests. Other kickoff times will be announced week to week this fall—on either a 12- or six-day turnaround.
UCF's home slate for 2022 includes Cincinnati, the winner of the 2021 Cricket Celebration Bowl (South Carolina State), a Louisville team that participated in the First Responder Bowl and an SMU team that was selected for the Fenway Bowl (that game against Virginia was cancelled due to Covid-19). Other home games are versus Georgia Tech plus AAC representatives Temple and Navy.
The Knights' road agenda is highlighted by matchups with league opponents Memphis and East Carolina (both were selected for bowl games following 2021—but both games were cancelled because of Covid-19). Other away-from-home dates are at Florida Atlantic, Tulane and traditional rival South Florida. The Knights don't leave the state of Florida to play until their Oct. 22 date at East Carolina and play nine of 12 games overall in their home state. Here's the complete slate for the Knights in 2022 (All dates and times are subject to change for television.):
| Date | Opponent | Time/TV |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1 (Thur.) | SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (7-5, won Cricket Celebration Bowl in 2021) | TBD/TBD |
| Sept. 9 (Fri.) | LOUISVILLE (First Responder Bowl) | TBD/TBD |
| Sept. 17 | @Florida Atlantic | TBD/TBD |
| Sept. 24 | GEORGIA TECH | TBD/TBD |
| Oct. 1 | SMU* (8-4, selected for Fenway Bowl) - Family Weekend | TBD/TBD |
| Oct. 13 (Thur.) | TEMPLE* - Space Game | TBD/TBD |
| Oct. 22 | @East Carolina* (7-5, selected for Military Bowl) | TBD/TBD |
| Oct. 29 | CINCINNATI* (13-1, CFP semifinalist) - Homecoming | TBD/TBD |
| Nov. 5 | @Memphis* (selected for Hawaii Bowl) | TBD/TBD |
| Nov. 12 | @Tulane* | TBD/TBD |
| Nov. 19 | NAVY* | TBD/TBD |
| Nov. 25/26 (Fri./Sat.) | @SOUTH FLORIDA* | TBD/TBD |
| Dec. 3 | AAC Championship Game | TBD/ABC or ESPN |
Home games in bold
*American Athletic Conference game
One game will be selected for Black Friday (Nov. 25) among a group of three games in the final week of the regular season. The Black Friday selection will come from UCF-South Florida, Tulane-Cincinnati and Tulsa-Houston. That selection will be made by Oct. 3.
The full AAC schedule includes a minimum of 40 conference-controlled regular-season games on either ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU, including at least 20 games on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2—as well as a series of games available exclusively on ESPN+, the leading direct-to-consumer sports streaming service which has grown to more than 21.3 million subscribers in less than four years.
In non-league action, UCF will be meeting South Carolina State for the fourth time—following previous Knight home wins in 2008, 2016 and 2018. The Knights play Louisville for the fourth time overall, with the Cardinals making their first trip to Orlando (and leading the series 2-1). UCF faces Florida Atlantic for the third time in five years and the second time in Boca Raton following a 48-14 Knight triumph there in 2019. UCF is 3-0 overall against the Owls. Georgia Tech makes its first visit to the Bounce House—with the previous four meetings between the two teams played in Atlanta (the most recent a 49-21 Knight win in 2020).
Among 2021 AAC home opponents, UCF is 8-2 versus SMU, including a 5-0 record in Orlando. UCF leads the Temple series 7-2—with the Knights winning three of four in Orlando. UCF is 3-4 overall versus Cincinnati while winning two of the three games played in Orlando. The Knights stand 2-1 overall against Navy—defeating the Midshipmen in 2018 in the lone prior contest in Orlando.
UCF stands 30-2 (.937) at home over the last five seasons (2017-21), highlighted by a 21-game homefield win streak that encompassed three consecutive unbeaten home slates in 2017 (7-0), 2018 (8-0) and 2019 (6-0). The Knights finished unbeaten at home again in 2021 at 7-0. UCF overall has won 50 combined games over the last five seasons (2017-21).
In 2021 AAC road games for the Knights, East Carolina faces UCF for the 21st time overall (the series is tied 10-10 including the Knights' 5-6 mark in Greenville meetings). UCF is 6-2 in trips to play Memphis (with losses in its first visit in 1990 and its most recent in 2020, a wild 50-49 Tiger triumph). The Knights lead the overall series 14-2. UCF is ahead in the overall series against Tulane 9-2, including 3-2 in New Orleans. UCF leads South Florida 7-6 overall—with the teams splitting the half-dozen earlier games in Tampa.
Sixteen returning starters (eight on defense, eight on offense) plus a handful of key specialists are back for UCF coach Gus Malzahn in 2022 as UCF looks to compete for the AAC championship it last won in 2017 and 2018.
The Knights return a solid list of weapons for 2022:
--their starting quarterback, Mikey Keene, who threw for 1,730 yards and 17 TDs
--their top five rushers, led by Isaiah Bowser, who ran for 703 yards and nine TDs in only eight games, and Johnny Richardson, who led the team with 733 yards and three TDs
--six of their top seven receivers, paced by Ryan O'Keefe and his 84 receptions for 812 yards and seven TDs
--two of their top four tacklers in safeties Quadric Bullard (83 tackles, 6 PBU) and Divaad Wilson (72 tackles)
UCF sold its entire season-ticket allotment in 2019 and 2021 for the first times in history (with attendance limited in 2020 due to Covid-19), and the Knights expect to accomplish that again in 2022. Interested fans are encouraged to call 407-823-1000 or click here for more information. For any games that are sold out, single-game ticket availability is based on returns from the visiting team allotment.