UCF in 2023 begins its conference football schedule, for the first time as a member of the Big 12 Conference, with a pair of blockbuster assignments—with the Knights' first two league contests coming against the two most recent Big 12 champions.
UCF travels to Manhattan, Kansas, for its conference opener Sept. 23 against 2022 Big 12 champion Kansas State. A week later the Knights play their first Big 12 home game (Sept. 30) with a date against 2021 Big 12 champion Baylor at FBC Mortgage Stadium.
The UCF home conference slate features contests versus Baylor, West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Houston. The Knights' Big 12 road game list includes Kansas State, Kansas, Oklahoma (most recently Big 12 champion in 2015-16-17-18-19-20), Cincinnati and Texas Tech.
Eight of UCF's nine Big 12 games come against teams that played in postseason bowl games following the 2022 season—including Texas Bowl champion Texas Tech and Independence Bowl champion Houston.
All six UCF road games in 2023 are against teams that played in bowl games to finish 2022. The lone team on the UCF schedule that finished in the final 2022 polls is Big 12 champion Kansas State, which was ninth in the final CFP rankings and 14th in the final Associated Press poll after all the bowl games.
UCF's previously announced non-conference slate includes home games against Kent State (Thursday, Aug. 31) and Villanova (Sept. 16) and a challenging Sept. 9 road assignment at Boise State, 10-4 and winner of the Frisco Bowl in 2022.
The Baylor home game (Sept. 30) will be Family Weekend, and the West Virginia game (Oct. 28) will be Homecoming.
Kickoff times for the first three weeks of the season will be announced this summer. The Big 12 will publish the remainder of kickoff times on a regular basis throughout the fall, on either a 12- or six-day turnaround from week to week.
In terms of Big 12 foes, UCF will meet Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech for the first time. The Knights are 0-1 vs. Kansas State (0-1 in Manhattan), 1-0 vs. Baylor (Fiesta Bowl win in 2013 season), 0-2 vs. West Virginia (0-1 in Orlando), 4-4 vs. Cincinnati (1-3 in Cincinnati) and 7-3 vs. Houston (4-2 in Orlando).
Against its non-league opponents, UCF is 2-2 vs. Kent State (1-1 in Orlando—a win in 2002, a loss in 2004), 1-0 vs. Boise State (a win in Gus Malzahn's first game as UCF coach in 2021) and 1-0 vs. Villanova (a home win in 2006).
Here is the complete 2023 UCF football schedule:
| Date | Opponent |
| Aug. 31 (Thur.) | KENT STATE (5-7) |
| Sept. 9 | @ Boise State (10-4) |
| (W Frisco Bowl 35-32 vs. North Texas) | |
| Sept. 16 | VILLANOVA (6-5) |
| Sept. 23 | *@ Kansas State (10-4) |
| (final #14 AP ranking, #9 CFP; L Sugar Bowl 45-20 vs. Alabama) | |
| Sept. 30 | *BAYLOR (6-7) |
| (L Armed Forces Bowl 30-15 vs. Air Force) | |
| --Family Weekend | |
| Oct. 7 | *@ Kansas (6-7) |
| (L Liberty Bowl 55-53 in 3 OT vs. Arkansas) | |
| Oct. 14 | Open Date |
| Oct. 21 | *@ Oklahoma (6-7) |
| (L Cheez-It Bowl 35-32 vs. Florida State) | |
| Oct. 28 | *WEST VIRGINIA (5-7) |
| --Homecoming | |
| Nov. 4 | *@ Cincinnati (9-4) |
| (L Fenway Bowl 24-7 vs. Louisville) | |
| Nov. 11 | *OKLAHOMA STATE (7-6) |
| (L Guaranteed Rate Bowl 24-17 vs. Wisconsin) | |
| Nov. 18 | *@ Texas Tech (8-5) |
| (W Texas Bowl 42-25 vs. Ole Miss) | |
| Nov. 25 | *HOUSTON (8-5) |
| (W Independence Bowl 23-21 vs. Louisiana) | |
| Dec. 2 | Big 12 Championship Game |
| (@AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas) |
*Big 12 Conference games
Home games in bold CAPS
Kickoff times and tv designations TBD
2022 record, bowl game result in parentheses