Orlando Magic basketball, Orlando City and Orlando Pride Soccer, the nation’s premier tennis center, college football bowl games, the NFL Pro Bowl, U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, the Arnold Palmer Invitational … and, of course, the UCF Knights.
Orlando has much to offer fans of every sport — so much that the highly regarded Sports Business Journal today named Orlando the No. 1 Best Sports Business City of Attracting and Hosting Events.
“Orlando's elevation to the top spot in this year’s rankings is a testament to the vibrant synergy between world-class venues. dedicated sports commissions, and the enthusiastic community that makes Orlando a standout destination for sports business,” says Abe Madkour, publisher and executive editor at SBJ.
This synergy and success are testaments to the dedicated efforts of city, county and state governments; organizations such as the Greater Orlando Sports Commission; and a community of fans that embraces the many events hosted here.
As Orlando’s Hometown Team, the Knights can take great pride in their contributions that helped cultivate the city’s reputation as a prominent sports hub.
Since its humble beginnings with its first varsity sport (men’s basketball) in 1969 to its inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference in 2023, UCF has skyrocketed to unprecedented success as the youngest Power Four program in the country. With one of the country’s top graduate sports business programs, UCF has also provided a pipeline of talented graduates to some of the nation’s biggest sports brands, including franchises right in its own backyard.
The university also has partnered with area governments and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission to host portions of a variety of major events that bring a major tourism boost to the region. Those include the NFL Pro Bowl skills challenge, training activities for the U.S. women’s soccer national team, NCAA postseason competition, and much more.
“Over the years, sports have helped bring our community together and showcase Orlando’s vibrancy and commitment to inclusion,” says City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “By allowing us to welcome more visitors to our region, sports also drive economic growth by giving a boost to our hospitality industry and small businesses. From our hometown teams like the UCF Knights to the many regional, national and international events that we host, sports play an important role in our community.”
UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir says the strong partnerships within Orlando are a major reason why so many events — including those at UCF — are successful.
“We are thankful to be in a community where our leaders dream big and work closely together for the benefit of our region’s economic development, quality of life and community spirit,” says Mohajir. “We also appreciate the many coaches, student-athletes, donors and fans who have driven the tremendous growth and success in our UCF athletics program. We are proud to represent Orlando in a Power 4 conference and the economic and social benefits it provides to our region.”
A REMARKABLE EVOLUTION
When ESPN senior writer Andrea Adelson moved to Orlando in 2006, she said it did not feel like UCF — specifically the football team — was part of the community. Nestled in the middle of a state with three additional Power Five programs, she saw fans favoring other teams’ colors over the Knights by a wide margin.
Adelson is quick to point out today is a completely different story.
“To see that evolution over the last [18] years has been remarkable, but UCF has earned this,” Adelson says. “UCF built the facilities. UCF built the on-campus stadium. UCF made a commitment to football that has gotten them to this point where they are now in the Big 12. … Now when you go to a football game, it’s an event. Tailgating lots are everywhere. Memory Mall is full.