ORLANDO - A thrilling debut season in the Big 12 Conference left much to be anticipated for now second-year head coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess and his squad. This afternoon, the UCF men’s tennis program announced its exciting 2025 dual-match schedule, including another competitive conference campaign.
In total, the Knights will face 24 opponents across 26 matches, with a doubleheader against Louisiana and Elon at the USTA National Campus on January 11 serving as the season opener. A five-match homestand will lead UCF into its first ITA Kickoff Weekend under Bruce-Burgess, with the squad making the coast-to-coast trip as it travels to Tuscon, Arizona, from Jan. 25-26.
An enticing conference slate gets underway Mar. 14 as the reigning National Champions, TCU, make the journey to Orlando. Arizona, Baylor and Arizona State will each play the Knights in Orlando, while the Big 12 Championships will be hosted by Baylor at the Hurd Tennis Center from April 16-20, in Waco, Texas.
JANUARY (Seven Matches) - 5 Home | 2 Neutral
- Jan. 11 - Louisiana (H) | 10 a.m.
- Jan. 11 - Elon (H) | 7 p.m.
- Jan. 15 - Wichita State (H) | 6 p.m.
- Jan. 17 - FGCU (H) | 10 a.m.
- Jan. 17 - Southern Miss (H) | 5 p.m.
- Jan. 25 - Oklahoma State (N) | TBD | ITA Kickoff Weekend @ Arizona
- Jan. 26 - Arizona/USC (N) | TBD | ITA Kickoff Weekend @ Arizona
A pair of doubleheaders highlight the Knights’ first month back on the court, which will be capped off by a coast-to-coast trip to Tucson, Arizona, for the ITA Kickoff Weekend, UCF’s first appearance in the premier in-season tournament since 2023. With Oklahoma State serving as the squad’s first-round foe, a win could see the Knights matchup with yet another Big 12 opponent in Arizona.
In 2024, UCF and the Cowboys ushered a pair of dramatic matches for Bruce-Burgess and his squad, as the Knights bested Oklahoma State in a thrilling 4-3 triumph in Orlando before falling to them in the Big 12 quarterfinals in Stillwater.
FEBRUARY (Eight Matches) - 4 Home | 4 Away
- Feb. 3 - South Florida (A) | 1:30 p.m.
- Feb. 7 - Miami (A) | 10 a.m.
- Feb. 9 - Florida Atlantic (A) | 12 p.m.
- Feb. 21 - Stetson (H) | 10 a.m.
- Feb. 21 - Troy (H) | 5 p.m.
- Feb. 23 - South Carolina St. (H) | 10 a.m.
- Feb. 23 - UAB (H) | 6 p.m.
- Feb. 28 - North Florida (A) | 5 p.m.
The month commences with four consecutive in-state matchups as the Knights remain on the road for a three-game road swing against South Florida, Miami and Florida Atlantic. An action-packed weekend will house four matches across three days at the USTA National Campus from Feb. 21-23.
Twin bills against Stetson/Troy and South Carolina State/UAB will test the squad’s depth before a short trip to Jacksonville on Friday evening for a contest with North Florida on Feb. 28.
MARCH (Seven Matches) - 5 Home | 2 Away
- March 7 - UNC Wilmington (H) | 10 a.m.
- March 7 - Coastal Carolina (H) | 6 p.m.
- March 9 - South Florida (H) | 3 p.m.
- March 14 - TCU (H) | 6 p.m.
- March 16 - Arizona (H) | 12p.m.
- March 21 - BYU (A) | TBD
- March 23 - Utah (A) | TBD
The last of four double heads for the Knights in 2025 will be a familiar sight as the squad’s 2024 season-opening pairing against UNC Wilmington and Coastal Carolina will shift from Conway, South Carolina, to the USTA National Campus. One final contest against South Florida, this time on the eastern portion of I-4 in Orlando, will conclude the non-conference slate.
Big 12 play begins with the aforementioned duel with reigning national champions TCU on March 14 before Arizona closes a much-anticipated weekend in Orlando on the 16th. A difficult road trip will await the Knights as they adventure to the Beehive State for a pair of contests against BYU and Utah.
APRIL (Four Matches) - 2 Home | 2 Away
- April 3 - Baylor (H) | 6 p.m.
- April 5 - Arizona State (H) | 12 p.m.
- April 11 - Oklahoma State (A) | TBD
- April 13 - Texas Tech (A) | 3 p.m.
Baylor, whom the Knights tallied their first Big 12 win in program history against in Waco, Texas, earlier this year, will join Arizona State in Orlando for the final homestand from April 3-6. UCF will then hit the road for contests at Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, two teams the Knights defeated at the USTA National Campus during the regular season.
POSTSEASON
The Big 12 Championship at the Hurd Tennis Center will consist of three rounds with the top eight teams in the conference garnering the opportunity to be crowned champions over three days from April 18-20.
If qualified, the Knights will begin NCAA tournament play on May 3, hosted at a selected regional site. The final eight teams standing will travel back to Waco for the quarterfinals and on.