ORLANDO - Ahead of head coach Sytia Messer's fourth season leading the Knights, the UCF women's basketball team has announced its full non-conference and Big 12 schedule for the 2025-26 campaign, in accordance with the league office on Monday afternoon.
The fresh slate features 17 home contests, with a season-opening bout against Bethune-Cookman commencing action on Monday, Nov. 3. For the second Thanksgiving in three years, the Black and Gold will embark on the Discover Puerto Rico Shootout from Nov. 26-28, before returning home to conclude non-conference play.
Ahead of the holiday break, UCF will welcome BYU on Dec. 20 to begin its third Big 12 Conference campaign. Nine home contests in the league will precede the 2026 Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, at the T-Mobile Center from March 4-8/9.
Non-Conference
Replicating a consistent theme under fourth-year head coach Sytia Messer, having hosted seven or more non-conference games in each of her seasons leading the Knights, the Black and Gold will open the season on Monday, Nov. 3, against Bethune-Cookman.
The contest marks the second time in three years the Knights have welcomed the Wildcats to Orlando to commence their slate. In 2023, UCF defeated its neighbors 101-63, limiting them to 16 or fewer points in three of the four quarters en route to the win.
Under Messer, the Knights have outscored their opposition an eye-catching 280-151 in openers, tallying 100 or more points over the past two seasons.
UCF will square off with Charlotte on Sunday, Nov. 9, for the sixth meeting between the two schools all-time, a stark contrast to the rich history with the Knights’ next opponent on Tuesday, Nov. 18, FIU. The two programs will face off for the 41st time, nearly 50 years to the date of the inaugural contest between the schools in 1977-78 during UCF’s inaugural season of basketball.
For the second consecutive season, the Black and Gold will host Florida A&M, welcoming the Rattlers for a Friday, Nov. 21 match. Last year, the Knights claimed their first duel with them since 2015 on the backs of a strong offensive display, 80-55.
Days later, UCF will conclude its season-opening five-match homestand with South Carolina State on Monday, Nov. 24. The first contest between the two programs will precede the Knights’ return to the Discover Puerto Rico Classic from Nov. 26-28.
Hosted at the Coliseo Guillermo Angulo in San Juan, UCF will be one of nine schools to make the trip to the Caribbean island. A familiar opponent will meet the Knights to open action on Wednesday, Nov. 26, as East Carolina and UCF will face off for the first time since 2023 when the two programs were conference mates in The American.
Before the Knights will be able to enjoy their Thanksgiving activities on Thursday, Nov. 27, they’ll play Wake Forest for the first time in nearly two decades before capping off their action-packed week with Rice on Friday, Nov. 28. The Owls are coming off an improbable run to the American Conference Championship title match after upsetting multiple teams as the ninth seed.
With over four decades of history between one another, UCF will return home to Addition Financial Arena for its 66th meeting with Stetson all-time on Dec. 3, the most against any school in program history. After a short four-year hiatus in competition, the Black and Gold resumed play with the Hatters in an emphatic 89-58 win a season ago.
The penultimate non-conference contest against Delaware State on Sunday, Dec. 7, will mark the first match between the schools since Dec. 28, 1984. A Sunday, Dec. 14, matchup with Morgan State in Orlando will wrap up an exciting first half of the season.
In addition to the 11-game non-conference schedule, the Knights will host Edward Waters for a pre-season exhibition on Oct. 28.