ORLANDO — UCF rowing has officially unveiled its 2025–26 competition schedule, as announced by head coach Mara Allen on Tuesday. Entering their third season under Allen and fresh off a Big 12 Championship title, the Knights are set to face a challenging slate as they pursue a return to the NCAA Championships.
The Knights return to action following a season that saw the Black and Gold at a program high ranking of No. 14, a conference championship, and several conference accolades including Coach of the Year for Head Coach Mara Allen, Rower of the Year in Hannah Lovejoy and Newcomer of the Year in Lucy Buckingham.
This year’s roster features 41 returning athletes, including 35 who aided in the sweep at the Big 12 Championship and 19 who made program history with a 15th place finish at the NCAA Championships last season.
The upcoming campaign features three preseason races, six regular-season competitions, including a home regatta and a trip back to the Big 12 Championship.
The season begins with fall preseason action across Florida. On October 11, the Knights head to Jacksonville for the First Coast Head Race at Arlington River, hosted by the Jacksonville Rowing Club. The event will feature a mix of collegiate programs and regional rowing clubs.
UCF will then take part in two preseason scrimmages. The first is set for October 26 in Miami Beach against the University of Miami. The second, a home duel against Iowa, will mark the Knights’ first race of 2026 and will take place on Lake Pickett February 27–28.
Regular season racing kicks off on March 13 when UCF hosts Jacksonville for a duel on Lake Pickett. The Knights will then travel west to Nathan Benderson Park on March 27-28 in Sarasota for the Sarasota 2k, where they’ll look to defend their Benderson Cup title after sweeping last year’s event.
On April 5, UCF travels north to Columbus, Ohio, for the Ohio State Invite marking its first appearance in The Buckeye State. The regatta will feature top-tier programs including Indiana, Harvard and North Carolina. In addition to the Knights, two other squads present at the event finished within the top 15 at last year’s NCAA Championships as the Crimson placed 13th while the Hoosiers placed 14th.
The Knights return home on April 12 to host the inaugural Orlando Invite, the first multi-team regatta of its kind on Lake Pickett. Programs scheduled to compete include tough competition in Miami, Penn, Clemson, SMU, Duke, and Alabama.
UCF wraps up the regular season with a trip to Princeton, N.J., on April 19 for a race against Ivy League excellence in Penn and Princeton.
Postseason racing begins May 17 at the Big 12 Championship, once again held at Nathan Benderson Park. The Knights will look to defend their conference crown against their conference foes.
The season concludes at the NCAA Championships, set for May 29–31 at Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. UCF will aim to secure back-to-back bids to the historic championships.
About UCF Athletics
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.