ORLANDO - Fresh off the program’s first Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship, which saw the Knights march into No. 12 Marshall and defeat the Thundering Herd 3-1 in the title bout, UCF men’s soccer will embark on its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance all-time.
The Knights welcome Florida Atlantic to the UCF Soccer Complex on Thursday, November 20, at 7 p.m. for the sixth home NCAA Tournament contest in the program’s 50th season.
It marks the first time the Black and Gold will compete in the tournament since 2023, when it was the 12th-ranked national seed. The Knights have three wins when hosting an NCAA Tournament match in Orlando.
NCAA Tournament action coming to Orlando! 🔥
— UCF Men's Soccer (@UCF_MSoccer) November 17, 2025
See you Thursday, Knight Nation. pic.twitter.com/ZTbWuNoTSV
Just over a week ago, UCF was 67th in RPI and the fifth-seed in the Sun Belt Tournament, needing to pull off at least one top-25 win to put themselves in contention for the NCAA’s and another two to secure automatic qualification.
A thrilling double-overtime triumph over Georgia Southern in the quarterfinals booked the Knights a semifinal bout with hosts No. 19 Kentucky. Having previously lost in Lexington, 3-2, earlier in the year, a 50th-minute strike by Drew Hansen proved to be his second match-winner in a row, as the Knights defeated the first-seeded Wildcats to clinch a spot in the title game.
Opposite 12th-ranked Marshall, who had disposed of in-state foe West Virginia in its semifinals match, the Knights charged out of the gates and put the hosts in an early hole, scoring their first goal against the Thurdering Herd since joining the conference before adding two more in the second half to secure the program’s fifth conference tournament title in its history and eighth overall conference championship.
Not only did the Knights secure an automatic bid, but head coach Scott Calabrese and his squad moved up 35 spots in the RPI to No. 32, garnering the squad the chance to host a first-round matchup.
UCF is 23-9-2 against the Owls all-time, with the last meeting in 2022 preceding the first postseason bout with the 2025 American Athletic Conference champions.
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.