ORLANDO - With the season now just four days away, the Knights have already captured the attention of the college tennis landscape, earning a No. 14 spot in the ITA preseason poll. The early recognition sets the tone for what promises to be another compelling campaign for the Black and Gold.
The ranking arrives as the Knights prepare to open their 2026 dual match schedule on the courts of USTA National Campus With a balanced roster of five returners and five newcomers, the Black and Gold are set to embark in the highly anticipated third year of the Bruce-Burgess era.
This year’s No. 14 preseason placement marks the first time UCF has appeared in the poll before the start of the dual match season under head coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess. It follows a historic 2025 run in which the Knights finished at No. 16 nationally after climbing as high as No. 11, matching the highest ranking in program history.
The Big 12 continues to show its strength in the national picture, with three additional conference teams joining UCF in the top 25. TCU leads the group at No. 3, while Arizona and Baylor check in at No. 11 and No. 16, respectively. The full preseason rankings are listed below.
JANUARY 7 RANKINGS
- Wake Forest
- University of Texas at Austin
- TCU
- Stanford
- University of Virginia
- Ohio State
- Mississippi State
- University of San Diego
- NC State
- Columbia
- University of Arizona
- UCLA
- Texas A&M Univeristy
- UCF
- University of California, Berkeley
- Baylor University
- Duke
- University of South Carolina
- University of South Carolina
- Michigan State
- University of Oklahoma
- Florida State
- Pepperdine
- University of Illinois
- Clemson
The Knights officially open their season on Sunday with a home doubleheader, beginning against FGCU at 12:00 p.m. before returning to the courts to face Louisiana at 5:00 p.m.
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.