ORLANDO – Ahead of the 2026 racing season, the Knights open the year ranked No. 15 in the CRCA Preseason Poll, as announced by the association Wednesday afternoon.
The placement mirrors where the Black and Gold concluded their historic 2024-25 campaign following the NCAA Championships.
UCF stands as the Big 12’s lone representative in the poll after last season’s sweep that delivered the program their first-ever title from the conference.
Several future opponents also appear in the rankings, setting up a competitive slate both at home and on the road. Penn (16), Clemson (21), and Oklahoma (25) will all travel to The City Beautiful for the inaugural Orlando Invite on Lake Pickett on April 17-18.
The Knights will also hit the road for marquee matchups, visiting No. 9 Princeton and No. 19 Ohio State. They’ll compete in the Ohio State Invite in Columbus on April 3–4 before heading to Princeton, N.J. later in the season on May 2 to take on the Tigers and the No. 16 Quakers.
The Black and Gold’s season opens in just over a month on Lake Pickett as the racing season begins once again with a dual against Jacksonville on March 13.
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.
