ORLANDO - UCF Rowing announced its 2026-27 schedule Tuesday, featuring four preseason scrimmages and five regular-season regattas, highlighted by a return to the Big 12 Championship. The Knights will compete at home on Lake Pickett and travel to Sarasota, Texas and New Jersey throughout the spring.
The Knights enter the upcoming campaign following another historic season, capturing its second consecutive Big 12 Championship with a five-race sweep. The Knights also collected several individual honors, as head coach Mara Allen earned her second consecutive Big 12 Coach of the Year award, Madison Lovejoy was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Brigitte Kappler claimed Big 12 Rower of the Year honors.
The Black and Gold capped the season with a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships while reaching a program-best No. 11 ranking in the CRCA poll.
This year's roster features 39 returning athletes and 17 newcomers as UCF looks to build on its championship success.
The preseason begins Nov. 14 with a scrimmage against Miami, marking the first of four tune-ups before the regular season.
The Knights will also host Rutgers on Jan. 16 at Lake Pickett before welcoming Texas for a two-day scrimmage. UCF will close out its preseason Feb. 26-27 with matchups against Iowa and Michigan.
The regular season begins March 26-27 in Sarasota where the Knights will compete in the Sarasota 2K for the third consecutive year. UCF then hits the road April 9-10 for the Longhorn Invite in Austin, Texas.
Returning home to Lake Pickett, the Knights will host the Orlando Invite on April 24 before traveling to New Jersey to close out the regular season at the Princeton Invite on May 1.
Postseason competition begins May 16 at the Big 12 Championship, held at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida. The Knights return to familiar waters, having claimed the conference crown at the venue in each of the past two seasons.
UCF will then set its sights on the NCAA Championships, scheduled for May 28-30, as it looks to extend its postseason run.
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.