The Knights claimed their fourth national title in the event and first since 2020, after also earning the top spot in 2007 and 2003. UCF won the 2019 crown in the gameday division.

After recording the highest score in the semifinals on Saturday to earn the right to perform last on Sunday, the Knights rose to the occasion in front of the hometown crowd to secure the national championship with a 97.3 event score, ahead of second-place Alabama (96.8) and Kentucky (95.4).

UCF was one of only two teams to hit its routine on Saturday and one of just four to hit in Sunday’s finals.

The Knights’ spirit program continues to make history under head coach Linda Gooch ’85.

Not only were the Knights successful in cheer, but UCF’s dance team placed fifth in the hip hop competition, which is the best finish in program history. The Black and Gold (90.6349) finished ahead of Florida State (89.1270) to hold the title of the best team in the state in the event.

Additionally, UCF also finished among the top 10 in the jazz finals with a 92.4444.

UCF and LSU were the only two programs to advance to the finals in coed cheer, jazz and hip hop.

That quintet will be recognized at an induction banquet on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, at the Celeste Hotel (4105 N. Alafaya Trail) on the UCF campus in Orlando. Individual tickets are $135 each — or $1,250 for a Hall of Fame Table (10 seats) — and include an hour-long cocktail reception beginning at 6 p.m. ET followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m. ET.

. Questions can be directed to  in UCF Athletics at 321-558-6291.

The five inductees will be honored on the field at halftime of the UCF-Georgia Tech football game the following day at FBC Mortgage Stadium (kickoff time TBD).

Since 1998, the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame has been inducting former Knight players and coaches and others connected to the UCF program.

Here are details on the five 2022 inductees:

Mackenzie (Audas) Parkrall ’15, Softball, 2012-2015

• Earned a bachelor’s in early childhood development and education from UCF
• Named ESPN Capital One All-American as senior at UCF in 2015
• Selected unanimous all-American Athletic Conference in 2015
• Named Conference USA Co-Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year in 2012
• Finished third all-time at UCF in ERA (1.65)
• Finished first in UCF history in career strikeouts/7 (8.29), appearances (150), starts (125), and innings pitched (823)
• Ended as UCF all-time leader in strikeouts (975) and no-hitters (five)
• Finished second at UCF all-time in wins (78) and shutouts (29)
• Finished second in NCAA in ERA in 2015 (0.95), behind teammate Shelby Turnier
• Helped Knights to three NCAA Championship appearances (2012, 2014, 2015)
• Led UCF to two AAC championships (2014, 2015)
• CoSIDA Academic All-American as senior in 2015
• From Tampa, Florida; attended Plant City High School in Plant City, Florida

Joe Burnett ’08, Football, 2005-2008

• Earned a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in hospitality  from UCF
• Record-setting cornerback and return specialist for Knights
• Named first-team All-American as senior in 2008 by ESPN.com and Sports Illustrated, as only player in country to rank in NCAA top 20 in both punt and kickoff returns (he led Conference USA in both categories); a second-team pick by Walter Camp Foundation; named Conference USA Special Teams Player of Year in 2008
• An eight-time first-team all-Conference USA selection (four as punt returner, three as defensive back, one as kickoff returner)
• Named to Freshman All-America teams in 2005 by Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Rivals.com, CollegeFootballNews.com and The Sporting News
• Helped UCF to its first two bowl berths (2005 Hawaii, 2007 Liberty) and school’s first conference championship in 2007
• Holds UCF record with 16 career interceptions; set UCF and Conference USA career marks for punt return yards with 1,304; set UCF records for most punt returns (96) and tied the record for most punt return touchdowns with three
• Averaged 13.6 average yards per punt return and 28.7 yards per kick return, along with two touchdowns had 221 career tackles, including 12 TFLs, 16 career interceptions and 35 pass break-ups; started 46 games among 49 career games played
• Drafted by Pittsburgh Steelers as 32nd pick of fifth round (168th overall) of 2009 NFL Draft
• Played three seasons with Steelers (2009-2010), New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars (2011)
• Moved on to Canadian Football League with Edmonton Eskimos (2011-2014), Calgary Stampeders (2015-2017) and Montreal Alouettes (2018)
• Native of Eustis, Florida

Ěý’85, Cheer Coach, 1984-Present

• Led UCF to Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) national cheer championships in 2003, 2007 and 2020 (plus a World Cup championship in 2019) and multiple top-five finishes as longtime UCF cheerleading coach
• Has led UCF to top-10 finishes in 26 of last 28 years, including fifth in 2022 and second in 2021
• Led UCF teams to top-three finishes in seven straight years (2015-21)
• One of most decorated and nationally respected cheerleading coaches all-time
• Has headed UCF cheer program for 38 years (since April 1984), with Knights first competing for national championship in 1994
• Recipient of 2011 Colonel Gene Moeller College National Coach of the Year Award
• Led 2015 UCF Cheer Team to first-place finish at European Open Championship in Paris, France
• Played leading role in creation, design and character development of UCF athletics mascot, Knightro
• Established UCF KnightMoves Dance Team in 1996
• Received Shining Knight award in 2020 from UCF Alumni in distinguished alumni category
• Received special award for her “significant impact” on cheer at 2011 at National College Cheer and Dance Championships
• Four-year letterwinner with cheer team at UCF
• Married to former longtime UCF assistant football coach Alan Gooch, a 2006 inductee into the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame

Latavius Murray ’12, Football, 2008-2012

• Earned a bachelor’s in interpersonal/organizational communication from UCF
• Finished his UCF career second in school history in total touchdowns (44), eighth in carries (453), seventh in yards (2,424) and third in rushing TDs (37)
• Also caught 50 career passes for 524 yards and six TDs
• MVP of 2010 Conference USA Championship Game and 2010 Liberty Bowl victory over Georgia, when he scored winning TD and rushed for 104 yards in UCF’s first bowl win
• First-team all-Conference USA choice in 2012
• Rushed for career-high 233 yards and two TDs in final game of junior year in 2011 versus UTEP
• Ran for 1,106 yards and 15 TDs on 198 attempts in senior season of 2012
• Has played in NFL since 2013 with Oakland Raiders (2013-16; sixth-round draft pick in 2013), Minnesota Vikings (2017-18), New Orleans Saints (2019-20) and Baltimore Ravens (2021)
• Has rushed for 5,492 yards (1,310 attempts) and 49 touchdowns in NFL career; also 195 receptions for 1,369 yards and two TDs
• NFL Pro Bowl selection in 2015 after rushing for career-high 1,066 yards (career-best 266 attempts) and making career-high 41 receptions (232 yards)
• Inducted into 2022 Greater Syracuse Hall of Fame in June
• Native of Titusville, Florida; attended high school in Onondaga, New York

Krystina Sarff ’07 ’09MA, Rowing, 2004-2008

• Earned a bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in Spanish minor and a master’s in English from UCF
• Three-time All-American (first-team CRCA as junior and senior), all-South Region selection and team MVP
• UCF team captain as senior in 2008
• Still holds UCF 2K and 6K all-time records
• Led UCF to highest national ranking at No. 9 rowing with V8 squad as junior in 2007
• Led UCF to first NCAA Championship appearance in 2007
• Helped UCF upset No. 7 Virginia in dual competition and then No. 8 UCLA and No. 14 Washington State in 2007 Windermere Classic
• Four-time CRCA National Scholar-Athlete
• Two-time Conference USA Commissioners Academic Medal recipient
• Attended US Under-23 National Team selection camp
• Served as assistant coach at UCF in 2008-2009
• After receiving her B.A. and M.A. from UCF she went on to earn a Ph.D at the şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą of Florida
• Currently is a Sport Management Professor at North Central College in Naperville, Ill. and also has coached at Michigan, San Diego, Oklahoma and Florida
• Originally from Tampa, Florida; attended Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Florida, as prep senior and competed at Florida as college freshman before transferring to UCF

The dance team, which reached the finals in the hip hop division for the first time since 2014, placed seventh for its best all-time finish in the category.The team earned a raw score of 102.3 and an event score of 88.9.

The cheer squad earned raw score of 94.7 and an event score of 94.2 during the semifinal competition Saturday — where they earned the top score. The dance team placed seventh the semifinals with a raw score of 102.3 and an event score of 88.9.

UCF has won three national championships in the Division 1A Cheer competition, most recently in 2020. The program also brought home the top prize in the Gameday Nationals Competition in 2019.

Read more about 2021 Homecoming Week Events.

History of Homecoming

UCF’s first Homecoming was held in 1971, three years after the first classes were held at Florida Technological şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą (FTU). Since football didn’t start at UCF until 1979, Homecoming originally coincided with basketball season, which was the university’s first varsity sport.

The Knights won their inaugural Homecoming game, 101-75, on Feb. 13, 1971, over Florida Institute of Technology, which took place at Oviedo High School’s gymnasium.

The year 1980 saw two Homecomings for the first time: one during basketball season and the first for football, which has just put together a team the year before. Four decades later, we hosted Homecoming week in the fall and again in the spring — which for the first time included Spring Splash — as we accommodated for the uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic introduced to our daily lives.

On the Scene

Homecoming has witnessed themes ranging from Star Trek and Space (1975) to the Wild, Wild West (1982) to Tales from the Knightside (1991) to this year’s retro-inspired look.

Homecoming week has featured everything from exciting game day matchups to parades and fire-breathing circus performers to entertainers including LMFAO, Jay Leno, Lenny Kravitz, Jerry Seinfeld, the Beach Boys, Jim Gaffigan, Icona Pop, Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, Luke Bryan and many more.

A Salute to Royalty

Patty Gray Neff ’74 wrote a retrospective story about her experience as the university’s first Homecoming queen in the Fall 2013 issue of Pegasus.

Perhaps the most memorable royalty was our 1977 Homecoming queen Rita Reutter, a 58-year-old widowed grandmother of 14. Her candidacy was covered by People Magazine, the Associated Press, NBC News and even Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show.” She died in 2012 at the age of 93.

The following year, the university saw its first Homecoming king crowned: Bob Baker ’78 — who transferred to UCF from Daytona Beach Community College where he also reigned as Homecoming royalty. “I ran for king mainly to show handicapped people that they can do the same thing a normal person can do. They (the handicapped) shouldn’t be excluded. I think now I proved, not only to myself, but to other people on campus and in the community, that the minority can be on top,” Baker said in a Feb. 10, 1978, Central Florida Future article following his victory.

This year’s Homecoming court includes:

Aundrea Perez, integrated business major

Malik Bellamy, human communication major

Nehemie Francois, marketing major

Trinity McCall-Peaks, marketing major

Jaylen Brown, finance major

Jazmine Manriquez, industrial engineering major

Geela Ramos, computer science major and Burnett Honors Scholar

Anthony Moscol, biomedical sciences major and Burnett Honors Scholar

Diamond Battles, criminal justice major

Adri-Anna Harris, environmental studies major

School Spirit

Homecoming week wouldn’t be complete without the energy and passion of Knight Nation.

Spirit Splash

Spirit Splash, awarded Best Campus Tradition in 2011 by the National Association for Campus Activities, has been a staple of Homecoming Week since 1995. The annual pep rally celebrated its 25th anniversary at Spring Splash and will return to its true form this fall.

If you’re looking for more information about this year’s Homecoming week lineup, check out this complete guide.

Stay golden, UCF.

Should you still have questions after reading this article, please refer to UCF Athletics’ A to Z guide, which has the most up-to-date information regarding the football season.

Space Game Campus Closure | COVID policies | °Őľ±ł¦°ě±đłŮ˛őĚý| Stadium Policies | Parking and Shuttles | Game Day Safety | °Ő˛ąľ±±ô˛µ˛ąłŮľ±˛Ô˛µĚý| Game Day Traditions | Watch Parties | Social Media | Game Day Gear ´ĄĚýDonate

Space Game Campus Closure

Memphis | Friday, Oct. 22 | 7 p.m. | ESPN2

UCF hosts two weekday games this season: Boise State on Thursday, Sept. 2.  and Memphis on Friday, Oct. 22. Both games kick off at 7 p.m.

On those days, classes on the main campus, in the Central Florida Research Park, at UCF Downtown, at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and on UCF Connect campuses will conclude at 2 p.m. Offices at those locations also will close for normal operations at 2 p.m.

• Faculty who teach classes that start before 2 p.m. but end after that time will have the option to hold the portion of those classes that comes before 2 p.m.
• Some staff members may be required to work past the time when the university closes. In those cases, employees can speak with their supervisors about how their areas will handle operations after 2 p.m.
• UCF will re-open for normal business operations, including regular class and activity schedules, at 6 a.m. Friday, Sept. 3, and Saturday, Oct. 23. Staff members whose regular work hours begin prior to 6 a.m. should consult their supervisors about starting times.

Saturday classes will be held as scheduled on all of UCF’s campuses on game days.

COVID policies

We’re excited to welcome our fans back to UCF. We expect all of our fans to do their part to help us complete a successful 2021 season. That means taking precautions to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect those around you as well as our student-athletes and coaches.

We strongly encourage all of our fans to get vaccinated if you are able to do so, and we strongly recommend that all of our fans wear masks while indoors, in line with the latest CDC guidelines. Although most of our stadium is outdoors, please keep in mind that some areas, such as rest rooms, are indoors.

Masks will be available at locations inside the stadium for fans who need them.

We encourage you to wash your hands frequently, and there will be hand-sanitizer stations available throughout the stadium.

If you have COVID-19, are not feeling well or are in quarantine, please stay home and do not come to the game. You can easily transfer your tickets to friends or family online, or post your tickets for resale through your UCF Account Manager.

Tickets

All season tickets, group tickets, and single-game tickets are available digitally through the UCF Gameday app or your phone’s web browser.

Visit UCFKnights.com/app for more information and answers to some of the most frequently asked ticket-related questions. The app has been updated with a new user-friendly option to access your tickets well before you arrive at your gate.

Season tickets are very close to selling out. Fans interested in still purchasing from the minimal inventory can call 407-823-1000. UCF faculty and staff are eligible to receive 20% off football season tickets (applies to ticket portion only). If any single-game tickets are available, they can be purchased at ucfknights.com/tickets.

Admission to home games is free for UCF students, but mobile tickets must be claimed through the official UCF Gameday app prior to game day. The app is available for free on both Apple and android devices. Claiming a free student mobile ticket does not guarantee entry as admission is first come, first served.

Once you arrive at the gate, you must have your phone in order to scan the ticket barcode, *AND* you must show your student ID for entry into the stadium.

For more information, including FAQs about student tickets, please visit the .

Limited student guest passes can also be purchased for $28 through the app.

Know Your Gate Entry

It is important to know your gate before entering the Bounce House. The appropriate gate is listed on your game ticket. Fans can also locate their gate, which is broken down by stadium section, listed in the graphic above.

Note: Gate 15 no longer exists as a point of entry due to the new Garvy Center for Student-Athlete Nutrition.

Clear Bag Policy

To provide a safer environment and more expedited entry for fans, UCF abides by a clear bag policy that limits the size and type of bags that may be brought into all sporting events at the Bounce House. It is strongly recommended you familiarize yourself with the policy if you plan on attending a game to learn what is and is not permitted inside the stadium.

Parking and Shuttles

Fans who drive to campus on game days can park in a variety of garages and lots. While some garages and lots – in the Gold Zone – require permits, fans can park for free in most areas of campus.

Important note about tailgating: Tailgating is not permitted in any parking garage. In parking lots, tailgating shall be confined to the area immediately behind your vehicle and shall not impede traffic flow or parking spaces for other vehicles.

Preferred parking lots and garages are located in the northeast sector of campus and are closest to the Bounce House. Gold Zone lots require a valid football game-day parking permit, or an ADA permit for fans with disabilities parking in designated spaces. Permits must be properly displayed at all times from the rearview mirror. All permits are limited to one parking space.

Preferred routing to Gold Zone parking (from the south) is via Libra Drive/Gemini Boulevard East and (from the north or west) via McCulloch Road/North Orion Boulevard.

Fans without permits who wish to park closer to the stadium can park in Garage H for $20. Payments can be made with cash or credit card. Donations support scholarships for UCF students.

Garage H, located near the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center, also accommodates vehicles for authorized students displaying Student Government-provided parking passes and credentialed staff with permits for that garage.

Free parking is available for fans on a first-come, first-served basis in most other lots and garages on campus.

Exceptions include all residential lots and the Libra Garage on Libra Drive, which are reserved at all times for students living on campus.

Parking lot B4, located at the intersection of Central Florida Boulevard and Gemini Boulevard South, is reserved for official university business.

Parking is only authorized in designated parking lots and garages. Patrons who illegally park on or along any campus roadways or in other non-designated parking areas are subject to towing and fines.

No vehicular traffic or parking are authorized on East Plaza Drive on game days until two hours following the end of the game (or when authorized by UCF Police). Patrons who violate this restriction are subject to towing and fines.

Parking for guests with disabilities is available on the first level of Garage C with a valid accessible (disabled permits or a Disabled Veteran license plate) on a first-come, first-served basis. The individual who was issued the permit must be with the vehicle. Garage C is located at the intersection of North Orion Boulevard and Scorpius Street.

A free shuttle for patrons with disabilities and fans who accompany them will be provided from the bus stop adjacent to Garage C to the Bounce House (Gate 14). Those shuttles will run from four hours prior to kickoff until two hours after kickoff. Throughout the game and postgame, shuttles will be available, picking up from Gate 14, to return patrons with disabilities to Garage C.

Additional accessible parking spaces are available throughout the campus, and these spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis to any guest with a disability who displays an authorized accessible (disabled) permit or Disabled Veteran license plate. However, no direct shuttle service will be available for these spaces.

Gemini Boulevard North (from Parking Garage H to North Orion Boulevard) will be closed to all traffic from two hours prior to kickoff until the game starts. Once the game starts until midway through the 4th quarter, this road will be open to all traffic. This road will again be closed to all traffic from midway through the 4th quarter until two hours following the end of the game (or as required).

Beginning 1 hour and 30 minutes after kickoff, all North Orion Boulevard lanes will be dedicated to traffic exiting campus. No traffic will be able to enter campus via North Orion Boulevard.

Gemini Boulevard North between East Plaza and West Plaza drives will be closed to vehicular traffic prior to and during tailgating each game day. Memory Mall tailgaters who wish to drop off their tailgating gear in that area can do so by the barricades on either side. The road will be reopened at the discretion of law enforcement following the conclusion of tailgating.

Fans can avoid game-day traffic by parking at Research Pavilion and catching a Park and Ride shuttle. Fans may park at the Research Pavilion building, located at 12424 Research Parkway in the Central Florida Research Park adjacent to campus, and be transported to the Research 1 Transit drop-off, adjacent to Garage C near Memory Mall. The shuttles start four hours before kickoff and end two hours after the game ends.

Most student shuttle routes connecting the main campus and nearby apartment complexes will run throughout the day. Game day shuttle service will conclude two hours after the game ends. Game day routes include all normally serviced apartment complexes with the exception of Northview, Tivoli and Northgate due to their close proximity to the stadium. Service to those communities will end at 3 p.m.

Rosen College students can ride 3 or 5 p.m. shuttles to the main campus for game day. Downtown students can ride 3:30, 4:30 or 5 p.m. shuttles to the main campus. Shuttles will return to both campuses four hours after kickoff. In addition, routes departing the main campus for Rosen at 3:45 and for downtown at 3:30 p.m. will continue.

A valid UCF ID is required to access shuttles.

Game Day Safety

Protecting campus is the  top priority, so if you see activity that looks suspicious, say something. UCFPD can be reached 24/7 by calling 407-823-5555 or 911 in an emergency.

And remember to stay hydrated. Four Water Monster stations will be located inside the stadium around each of the four corners of the lower level concourse to provide fans with complimentary ice water.

Tailgating

Campus parking lots open at the following times on game days:

• 8 a.m. for all Saturday games and the USF game on Friday, Nov. 26
• 2 p.m. for the Boise State game on Thursday, Sept. 2, and the Memphis game on Friday, Oct. 22

• Six hours before kickoff, but no earlier than 8 a.m., for all Saturday games and the USF game on Friday, Nov. 26.
• 3:30 p.m. for the Boise State game on Thursday, Sept. 2, and the Memphis game on Friday, Oct. 22

All tailgating spaces on Memory Mall once again will be reserved for UCF students and alumni. Reservations for each home game will open at 6 p.m. on the Sunday evening before the game.For more information, please visit  or follow Knights on the Mall on Instagram. You can also like the  for the most recent updates. Gemini Boulevard North between East Plaza and West Plaza drives will be closed to vehicular traffic prior to and during tailgating each game day. Memory Mall tailgaters who wish to drop off their tailgating gear in that area can do so by the barricades on either side. The road will be reopened at the discretion of law enforcement following the conclusion of tailgating.

Alumni (and their guests) have access to a FREE tailgate at the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center. All you need is a valid ID/driver’s license. In order to accommodate our guests and promote best health practices during this time, at least the first two tailgates (Sept. 2 and Sept. 11) will be held outside on the front lawn and alumni parking lot. Tailgates begin three hours before kickoff and 4 Rivers barbecue is available for purchase. More details will be available soon.

UCF Alumni will also be hosting two road game ChargeOn Tailgates this season at Louisville and Navy. The tailgates include a catered buffet, open bar, spirit swag and special appearances from UCF fan favorites. Admission is $45 for adults and $25 for children under 12. To learn more about our UCF ChargeOn Tailgate events, visit .

And if you’re looking for suggestions on how to throw the best tailgate party, you’ll want to read this guide highlighted in Pegasus magazine that features advice from some UCF experts.

Game Day Traditions

• #UCFansWear encourages fans to coordinate their colors, beginning with black  for the first home game Sept. 2. Check Twitter ) for and for reminders each game week for the wardrobe choice.
• Knight Walk through IOA Plaza (starts two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff). Greet the student-athletes and coaches as they arrive on campus and make their way into the stadium.
• The UCF Tailgate Concert Series is back this season on IOA Plaza. More details coming soon.
• March to Victory (90 minutes before kickoff) — join Pegasus, Knugget, Knightro, the Marching Knights and the UCF spirit teams near Knights Plaza, on the corner of Gemini and East Plaza Drive, for the fan march to the stadium.
• Turn on your cell phone flashlights for kickoffs.
• When you hear .
• Sing the alma mater after the game with the team.

The Spirit Team and Marching Knights

It’s not just the football team that impresses on the field.

UCF’s cheerleaders finished second at this year’s College Cheerleading National Championships, and the program has placed among the Top 10 26 times in the last 28 years under head coach Linda Gooch ’85, including national titles in 2003, 2007 and 2020.

UCF’s Marching Knights has been providing the soundtrack to football season for more than four decades. for gear and other merchandise that helps support the band.

Official Watch Parties

Out of town and you can’t make it to the game? Are the Knights on the road? UCF Alumni chapters and clubs around the country host official watch parties. Visit to see an updated list every week.

Follow The Knights

Want timely game day information and insider content? Download the mobile app by searching “UCF Knights” in the App Store or Google Play. You can also follow these accounts on social media:

Twitter

Instagram
@ucf.football
@ucf.knights

Game Day Gear

The UCF Bookstores at both the John T. Washington Center and Knights Plaza locations have game day gear available for purchase.

There are also four merchandise locations at the stadium: IOA Plaza, inside Gate 3, inside the Stadium Club, and on the east side of the stadium inside Gate 14.

Donate

In support of UCF Athletics’ vision to be a perennial Top-25 athletics program and “Orlando’s Hometown Team,” it is essential to recruit, retain and develop championship-caliber student-athletes and coaches by delivering exceptional academic support services, competitive operating resources (equipment, travel, salary and scholarship) and world-class athletic facilities for competition, practice, training, recovery and nutrition.

Charitable gifts make a significant impact on the growth and success of UCF Athletics, as well as on the lives of our 435 UCF student-athletes. Donate at .

The program has now placed in the top 10 of the College Cheerleading National Championships 26 times in the last 28 years under head coach Linda Gooch ’85, including Division IA trophies in 2003, 2007 and 2020. They also brought home the top prize in the Gameday Nationals Competition in 2019.

Orlando’s Hometown Team competed in the semifinals of the competition on Tuesday, where they placed fifth. In the final round on Wednesday evening, the team hit a perfect routine on the biggest stage and with no deductions the Knights earned a 93.7 performance score. The 93.7 was the highest scoring routine of the entire competition in Division 1A. Unfortunately, the flawless performance wasn’t enough to overcome the missteps in the first round.

The Knights cheer team finished as the National Runner-Up with an 89.05 event score in the Cheer Division 1A competition. The top five included South Florida, UCF, Kentucky, Liberty and Ole Miss.

The KnightMoves Dance team finished fifth at this year’s competition.

Sunday night’s championship performance at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports marked the squad’s first national title in more than a decade. The program has now placed in the top 10 of the College Cheerleading National Championships 25 times in the last 27 years under head coach Linda Gooch ’85, including national titles in 2003 and 2007.

Orlando’s Hometown Team hit a stellar performance on Saturday during semifinals, putting them in first place heading into Sunday’s final round.

The Black and Gold were able to maintain the momentum when they hit the mat, solidifying their first-place position to take home the Division IA Cheer National Championship. They bested runner-up Alabama and 2019 defending national champion Kentucky.

“This was such a wonderful group to coach,” Gooch says. “They trusted our coaches and trusted each other. To be ranked No. 1 coming out of the semifinals and then to hang on to that top spot and win it all in the finals was incredible.”

Watch the Winning Routine

Last year, the Knights brought home the title in the Gameday Nationals Competition. Following that performance, three Knights went on to win gold with Team USA at the 2019 World Championships.

“I am very proud of our team,” head coach Linda Gooch said. “Yesterday, we were second in the semifinals behind Kentucky. Tonight, we struggled on an element early in the performance. We really showed our toughness and discipline, and were able to keep our focus and finish strong through the end. This effort kept us in contention with a fourth-place finish.

“Six of our seven girls had never competed with us before and all will return next year. The future is bright for our program, and we will be ready to get back to work this week. I want to thank all of the UCF fans that supported us this year and especially to those that came out to the competition to cheer us on!”

UCF had an impressive run of three-consecutive runner-up finishes come to an end this year. The program has now placed in the Top 10 of the College Cheerleading National Championships 22 times in the last 24 years under head coach Linda Gooch, including national titles in 2003 and 2007.

Kentucky captured the national championship, while Alabama and Ole Miss rounded out the top three.

More information about the UCA College Cheerleading National Championships can be found at Varsity.com. ESPN is set to air a tape delayed broadcast later this spring.

Congratulate the cheerleading team on social media by sending them a message on Twitter @UCF_Cheer, Instagram @UCFCheer and Facebook at /UCFCheerTeam.

Four of the five partners in the firm are UCF alumni, including Christina Pinto, ’86; Lisa-Moreno Haramboure, ’89; Tony Moreno Jr., ’91, who also serves on the UCF Foundation Board of Directors; and Rob Clark, ’94. The firm’s other partner, Scott Peelen, graduated from Michigan State, but he was easily adopted as a member of their UCF family, especially since his daughter, Sarah, is a current UCF student, and he attends all of the football games.

The breakfast took place at the Alfond Inn in Winter Park, with many prominent community figures in attendance — including members of the UCF Board of Trustees, UCF Foundation Board of Directors and UCF Alumni Association Board of Directors, as well as Orange County commissioners, current and former mayors, and one of the forefathers of UCF, Charlie Gray.

Knightro and some of the UCF Cheerleaders kicked off the morning with a cheer, followed by opening remarks from Peelen. WESH 2 Sports Anchor Pat Clarke hosted the remainder of the event, reminiscing about when UCF’s football program first started, and how he used to be able to park his Mustang under the Citrus Bowl stands. He commended then-Coach Gene McDowell on taking the program from Division II to Division I-AA, as well as current Head Coach George O’Leary on his “culture of winning” and “culture of learning.” He concluded with a video showcasing this season’s UCF Football’s key players before introducing Todd Stansbury, UCF’s athletic director, who stepped in to speak for O’Leary, who had to cancel his appearance due to a minor medical issue.

“When George meets with recruits,” Stansbury said, “he only guarantees them one thing — that they’ll graduate. He demands excellence, and that’s what he gets.”

In fact, UCF is No. 3 in the nation for graduating 90 percent of its football players, and is No. 1 in the nation for graduating 95 percent of all its student-athletes combined.

“A lot of people think we’re in the entertainment business,” Stansbury continued. “We’re really in the education business. Our mission is to provide opportunity to young people and develop future leaders. Our job is to use sport to prepare them to compete.”

While there were plenty of laughs, including an anecdote from Clarke about Peelen’s former reporting skills, the morning was really about supporting UCF’s athletes and their academic endeavors. Moreno, Peelen, Pinto & Clark pledged to match gifts up to the first $10,000 raised.

“One of the things we’ve noticed is the quality of the students graduating from UCF,” Moreno Jr. says. “In fact, we just hired another UCF alumnus through the internship program. We’re very proud of the high ranking UCF maintains for graduating athletes.”

Want to help make the academic support center a reality? Contact Chris Huff, associate athletics director of development and executive director of the Golden Knights Club, at CHuff@athletics.ucf.edu or 407.823.2205.

UCF’s spirit squad got ready for the College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship today by hosting visiting teams from LSU, Tennessee and Mississippi State at the CFE Arena.

The competition gets underway Saturday. The Division IA Dance Hip Hop Finals begin at 3:30 p.m. UCF is scheduled to compete in the Cheerleading World şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą Championships at 1:32 p.m., and the Dance World şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą Championships at 5:30 p.m. The Division IA Cheer Finals will begin at 6:30 p.m.

To prepare, UCF’s cheer and dance teams practiced alongside those they’ll face off against at the championship competition.

“We have worked very hard this year to prepare a performance that we can execute with confidence, one that will impress the judges and make our UCF fans proud,” UCF Cheerleading head coach Linda Gooch said.

Last year UCF Cheerleading placed second, after the şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą of Kentucky, in the same competition. The Knights have placed in the top-10 of the College Cheerleading National Championship 19 times in the last 21 years under Gooch’s leadership, including national titles in 2003 and 2007.
“The dance team has worked hard with strength coach Drew Williams to increase the athleticism and power of the team in order to be able to execute the difficult tricks that are included in this year’s choreography,” Gooch noted. “The cheerleaders look to match the consistency of last year’s team and hope to gain difficulty points in basket tosses and with an ending pyramid sequence that is both entertaining and highly acrobatic.”

Friday’s practice session was just one of the ways the teams got revved up for this weekend.

Earlier in the week, the dance team KnightMoves hosted a Family and Friends Showcase, and the cheerleaders hosted an alumni, family and friends practice. And they all visited Disney’s Wide World of Sports to see the national venue on Thursday..