UCF and the Big 12 unveiled the 2026 schedule in January, with every game initially scheduled on Saturday. Two of those games are now shifted to Friday:

• Oct. 30 vs. Baylor (Mission X Space Game)
• Nov. 20 vs. Iowa State (Senior Knight)

TV and streaming designations and kickoff times will be revealed at a later date.

2026 Schedule & Game Day Themes

-Home games in bold-

9/3 vs. Bethune-Cookman (Season-Opener)
9/12 at Pittsburgh
9/19 vs. Georgia State (Family Weekend)
9/26 vs. TCU (Big 12 Opener)
10/3 at Houston
10/10 at Oklahoma State
10/24 vs. BYU (Homecoming)
10/30 vs. Baylor (Mission X Space Game)
11/7 at Kansas
11/14 vs. Arizona State
11/20 vs. Iowa State (Senior Knight)
11/28 at Colorado

The Big 12 Championship Game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, and will once again be played at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Dallas, Texas.

Under the direction of head coach Scott Frost, UCF carries early momentum into the 2026 season after landing quarterback Alonza Barnett III and a strong group of transfers through the portal. The Knights also secured a pair of four-star high school recruits, highlighting a solid overall class.

TICKETS

Season tickets for the 2026 campaign can be purchased at . Single game tickets are not yet for sale.

WHY WE BOUNCE

The 2026 campaign will mark the 20th season that UCF football plays its home games in Acrisure Bounce House. To recognize UCF’s 20 years of Acrisure Bounce House,  a season-long celebration of the countless memories made inside the place Knight Nation calls home. The 2026 campaign is more than just another season. It is a chance to tell our story.

We want to know why YOU bounce. If you’d like to help us tell our story of the bonds built through game day experiences, , and be ready to include photos.

A well-regarded civic leader who has helped propel Orlando’s trajectory as the fastest major metro area in the United States, Martins has spent 30 of his nearly 40 years in professional sports management as part of the Orlando Magic organization. For his many years of dedicated service and leadership, Martins became the 14th person inducted to the NBA franchise’s Hall of Fame.

The UCF grad, who earned his master’s in business administration in 2001, joins the likes of fellow Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neil, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway and Dwight Howard.

“His decades of work with the Orlando Magic and his continued investment in our university reflect the character and commitment that define UCF.” — UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright

“Chair Martins leads with humility, generosity�����Ի� a deep sense of responsibility to this community,” says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. “His decades of work with the Orlando Magic and his continued investment in our university reflect the character and commitment that define UCF. As chair of our Board of Trustees, I see every day how deeply he believes in this institution and the opportunities we create for Central Florida. His induction into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame is a well-deserved recognition of a remarkable career�����Ի� all of us at UCF are proud to celebrate this moment with him.”

Man of the Hour

Martins was inducted on Monday, March 23, at Kia Center, near the Orlando Magic Fan Experience.

“We are excited to welcome Alex Martins into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame,” says Orlando Magic chairman Dan DeVos. “His innovative business acumen has transformed our organization, while working tirelessly to make the Magic an invested community partner. For his efforts that spanned three decades, this is truly a worthy recognition for Alex and his family, and we look forward to continuing to work with him in his role as vice chair.”

Ties that Bind

Martins was named  in 2021 and also serves on the dean’s executive council for the . Martins served on the developmental board of the globally acclaimed  at UCF, which is funded through a $9 million endowment by Rich and Helen DeVos and awards dual master’s degrees in sport management�����Ի� business administration. Under Martins’ leadership, the Magic contributed $1.5 million to the construction of UCF Downtown in 2015, the first major private donation for the campus.

He is a member of the College of Business’ Hall of Fame and recipient of the university’s Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Magic Career

Martins serves as vice chair of the Orlando Magic. In this position, he acts as a senior advisor to the Magic Board of Directors to advance long-term strategic initiatives and serve as a resource to Magic executives.

Martins also represents the Magic as the team’s alternate governor to the NBA Board of Governors, and oversees all operations of the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL and the Osceola Magic of the NBA G League.

Martins served as the Orlando Magic’s CEO for 14 seasons (2011-25). He has held various senior-level management capacities with the Magic between 1989-98 and upon his return to the organization in 2005, including director of media relations, executive vice president of marketing and franchise relations, president�����Ի� chief operating officer.

During his tenure as CEO, the Sports Business Journal named the Magic as one of the “Best Places to Work in Sports,” the only franchise in the four major professional sports leagues to receive the recognition in 2024.

His effort and collaboration with local business and political leaders helped to secure the Kia Center as a sports and entertainment home, which opened in October 2010. The Kia Center was named the Sports Business Journal’s Sports Facility of the Year in 2012.

Martins has also held senior executive positions with the New Orleans Hornets, the NFL’s Cleveland Browns and Tavistock Group. He started his career as a student assistant in the Villanova sports information department, assisted in the Philadelphia 76ers public relations department and was also the assistant sports information director at Georgetown ����ֱ��.

With its numerous industries to sustain a career and vibrant culture to build a life, Orlando isn’t a hard sell. Still, when it comes to promoting all this city has to offer, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who loves it more than Andrea (Rodrigues) Sage ’12.

The advertising-public relations grad spent the last decade in various sales-related positions with the Tampa Bay Rays, Orlando Magic and insulated beverageware company Corkcicle (headquartered in Orlando).

That experience along with the leadership and life skills she developed at UCF and her beloved hobby as the mastermind behind — an immensely popular social media account that explores new activities, restaurants and happenings in Central Florida — gave her what she needed to land her dream gig as marketing manager for Visit Orlando.

“I get to marry my love for this community and something I’m passionate about doing — marketing this city. It’s perfect for me,” Sage says. “To find this opportunity with Visit Orlando, it truly has been a dream come true.”

Tourism Shapes Orlando

Sage’s mission in her role at Visit Orlando as a marketing manager, specializing in domestic tourism, is to bring visitation to the destination, period.

Orlando is the most visited destination in the U.S. bringing more than 75 million visitors. According to Visit Orlando, tourism supports 37% of all jobs in the region.

Central Florida’s tourism industry generated an economic impact of $94.5 billion in 2024, a 2.2% increase over the previous year, according to a study by Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics and a leader in industry research.

As 2025 numbers work on being finalized, all signs point to the continued momentum of the region’s tourism.

It’s not hard to see why Orlando is in demand:

• Standard-setting theme parks
• Marquee sporting events — earning Orlando the No. 1 spot for Sports Event Cities in the U.S., according to Sport Business Journal
• Vibrant arts scene
• Top-of-the-line hotels and resorts
• 58 Michelin-recognized restaurants
• Proximity to beautiful beaches and Port Canaveral’s cruise ships

Sage gives a glimpse into what goes into helping shape Orlando’s reputation as one of the world’s most desirable destinations.

Advertising All of Orlando

Sage’s role with Visit Orlando oversees many facets. She might be placing a billboard in Baltimore, a well-timed ad on a streaming platform, or organize a tropical oasis in the middle of New York City on a 30-degree Fahrenheit day, enticing winter-weary New Yorkers to plan their next vacation.

She recently spent a week overseeing the production of an eco-tourism campaign video shoot at several locations to highlight the area’s natural beauty, hiking and springs.

“Culinary, arts, theme parks, nature, cultural experiences, whatever your travel bug is, this destination brings it all.” — Andrea (Rodrigues) Sage ’12

“Adults with kids, adults without kids, this vacation has all your needs — culinary, arts, theme parks, nature, cultural experiences, whatever your travel bug is, this destination brings it all,” Sage says.

Competing on the Global Stage

Orlando’s prime competitors in the tourism market depends on who you’re talking to.

It could be California (theme parks), Las Vegas (conferences), or Spain and Italy (international visitation). As cruise lines have come roaring back after the pandemic, the Caribbean is now in the mix, too. Orlando doesn’t just compete with other cities for tourists, but entire states and countries.

“Our destination is amazing, but every Jan. 1 the visitor tally resets, and there is a lot of work happening behind the scenes to make sure we remain top of mind,” Sage says.

Success Fueled by UCF

A St. Petersburg, Florida, native, Rodrigues was recruited to UCF to play for the women’s soccer team. From 2008-12, she helped lead the Knights to five NCAA postseason appearances, including the 2011 Elite 8, three conference championships and one of the program’s highest national rankings (No. 6) in school history.

During her collegiate career, she also joined the Portuguese National Team, which exposed her to places and cultures that would ultimately spark her interests in travel and exploration today.

As an elite scholar-athlete, she points to the intangible soft skills she gained — work ethic, goal-setting, communication, collaboration and time management all at an elevated standard of excellence — as formative to her life as a working parent.

“Being a UCF student-athlete has made who I am.”

“Being a UCF student-athlete has made who I am,” Sage says. “I take interviews today as a 36-year-old and still talk about how it has positively shaped me. I would go from a 6 a.m. strength training to study hall to three classes to practice to a night class, still have homework and study and then travel to a road game the next day.

“The controlled chaos I lived in then, it is innate in me and still my normal today. I have two little kids, I’m married, I have a full-time job, I work out every day, I have a hobby. It just feels right. It is a controlled chaotic environment that I love.”

Living Where the World Vacations

Rodrigues says what she appreciates most about living in Orlando is getting to explore new places in her own backyard. She started @cheatdayorlando in 2021 after becoming a mother. Since then, she has grown the account to nearly 100,000 followers and landed a regular gig on the 106.7 FM morning show Johnny’s House spreading the word about new experiences in the area.

“It doesn’t feel like you’re stagnant in Orlando — you can have a different experience just 10 minutes away,” she says. “I love that there’s something for everyone to feel like home because we have a melting pot of culture.”

Spring Break Scene

Whether you’re a local enjoying a staycation or coming to Orlando for your Spring Break, Rodrigues shares her pro tips on some new experiences worth checking out:

• ICON Park will soon feature Ripley’s Crazy Golf, a glow-in-the-dark immersive indoor miniature golf course with many unconventional ways to putt.
• Harlow Grove Restaurant and Lounge, a new trendy restaurant in Winter Garden, opened this month and features a rooftop terrace and elevated menu.
• Maitland’s Enzian Theater is a single-screen independent cinema cafe that offers cozy, vintage decor and seating, with a full kitchen menu. For the parents out there with little Spring Breakers, consider the theater’s Peanut Butter Matinee Family Film Series, which offers free admission to kids 12 and under. Cars 2 will be featured at noon on March 22.

Seattle offensive tackle Amari Kight ’24 and defensive back Shaquill Griffin ’16 or New England safety Richie Grant ’20 could become the latest Knights to claim Super Bowl rings when the two squads square off on Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. on NBC in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

To date, 13 former Knights have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, most recently integrated business alum Jordan Franks ’18 with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in 2023.

After joining the Knights in 2023 as a graduate transfer, Kight was a two-year starter on the offensive line for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in sport business management.

During his freshman year as a defensive back at UCF, Griffin helped clinch the program’s first New Year’s Six bowl championship (2014 Fiesta Bowl) and went out to finish his career as an all-conference standout. The 9-year NFL veteran and 2019 Pro Bowl selection was initially drafted in 2017 by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round and has been affiliated with several NFL teams. He resigned with the Seahawks last June and is currently on the practice squad. Griffin earned a bachelor’s degree in human communication.

Grant, who signed with the Patriots’ practice squad in October, was an all-conference selection who helped lead the Knights during their historic 25-0 unbeaten streak in 2017–18 before he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2021. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sport and exercise science and a minor in medical sociology.

Tied at 72 with less than a minute remaining in Saturday’s game, junior forward Jordan Burks drilled a 3-pointer in front of the Knights’ bench that ignited UCF on to its 81-75 victory over the No. 17 Jayhawks.

As the buzzer sounded, droves of the more the 8,000 in attendance stormed the court in celebration — a nearly identical scene to the Knights’ 65-60 win over then-No. 3 Kansas in the first Big 12 Conference game in school history on Jan. 10, 2024.

“We beat a good basketball team tonight – the tradition, the coaching, the players they have. Just really proud of our players for playing for 40 minutes,” UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins says. “They showed a lot of heart throughout the game because Kansas is [terrific]. I thought our guys did a great job of sustaining effort on the court. I thought we finished strong at the end of the game when Kansas made a really good run to tie the ball game up. Those were things we were talking about as a team prior to us going away for Christmas break; how we have to play in conference, and I thought our guys it reflected that today in how we finished the game.”

UCF is now ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since 2019.

This year’s squad now improves to 12-1, marking the program’s best start under Dawkins since he took the helm in 2016. On Monday, UCF cracked into the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2019, debuting at No. 25 in the Week 9 poll.

The ranking marks just the sixth week UCF has appeared in the AP Top 25 since the program’s inception in 1969 and the second time under Dawkins.

Senior guard and Orlando native Riley Kugel led with 19 points, followed by guard Themus Fulks with 16 points and Burke with 14. UCF’s 44 first-half points marked the most the Jayhawks have allowed this season, after previously holding then-No. 5 Duke and then-No. 17 Tennessee to 41 points apiece.

Up next, the Knights continue league play when they head to Oklahoma State for an 8 p.m. matchup on Jan. 6 before returning home Jan. 11 to face Cincinnati at 5 p.m.

The Big 12 boasts the most Top 25 teams (seven) of any conference in the country.

“At the end of this day, this needs to be behind us and we have to throw all of our preparation into Oklahoma State because that’s how this league is,” Dawkins says. “You’re going to have 17 more games like we had tonight. None of them are going to be different. All of these teams are well-coached, all these teams have a lot of talent so we have to prepare for it that way.”

UCF earned the automatic bid to the postseason Sunday after securing its first Sun Belt Tournament championship in program history with a 3-1 win at Marshall. While the majority of UCF’s teams compete in the Big 12 Conference, the league does not sponsor men’s soccer as an affiliated sport. The men’s soccer team joined the Sun Belt in 2023.

The Knights are the only program in the state of Florida and one of 15 in the country to see both their men’s and women’s soccer programs advance to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Road to the Championship

After a first-round win over Georgia Southern, the Knights toppled two nationally ranked opponents in their run to the top of the Sun Belt, besting No. 19 Kentucky and No. 12 Marshall for their second and third ranked wins of the season. This year marks the team’s first season in history with at least three top-25 ranked victories.

“How incredible this group of young men is — I could not be prouder. This group was 2-5-1 to start the season, and to end the season as Sun Belt Champions and win on the road and go through the teams we went through and then win at Marshall, what character this group has displayed,” head coach Scott Calabrese says. “It’s an incredible achievement, and we’ve put in a lot of work. The response from the team, the level went up from our players. They are determined to keep going.”

Heading into Sunday’s championship match at Marshall, the Thunder Herd had been defeated just twice all season, and not on their home turf since Nov. 26, 2023, a span of 721 days.

UCF’s win marked the fifth conference tournament title in program history, as well as the Knights’ eighth overall conference championship, and their first since 2020-21.

The Knights headed to the 2025 NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, boasting an 8-1-2 record in its last 11 matches ahead of the premier postseason tournament.

NCAA Tournament Info

UCF is in the middle of its 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in school history.

With their first-round win over FAU, the Knights remain unbeaten against in-state opponents this season, improving to 2-0-1 in matches against the Owls, then-No. 22 South Florida and Jacksonville.  The win also marked the team’s first victory in the NCAA Tournament since the program toppled then-No. 17 James Madison, 2-1, in the round of 32 of the 2020 tournament (pushed to the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

The Knights will now face No. 15 Georgetown Sunday evening. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. in Washington, D.C. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Their mentality? Don’t tell us the odds.

“I told the team from the very beginning, no successful team goes through any journey that is easy. This is part of our journey,” UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak says. “How are we going to respond to this? You have the ability to go out there and play for them. Believe in how good you are. Visualize doing great things and the rest will follow.”

From that point on, the Knights closed the regular season with a nine-match unbeaten streak, helping them clinch the No. 7 seed and hosting rights in the NCAA Tournament.

UCF will hold a first-round game on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at the UCF Soccer Complex against Maine, who just won its third-straight America East championship title.

The Knights are one of a conference-record eight teams from the Big 12 selected to participate in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

“After what we went through on a weekly basis in the Big 12 this year — a historical year with how many teams earned postseason bids — what excites me as we head into the NCAA Tournament is we’ve seen the best in the country. We are part of that,” Roberts Sahaydak says. “Obviously it’s one game at a time, and that starts with Maine, but the team should be feeling really confident because they are prepared from the physical and tactical and mental tests they’ve had all season.”

UCF’S NCAA Tournament History

This year’s postseason appearance will mark UCF’s first as a member of the Big 12 Conference and first since 2022 when the Knights advanced to the tournament’s second round.

Friday’s home match will mark the 11th time that UCF has hosted an NCAA Tournament First Round competition and the program’s first since 2017.

In all, it will be the program’s 23rd all-time appearance in the NCAA Division I Championship. UCF ranks among the NCAA’s top 25 winningest teams nationally since the inception of Division I women’s soccer in 1982.

Tickets/Broadcast Info

General admission tickets are $10 and can be at ucfknights.com. The first 100 UCF students with valid UCF ID will receive free entry (first come, first serve). Stadium gates open at 6 p.m.

The match will air on ESPN+.

Founded to reach the moon, we’re already on our way to the next frontier. Built for liftoff, America’s Space ����ֱ�� celebrates UCF Space Week Nov. 3-7.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Boldly Forge the Future of Space

UCF aerospace engineering graduate research assistant Justin Sprunger ’22 ’25�ѳ� says he can trace his earliest memory to gazing at the space shuttle when he was 4. Before the age of 10, he was testing the limits of homemade bottle rockets, relentlessly experimenting with ways to increase speed.

In a lot of ways, his job today as a propulsion engineer and hypersonics facility director at the Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion (also known as the HyperSpace Center) is rooted in that same curiosity and innovation his younger self embraced so whole-heartedly.

So when the lab’s large-scale hypersonic wind tunnel HADES becomes operational later this month, he is eager to push the limits once again in pursuit of revolutionizing travel as we know it.

HADES — which stands for high enthalpy altitude-stimulating dynamic experimental system — will prove crucial to the HyperSpace Center’s hypersonic and space propulsion research for scientists and strategic partners across the globe. UCF is the first university in the nation to have hypersonic technology at this scale.

The wind tunnel will be able to replicate the pressure and temperature of atmospheric conditions needed to figure out the keys to unlocking speeds that could one day allow a commercial airliner to fly from New York to London in less than 15 minutes.

“I’ve been staring at this thing on my computer screen with the 3D model for over a year. To watch the evolution of something that started as an idea to now in front of you in person is… I don’t think there’s a better reward, honestly,” Sprunger says. “As a fundamental researcher looking into all these problems that we face, you always come up with these hypotheses. ‘Oh, if we could just do this experiment,’ or ‘If we could hold this one thing constant, then I’d be able to see everything.’ And with this facility coming online, those once-impossible ideas will now start to become a possibility.”

Not Just ‘Hype’ Anymore

NASA, and its predecessor the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, has been involved in the study of hypersonic flight since the 1950s, though technology of the time limited much progress in the field. In the early 2000s, things started to change when NASA aircraft set two airbreathing speed Guinness World Records at Mach 7 (5,370 mph) and at Mach 10 (7,672 mph), respectively, as part of its Hyper-X Program.

Now, Sprunger says, technology has advanced to the point that it’s viable to be investing significant resources in this area of research.

Which brings us to the HyperSpace Center, which launched in October 2024 as a first-of-its-kind partnership with the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research that provides a centralized, physical space to advance hypersonic technology.

The work conducted in this unassuming one-story, gray rectangular building on the perimeter of Central Florida’s Research Park will build on Trustee Chair Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Kareem Ahmed’s progress so far, including development of the first hypersonic detonation rocket engine in 2020.

So how does HADES fit into this?

HADES stands for high enthalpy altitude-stimulating dynamic experimental system.

High enthalpy translates to very hot, or a lot of energy.

Altitude-simulating attributes to the atmosphere’s range of pressures and temperatures. With this facility, Sprunger and the team will be able to adjust elements to simulate the low-pressure altitude environment that’s important for outer body aerodynamic tests.

Dynamic refers to the range of tests it can conduct, which is novel compared to wind tunnels at other institutions. The Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion in Tallahassee has a that has the ability for long run times and can reach up to Mach 5, but its downside is its cold. ����ֱ�� of Illinois’ ACT-II tunnel is an arc-heated tunnel that has capabilities for high Mach numbers and flight relevant enthalpies, but it is limited to run times of around 1 second.

Simply put, HADES can do it all, which will attract researchers because it allows for long run times while also customizing and accounting for the pressure and temperature they need in the atmosphere to strengthen the data of their experiments.

“We’re going to be able to hit all the high Mach numbers; we’re going to be able to do it for long durations; and we’re going to be able to match the enthalpy of a flight,” Sprunger says. “So we’re taking the high temperature, the high pressure, the long duration, and we’re making a facility that’s going to be able to do that over and over and over again.”

Mission IX

When Ahmed conceptualized HADES three years ago and aerospace and alum Jonathan Reyes ’15 ’17MS ’19PhD led the design-into-action, he — nor anyone else on the HyperSpace team — fathomed it would one day be tied to a UCF football game.

When the Knights kick off the ninth installment of our annual space game Nov. 7, the players’ uniforms will prominently feature a diagram of HADES’ fueling apparatus. It’s the piece that funnels in the air and fuel to the targeted location of the tunnel.

When members of the Athletics brand team contacted the lab to explore the possibility of centering the Mission IX game’s theme on HyperSpace, graduate research assistant Nate Dreyer ’26MS crafted original concepts and key information as source material for the uniform design team to draw inspiration from.

“A lot of members of my team are huge sports guys, so we had so much fun being involved and part of this year’s game,” Sprunger says. “It really is about celebrating the university and demonstrating the capabilities we have here.”

For this year’s game, the Knights defeated North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State ����ֱ��, 68-7, at Acrisure Bounce House. UCF proudly welcomed distinguished leaders from seven major military commands, celebrating the enduring partnership between UCF and the U.S. Armed Forces. The event served as a powerful reminder of the collaborative spirit that drives innovation, readiness and national defense.

Among the honored guests were:

• Maj. Gen. James E. Smith, representing STARCOM (Space Training and Readiness Command), whose mission is to prepare the U.S. Space Force through cutting-edge education, training and testing.
• Brig. Gen. Christine A. Beeler, leading PEO STRI (Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation), focused on delivering advanced training and information operations capabilities.
• Col. Brian L. Chatman of Launch Delta 45, responsible for managing all space launch operations from the East Coast and ensuring assured access to space.
• Capt. Robert Betts, commanding NAWC TSD (Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division), the Navy’s hub for training system development and inter-service coordination.
• Col. Anthony C. Graham, representing AFAMS (Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation), which enhances operational training through integrated simulation technologies.
• Col. Wynndee M. Young, leading PM TRASYS (Program Manager for Training Systems), dedicated to improving Marine Corps readiness through ground training systems.
• Ivan Martinez, director of STTC (Simulation and Training Technology Center), whose team pioneers simulation technologies to maximize soldier effectiveness.

Their presence at the game underscored the deep ties between UCF and the U.S. Department of Defense, especially in the areas of research, simulation and training. As a university located in the heart of Central Florida’s modeling and simulation corridor, UCF is proud to collaborate with these commands to advance military readiness and innovation.

UCF is nationally recognized for its commitment to helping military and veteran students succeed from enrollment to employment. The university is a Military Friendly Schools honoree, a Military Order of the Purple Heart ����ֱ��, and a Collegiate Purple Star campus. It also ranks No. 8 nationally among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans.

From cutting-edge research that supports veterans’ health to academic programs tailored for active-duty personnel, UCF’s deep-rooted ties to the military extend far beyond the stadium. These connections strengthen Florida’s communities, empower students and uplift those who serve.

Here are some powerful ways UCF and the military are united year-round.

Fueling the Success of Military-Affiliated Students

UCF has a long history of welcoming and supporting military-affiliated students. More than 3,300, including computer science student Trevor Chandrapaul, are currently enrolled.

Chandrapaul began his studies at Valencia College before taking a five-year detour to serve in the U.S. Navy as a gas turbine systems technician working in the engine room. His time with the Navy shifted his academic interest from physical therapy to computer science and eventually led him to UCF.

“Coming from the military, [I wanted to] continue to serve after [my] service,” he says. “[UCF] is surrounded by so many defense companies, and I felt like it was a good place for me to continue my studies.”

Through the Office of Military and Veteran Student Success, he quickly found community among other veterans. Since 2011, the resource center has offered support and a sense of community to students, faculty and staff veterans on campus. Here, students receive academic and career advising focused on the needs of veterans, as well as guidance on the use and benefits of the GI Bill.

Chandrapaul, like many other military and veteran students, credits the center with making the transition from military life into a university setting smoother.

“I saw how many military veterans actually attended [UCF],” he says. “I reached out to someone at the [Office of Military and Veteran Student Success] and they took the time to talk to me and offer reassurance.”

The UCF campus is also home to Army and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs that combined have about 170 students preparing to become commissioned officers in the U.S. Armed Forces.

This fall, UCF is also supporting service members through a new academic partnership, called Service to Service, which helps veterans and their families pursue graduate degrees in public service fields — allowing them to leverage their military experience in rewarding new roles. The university is one of 12 universities nationwide — and the only school in Florida and the southeast — that is participating in the pilot program, which is a collaboration with nonprofits The Volcker Alliance and We the Veterans.

Top Talent Pipeline to the Defense Industry

The university has repeatedly been recognized by Aviation Week Network as the nation’s top talent pipeline for students to work in the aerospace and defense industry, meaning a UCF education prepares students well for future success in those industries.

Students learn from world-class faculty who bring exceptional industry and academic experience into the classroom, and UCF’s location in Orlando provides many nearby internship and career opportunities.

Among the opportunities UCF students often secure is the Department of Defense’s SMART Scholarship program, which provides STEM students with financial support, a summer internship, an experienced mentor and guaranteed employment with the DOD after graduation.

“I was drawn to the program’s integration of academic advancement with real-world application, especially within the DOD’s infrastructure and research divisions,” says Carlos Arteaga, a master’s in civil engineering student and one of three Knights who received the scholarship this summer. “The opportunity to contribute to national security while deepening my expertise in structural and geotechnical engineering made it an ideal fit.”

In July, Lockheed Martin and UCF expanded a partnership that has been in place for more than 40 years, greatly impacting the State of Florida’s economic prosperity, fueling innovation and strengthening student success.

As part of that agreement, Lockheed Martin will expand investments in the highly successful College Work Experience Program, which since 1981 has provided unrivaled work experiences for more than 10,000 students in engineering, business and many other disciplines — and led to many of those students earning full-time employment with Lockheed Martin.

UCF, Air Force Partner on Hypersonic Technology

World-renowned faculty member Kareem Ahmed and his research team are partnering with the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research to advance the technology that fuels hypersonic travel — at speeds up to 13,000 miles per hour — to help enhance national defense and open up new frontiers in space exploration.

Ahmed, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, has received multiple U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) grants to develop hypersonic technology.

Hypersonic propulsion allows for air travel at speeds of Mach 6 to 17, meaning six to 17 times the speed of sound, or more than 4,600 mph to 13,000 mph.

Advanced hypersonic propulsion systems are a national priority and are essential to maintaining U.S. national defense as global technological advancements continue to evolve.

UCF, Military Advance Modeling and Simulation Technology Together

UCF continues to develop connections with the U.S. military that ensure they benefit from the most advanced technologies and training. These partnerships also strengthen Florida’s high-tech economy, as Orlando is a national hub of the modeling and simulation industry attracting nearly $7 billion in annual contracts.

UCF’s Institute for Simulation and Training is the academic leader of the industry. The institute’s partners include the Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation, Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation and the Marine Corps Program Manager for Training Systems, among others that are also part of the Team Orlando community.

IST modeling and simulation research in strategic areas such as digital twin, AI, human performance, quantum, and spatial computing has accelerated practical innovations in multiple U.S. Army projects and developed multiple tools that are currently in the hands of personnel in every branch of service. In one of the most recent projects, IST’s researchers partnered with the Army to develop a human digital twin prototype that can be a mission team member supporting the commander in the next generation of combat vehicles.

Regaining Lives Through UCF RESTORES

UCF RESTORES provides clinical treatment services to first responders, front-line medical personnel, military veterans, active-duty military personnel and survivors of mass violence and natural disasters — helping them overcome trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and lead fulfilling careers and family lives. The program’s innovative therapy includes elements of virtual reality, with treatment success rates far exceeding the national average.

UCF RESTORES has treated more than 1,900 veterans, active-duty military personnel and first responders.

Clinicians don’t just treat PTSD — they challenge it head on through a model called Trauma Management Therapy, which involves helping patients confront traumatic memories in a safe, structured environment. They do this through customized, immersive virtual reality technology that helps clinicians recreate elements of patients’ unique traumatic experiences.

One-on-one sessions are delivered alongside group therapy — which addresses challenges with anger, sleep, guilt, depression and social isolation — to drive long-term recovery.

Michael Callahan ’05 ’09MBA ’17EdD, director of knowledge management, is responsible for every piece of medical education data at UCF. He’s also head mascot coach for UCF Athletics. He knows the role he coaches well. Callahan was Knightro from 2002-04, when he was an undergraduate student.

“IT and Knightro are similar roles if you think about it,” he says. “We’re both the support team. We do our part to help others do their best.”

Less than 100 students have been Knightro since UCF unveiled the yet unnamed golden knight mascot in 1994. UCF selects multiple Knightros for each school year to keep up with all the events across campus and the community where the mascot appears. Callahan manages the team for events, which include graduation, news and marketing events, donor meet-and-greets, student festivals, and even weddings and birthday parties.

Tryouts are held in the spring and because Knightro’s schedule is so packed in the fall. Callahan says he picks students from a variety of majors so they aren’t all in the same orientation, classes or lab schedules.

Training is both physical and for character development and even includes how to pen Knightro’s official signature. Callahan estimates that, similar to the athletes they cheer for, Knightros have 20 hours of physical training for every hour they perform.

Among the most challenging physical feats for Knightro, Callahan says is learning to stand atop cheerleaders’ shoulders in the classic UCF pyramid. (The key is to stand perfectly straight — like a broom stick. If you wobble like a pool noodle, he says, you fall, he says.)

“It’s like a trust fall,” he says, “The first time I did it, it was terrifying.”

In addition to handwriting, Knightro has a signature walk, run and poses.

“Knightro is Knightro,” Callahan says. “He’s the hero, the big man on campus. He’s the most recognized person at UCF. Knightro needs to stand the test of time, so consistency is key. If you had a picture taken with Knightro when you were a UCF student and then get another picture taken five years later at an event, it should look like the same Knightro.”

Callahan’s 20-year history with Knightro has forged many special memories. He remembers when Knightro’s costume was gold-glittered resin and weighed 50 pounds. Today it’s foam and much lighter at about 20 pounds.

As Knightro, Callahan performed at the Mascot Games in 2004, contributing to the more than $200,000 the event raised by then for New Hope for Kids, a child-based grief support group in Central Florida. To this day, he can recall the cheers as he danced onto the stage at a packed Amway Arena for the event.

When ESPN’s College Game Day came to UCF in 2018, Callahan had to dress broadcaster Lee Corso in the full Knightro costume in just 90 seconds during a commercial break. Dressing the mascot usually takes 10 to 15 minutes.

“We always say, ‘Practice makes perfect,’ ” Callahan says. “The week before the game, we must have had 1,000 practices for putting on that costume fast.”

Callahan earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and was a Burnett Honors Scholar. He also earned his MBA and doctoral degree in educational leadership at UCF. He began his career handling IT at the Burnett Honors College and moved to the College of Medicine in 2020.

He and his wife Lauren Callahan ’05, a UCF elementary education alum, wrote a children’s book called Hello, Knightro, where readers follow the mascot around campus as he travels to the stadium for game day.

“You see the impact of Knightro in the way people react to him,” Callahan says, “the joy and excitement in kids’ faces. You see Knightro on buses and billboards and I think, ‘I am a piece of that.’ ”

The Callahans have three children. And one of their twins, 10-year-old Luke, says Dad must remain head mascot coach until the youngster gets to UCF because “I’m going to be Knightro, too.”