The 2012 UCF Football schedule has been announced and fans are in store for one of the most exciting seasons in school history. Several must-see games appear on the schedule including Missouri, the very first SEC opponent to take on UCF in Orlando, as well as a trip to hallowed football grounds when the Knights take on Ohio State at the “Horseshoe.”

UCF opens the 2012 season on the road at Akron, Thursday, Aug. 30, with a trip back up to the Buckeye State the following weekend to face Ohio State, Saturday, Sept. 8. The Knights will then open Bright House Networks Stadium for the 2012 home-opener on Saturday, Sept. 15, vs. state-rival FIU. After a bye week, the Missouri Tigers travel to Orlando for a highly-anticipated showdown at the Bright House on Saturday, Sept. 29.

The Conference USA schedule is set to open in Orlando in 2012 with back-to-back home games vs. C-USA East Division rivals East Carolina (Oct. 6) and Southern Miss (Oct. 13). The Knights also will host C-USA West Division power SMU (Nov. 3) and East Division foe UAB (Nov. 24) in the regular-season finale. C-USA road games include: Memphis (Oct. 20), Marshall (Oct. 27), UTEP (Nov. 10) and Tulsa (Nov. 17).

Homecoming 2012 is tentatively slated for the Nov. 3 game against SMU, while the home-opener on Sept. 15 vs. FIU will be the annual Family Weekend and College Open House events across the UCF campus.

2012 UCF Football Schedule

  • Aug. 30 – at Akron (Thurs.)
  • Sept. 8 – at Ohio State
  • Sept. 15 – Florida International (Family Weekend/College Open House)
  • Sept. 29 – Missouri
  • Oct. 6 – East Carolina*
  • Oct. 13 – Southern Miss*
  • Oct. 20 – at Memphis*
  • Oct. 27 – at Marshall*
  • Nov. 3 – SMU*
  • Nov. 10 – at UTEP*
  • Nov. 17 – at Tulsa*
  • Nov. 24 – UAB*

    • *Conference USA game.

    — Game times are TBD.

    — All C-USA game dates are subject to change during the upcoming television selection process.

    The Conference USA league office will release television schedule information at a later date. It is not uncommon for presently scheduled C-USA games to change dates to accommodate a national television appearance. Please continue to check UCFAthletics.com for updated football schedule information prior to making game day plans. It will be the final season for the Black and Gold in C-USA before UCF heads to the BIG EAST in 2013-14.

    Ticket office staff will be on-site at the UCF Arena, Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the fan-favorite UCF Football Signing Day Show. The event is open to public and free for all fans to attend. Doors to the UCF Arena will open at 5 p.m. with the show getting underway starting at 6 p.m.

    Schedule Notes:

  • With Missouri (SEC) and Ohio State (Big 10) on the 2012 schedule, UCF has now played at least two schools from automatic-qualifying BCS conferences in 16 of 17 seasons since moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1996.
  • With Missouri coming to Bright House Networks Stadium in 2012, the Knights will have hosted at least one school from an AQ conference at home since the 2006 season and eight of nine seasons under head coach George O’Leary.
  • All four 2012 non-conference opponents hail from FBS conferences: Missouri (SEC), Ohio State (Big 10), Akron (MAC) and FIU (Sun Belt).
  • The 2012 campaign will be the first in which UCF opens up on the road since 2007, when it defeated NC State, 25-23. That also was the last time all four of the Knights’ non-conference games were against FBS opponents.

    •