{"id":24112,"date":"2023-11-07T20:38:55","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T20:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=24112&post_type=story"},"modified":"2025-02-24T17:39:53","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T17:39:53","slug":"the-big-12","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/the-big-12\/","title":{"rendered":"The Big Picture"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the steps of City Hall in downtown Orlando, roughly three weeks after UCF officially joined the Big 12 Conference, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer issued an official proclamation:<\/p>\n

\n
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\u201cWhereas the Knights\u2019 move to the Big 12 Conference will create more exposure for the university and our city and is a major milestone worthy of recognition and celebration;<\/p>\n

and whereas the City of Orlando is proud and thrilled that UCF will serve as the Big 12\u2019s flagship school in Florida;<\/p>\n

Now, therefore, I … do hereby proclaim that Orlando is a Big 12 City.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\u2014 Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On July 1, 2023, at just 60 years old, UCF became the nation\u2019s youngest program in the Power Five conferences, which are considered the premier competitors in college athletics.<\/p>\n

The UCF Athletics<\/a> program stands to benefit greatly from this major milestone. UCF will be able to competitively recruit the best student-athletes in the country and regularly go toe-to-toe against some of the country\u2019s most prestigious programs while gaining a clearer path to access the College Football Playoff.<\/p>\n

The Knights will enjoy more resources \u2014 its media-only revenue in 2023 will weigh in around $18 million and in two years will increase to $36 million to $40 million annually (compared to $8 million to $9 million annually as a member of the American Athletic Conference).<\/p>\n

With a commitment to upgrading facilities in the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village to catch up to and even surpass its Big 12 counterparts, UCF will be in the running to host high-profile events \u2014 welcoming fans from all over the globe and adding to Orlando\u2019s reputation as a leading tourism destination.<\/p>\n

UCF is already seeing the effects. All of its Big 12 home games this season sold out \u2014 the first three (Baylor University, West Virginia University and Oklahoma State University) announced as sell-outs before the Knights officially joined the conference July 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will be the No. 1 trip that [opposing fans are] going to circle,\u201d says Nicole Auerbach, senior writer for The Athletic. \u201cThey\u2019re just going to [say], \u2018Oh great, a trip to Orlando. Let\u2019s just make this a long weekend.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

UCF as a whole stands to benefit greatly, too. In addition to more exposure, universities typically see a rise in applications when their athletics programs thrive.<\/p>\n

Support UCF\u2019s new era in the Big 12 by contributing to the ChargeOn Fund<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Colleges whose men\u2019s basketball teams qualified for March Madness saw a 2.4% average increase in the total number of applications within the following year, according to a 2018 article in The Economist. That increased to 5.8% for colleges whose teams made the Final Four and to 10.9% when those teams won the championship.<\/p>\n

This is great news for UCF, which just joined arguably the best men\u2019s basketball conference in the country \u2014 a selling point to entice top recruits to become Knights. Seven Big 12 teams made the 2023 NCAA Tournament and Big 12 programs (Kansas and Baylor) have won two of the last three NCAA titles.<\/p>\n

As the UCF Athletics program has grown over the years and shined under some of the brightest lights, so too has the entire university.<\/p>\n

Andy Staples, a Central Florida native and national college football host for On3, has watched UCF evolve into a powerhouse in both academics and athletics.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look at some of the programs that UCF said, \u2018OK, this is going to be a priority for us\u2019 \u2014 [UCF was] looking into the future,\u201d Staples says. \u201c[It\u2019s] become a place that people want to go when they\u2019re studying computer science, when they\u2019re studying hospitality. They understand that it\u2019s a great education and they\u2019re going to get the traditional college experience now.\u201d And with a Big 12 backing, the possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is a special institution. What we need to do is make sure we get our message out there, and there\u2019s no better vehicle for that than athletics.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\u2014 UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe fact that we will have ads on major games that can be seen around the country, that matters to us academically,\u201d said UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright at a September 2021 press conference announcing the university\u2019s invitation to the Big 12. \u201cPeople will see what is coming out of UCF. And we need them to realize that when you\u2019re an exceptional institution, you decide you\u2019re going to be exceptional at everything. Athletics is one of those things. We\u2019re going to also be exceptional in our research and everything we do academically for our students and our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

The following moments and milestones outline the meteoric rise of the Knights and UCF\u2019s journey to the Big 12.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n

The Climbing of Conferences<\/h2>\n

The Knights were previously involved with eight conferences, each increasing in prestige. Most recently, they finished their decade in the American Athletic Conference with 52 conference titles \u2014 more than any other league counterpart.<\/p>\n

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\u201cA lot of the national powers right now were playing [football] at the turn of the 20th century. \u2026 And to understand what you\u2019ve got to make up in that time \u2014 it\u2019s generations of donors, it\u2019s generations of parents taking their kids to games, it\u2019s generations of players growing up watching the team play and saying, \u2018I would give anything to play for that team.\u2019 UCF, without the advantage of decades and generations of all this, has put itself in position to be very competitive in its new league.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\n

\u2014 Andy Staples, national college football host for On3, and former senior
\nwriter for Sports Illustrated and The Athletic<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

The Wonder Women of UCF<\/h2>\n

Since UCF\u2019s first varsity women\u2019s team in 1975, the Knights have dominated their field of play and work.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

UCF\u2019s women\u2019s teams have won more than 115 conference regular-season and tournament titles in the past three decades. These Knights have earned gold at the Olympic Games, served as team captains in the FIFA Women\u2019s World Cup and fulfilled key leadership roles in athletics departments around the country. They\u2019ve also become doctors, Emmy winning producers, educators, coaches, engineers, marketing professionals, art directors and more.<\/p>\n

\n

The Dynasty of UCF Cheer<\/h2>\n

Under the leadership of UCF Athletics Hall of Famer Linda Gooch \u201985<\/b>, the Knights cheer team has placed among the top 10 nationally in 28 of the past 30 years.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe are an aircraft carrier of a university. Positioned in Orlando, right in the middle of Florida, it was our geographic birthright to be competitive at whatever we applied ourselves to. Athletics is just one of those areas where we are going to excel. We knew it was just a matter of time when all of our sports would eventually be competing on a national stage. Our goal was to make sure our spirit program was ready when that happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\n

\u2014 Gooch<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

The Ultimate Game-Changer<\/h2>\n

The Knights had been playing football games for 28 years, but never in an on-campus stadium. That changed September 15, 2007, and UCF history was made.<\/p>\n

UCF’s campus stadium was filled with fans during the first game held at the location in 2007.<\/p>\n

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\u201c[The late] UCF President John C. Hitt and several prominent UCF supporters saw the vision of what an on-campus stadium could be. They believed the football program and a stadium could help elevate the university and its brand. They were right.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\n

\u2014 Marc Daniels, director of broadcasting for UCF Athletics<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

The Cardiac Knights<\/h2>\n

Seven games in the 2013 football season were decided by five points or fewer as quarterback Blake Bortles led the Knights to upset No. 6 Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl \u2014 helping kick-start a national brand.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u201cA decade later, it\u2019s incredible to see how much more the program went through and achieved before finally getting entry to the Big 12. I know a lot of people will point to [former football head coach] Scott Frost\u2019s undefeated season as UCF\u2019s big moment in the spotlight, but I still think it was 2013 that started it all.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\n

\u2014 Paul Tenorio, senior writer for The Athletic, and former sports reporter for the Orlando Sentinel<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

The Rivalries<\/h2>\n

From UCF\u2019s early days battling Rollins College to dominating the War on I-4 series against the University of South Florida, the Knights\u2019 rivalries have continued to evolve.<\/p>\n

\"The

The War on I-4 trophy.<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u201cAmerican Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco talked often about the need for his league to build more interest via rivalries, and used the UCF-South Florida version as the conference\u2019s best example. UCF took home the inaugural War on I-4 trophy in the all-sports competition and it has never left Orlando.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

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\u2014 John Heisler, senior associate athletics director, strategic communications for UCF Athletics<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The Tweets and Timelines<\/h2>\n

In a state that boasts three other Power Five institutions, UCF has had to strategically rely on its youth to find ways to break through the noise. Enter the power of social media and UCF\u2019s big, passionate fan base.<\/p>\n

\"Knightro

UCF first used this meme when it cracked the top 10 of the 2018 College Football Playoff rankings, and Knight fans continue to share it.<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cThose folks are very online. They\u2019re very savvy. They know how to get our attention in the media and they know how to keep the discussion going. They will defend UCF tooth and nail. They will not let you get away with slandering UCF in any way, shape or form. And there are other fan bases that are like that. But [UCF] seems to be a little more in on the joke than some of the others.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

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\u2014 Staples<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

The Star Power of Space Games<\/h2>\n

With the university\u2019s origin directly tied to supporting the nation\u2019s growing space program, it\u2019s easy to understand why UCF\u2019s annual Space Games \u2014 first held in 2017 \u2014 means so much to Knight Nation and have become a buzzworthy event nationally.<\/p>\n

\"A

Women’s soccer forward Dayana Martin wears the 2023 space game uniform during the Oct. 5 match against the Texas Longhorns.<\/p><\/div>\n

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\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my hope with the Space Games \u2014 that not only does it inspire more people to check out UCF and the SpaceU brand, but [that it] also attracts the best-quality students. It\u2019s not just about cool uniforms to get recruits here. It\u2019s about telling the story of what our people have already accomplished and are working on for the future. And hopefully [that] inspires future students across the world to say, \u2018SpaceU \u2014 that\u2019s where I want to go.\u2019”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\n

\u2014 Jimmy Skiles \u201906<\/b>, senior executive associate athletics director and chief branding officer for UCF Athletics<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

The Historic Win Streak of 2017 and 2018<\/h2>\n

The UCF football team rose to the height of popularity and disrupted the college football world with a 25-0 run that spanned 745 days. The accomplishment ranks among the NCAA Division I FBS\u2019 top 25 longest win streaks of all time. It cemented UCF as a national brand, but also exposed access barriers to the College Football Playoff.<\/p>\n

\"A

The FBC Mortgage Stadium displays 2017 National Champions.<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to win a game, much less all your games. I think there\u2019s got to be some magic.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\n

\u2014 Scott Frost, 2016-17 UCF football head coach<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"A

2016-18 UCF football starting quarterback McKenzie Milton \u201919<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cThe players, to me, were really the key to what happened. They were the underdog story. \u2026 You have a team filled with players that were overlooked their whole lives \u2026 and a football program that has been overlooked by the entire country \u2026 starting to find this energy [and] this chemistry that made them feel invincible. You could see that every time they lined up. This team never felt like they were going to lose.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\n

\u2014 Andrea Adelson, senior writer for ESPN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n
\n
\n

\u201cI think trendsetters, trailblazers, whatever you want to call it, that\u2019s what we were. That\u2019s what UCF is going to continue to be.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\n

\u2014 McKenzie Milton \u201919<\/b>, 2016-18 UCF football starting quarterback<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n
\n
\n

\u201cIn my view, those two seasons really set the stage, not only for playoff expansion, but for UCF to join the Big 12. \u2026 I think we learned that anything is possible at UCF. It doesn\u2019t matter what your conference is, where you\u2019re recruiting your players from. All that matters is getting your teammates, your coaches, your players, the administration to believe.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\n

\u2014 Adelson<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

The Battle of the Giants<\/h2>\n

The legacy of 7-foot-6-inch Tacko Fall \u201919 and the UCF men\u2019s basketball team\u2019s near-upset of No. 1 Duke University in the 2019 NCAA Tournament became an instant March Madness classic \u2014 but it was much more than that.<\/p>\n

\"Tacko

Former UCF center Tacko Fall \u201919 and the men\u2019s basketball team pushed Zion Williamson and No. 1 overall seed Duke to the limit in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Despite the 77-76 loss, the game showed the evolution of the program.<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cWe would have had a legit shot to make it to the Final Four if that tip-in [went] in. That\u2019s the kind of team UCF had become over those last four years. It was quite a journey to watch it all happen. The fact that it came on the heels of the football team\u2019s 25-0 run was the perfect ante up. We doubled down and it made the nation wonder, \u2018What can\u2019t<\/span> UCF do?\u2019”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\n

\u2014 Daniel Forcella, former associate athletics director, strategic communications for UCF Athletics<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n

The Official Invite<\/h2>\n

Seven months after Terry Mohajir was announced as UCF\u2019s vice president and director of athletics, the Knights accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 Conference.<\/p>\n

\"Two

UCF\u2019s Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir (left) and UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright (right) during an event announcing UCF’s invitation to the Big 12 Conference.<\/p><\/div>\n

\n
\n

\u201cWe need to pay homage to all the people who got us to this place. There was a foundation already being built before we got here. We have all kinds of really cool opportunities to be the first to do things in the Big 12. What can we do that hasn\u2019t been done before? We\u2019re starting from scratch a little bit. It\u2019s a new beginning.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>

\n

\u2014 Mohajir<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To read the full stories for each milestone, visit go.ucf.edu\/big12-stories<\/b><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":24423,"template":"","categories":[977],"tags":[388,239,1558,1651,1548,1557],"class_list":["post-24112","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","tag-ucf-athletics","tag-football","tag-mens-basketball","tag-spaceu","tag-terry-mohajir","tag-womens-soccer","issues-fall-2023"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Big Picture: What UCF's Move to the Big 12 Means<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In addition to more exposure, universities typically see a rise in applications when their athletics programs thrive.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/the-big-12\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" 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