ORLANDO, Fla. – UCF’s second season as a Big 12 member will feature seven games at the Bounce House. One of them will be a late-September visit from Deion Sanders and Colorado.
The 2024 schedule, which was released Tuesday, includes a short trip to Gainesville and games against each of the four teams joining the conference from the Pac-12.
Here is a look at the Knights’ 12-game slate.
August 29 vs New Hampshire
The Knights kick off the season on a Thursday evening by hosting New Hampshire, an FCS program in the Coastal Athletic Association. It will be the first meeting between the schools. It will also mark the second straight season UCF will host a team from the CAA as Villanova paid a visit to Orlando in September.
September 7 vs Sam Houston
The Bearkats elevated to the FBS in 2023 and went 3-9 as a Conference USA member. K.C. Keeler has won 262 games in 30 years coaching Rowan (N.J.) University, Delaware (his alma mater) and Sam Houston. The only time SHSU played in Florida was 1953 against the University of Tampa, a 26-6 win.
September 14 at TCU
The Horned Frogs will be the first of five Big 12 opponents that UCF did not face last season. It will also be the first meeting between the teams. Sonny Dykes’ squad went 5-7 last season, one year after appearing in the national championship game.
Read: UCF’s KJ Jefferson Among Quarterbacks Who Transferred To Play In Florida
September 28 vs Colorado
Following a bye, the Knights host Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes in what is sure to be a spectacle – and a packed press box. The first meeting between the schools takes place during a season in which Colorado rejoins the Big 12 after 13 seasons as a Pac-12 member.
October 5 at Florida
This will be the fourth meeting between the Knights and Gators, the third in Gainesville where UF won in 1999 (58-27) and 2006 (42-0). The other matchup was the 2022 Gasparilla Bowl, a 29-17 UCF victory. It will be the second straight year quarterback KJ Jefferson will face the Gators in the Swamp. His Arkansas Razorbacks defeated UF in November.
October 12 vs Cincinnati
A familiar foe in the former American rival visits FBC Mortgage Stadium. This will be the 10th straight year the teams will have met.
The Knights defeated the Bearcats on the road last season to take a 5-4 series lead.
October 19 at Iowa State
The initial meeting with the Cyclones will be UCF’s first trip to the state of Iowa. It will also be the first time Iowa State hosts a team from Florida. Matt Campbell’s team went 7-6 in 2023, which concluded with a Liberty Bowl loss to Memphis.
Read: USF Reveals Renderings Of On-Campus Stadium Expected To Be Completed For 2027 Season
October 26 vs BYU
This will be the fourth game between the schools and second matchup in Orlando. The Knights won the previous meeting at the Bounce House, a 31-24 overtime decision in 2014. They lost to the Cougars in Provo in 2011 and in the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl.
November 2 vs Arizona
The Wildcats join the Big 12 in 2024 following a 46-year run in the Pac-10/Pac-12. This will be Arizona’s second trip to the Sunshine State. The first was in 1992 when they lost an early-season matchup with No. 1 Miami, 8-7.
November 9 at Arizona State
The Knights visited Tempe in 2002, a 46-13 defeat in which they had more than twice the number of penalties (17) as first downs (8) and turned the ball over five times. Like Arizona, the Sun Devils join the Big 12 following 46 years in the Pac-10/Pac-12.
November 23 at West Virginia
The only one of four trips outside the state that is in the Eastern Time Zone has UCF meeting the Mountaineers for the second year in a row. WVU pulled out a 41-28 win in Orlando last season, the Knights’ third loss in as many meetings in the series.
November 29 vs Utah
The Utes complete the quartet of former Pac-12 teams the Knights play in 2024. Coach Kyle Whittingham will be in his 20th season as coach at Utah after taking over for Urban Meyer. This will be Utah’s third trip to the Sunshine State with the first two resulting in losses at Florida in 1977 and 2022.
Android Users, Click To Download The Tampa Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.