The UCF Knights football team represents the University of Central Florida (UCF) in the sport of American football. The Knights compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and are a member of the Big 12 Conference, making UCF the youngest school among the Power Five conferences. Their head coach is Gus Malzahn. The Knights play their home games at the 45,000-seat FBC Mortgage Stadium, which is located on UCF's main campus in Orlando, Florida, United States.
FBC Mortgage Stadium is an American football stadium located near Orlando in Orange County, Florida, United States, on the main campus of the University of Central Florida. It is the home field of the UCF Knights of NCAA Division I FBS college football; also it was home of the now defunct Orlando Apollos during the first and only 2019 season of the Alliance of American Football.
The 2005 UCF Golden Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season. Their head coach was George O'Leary, in his second season with the team. It was their first year as a member of Conference USA, playing in the East Division.
The 2000 UCF Golden Knights football team represented the University of Central Florida in the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. Their head coach was Mike Kruczek, who was in his third season with the team. The 2000 season marked the Golden Knights fifth year since ascending to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision in 1996.
The 2005 Conference USA Football Championship Game was a college football game played on Saturday, December 3, 2005, at Citrus Bowl in Orlando. This was the 1st Conference USA Championship Game and determined the 2005 champion of the Conference USA. The game featured the UCF Golden Knights, champions of the East division, and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, champions of the West division.
The 1993 UCF Golden Knights football season was the fifteenth season for the team and Gene McDowell's ninth as the head coach of the Golden Knights. Earning their eighth winning season in 1993, with a 9–3 overall record, UCF made the playoffs for the second time in four years. Also during the season, the Golden Knights won their first game over a Division I-A team, a 38–16 victory over Louisiana Tech.
The 1995 UCF Golden Knights football season was the seventeenth season for the team and eleventh for Gene McDowell as the head coach of the Golden Knights. The team finished with a 6–5 overall record. The season marked UCF's last in Division I-AA, as the Golden Knights moved to Division I-A in 1996. The 1995 season also featured the debut of UCF's new freshman quarterback, Daunte Culpepper.
The 1996 UCF Golden Knights football season was the eighteenth season for the team and Gene McDowell's twelfth as the head coach of the Golden Knights. McDowell's 1996 team compiled a 5–6 overall record. The season marked UCF's first as a member of Division I-A, officially joining on September 1, 1996. At that time, the Knights became the first football program to play in four different NCAA divisions.
The 1997 UCF Golden Knights football season was the nineteenth overall season for the team, and second season as an NCAA Division I-A Independent. It would be the thirteenth and final season for head coach Gene McDowell. McDowell's 1997 team finished with a 5–6 overall record, matching the record from the previous season. McDowell would resign at season's end in the wake of a cell phone fraud scandal. His tenure as head coach came to a close after compiling an 86–61 record. To-date, McDowell still has the most wins as head coach in program history.
The 1998 UCF Golden Knights football season was the twentieth season overall for the team, and third season as an NCAA Division I-A Independent. After the resignation of Gene McDowell, Mike Kruczek became the new head coach of the Golden Knights. Kruczek led UCF to a 9–2 record in 1998, the program's best season at the time. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper finished 6th in the Heisman Trophy voting and set a then-NCAA record for completion percentage (73.4%). UCF received a tentative verbal agreement to play in the Oahu Bowl. However, the arrangement fell through in the final week of the season.
The 1999 UCF Golden Knights football season was Mike Kruczek's second year as the head coach of the Golden Knights. Looking to build on the success of a nine-win season the year before, the Knights visited five high-profile opponents. Kruczek led UCF to an overall record of 4–7. With the departure of Daunte Culpepper to the NFL Draft, the quarterback duties were taken over by college journeyman Vic Penn. On two occasions, the Golden Knights nearly upset a major SEC opponent on the road.
The 1982 UCF Knights football season was the fourth season for the team. It was first and only season for Sam Weir as the head coach of the Knights. The season marked the Knights first in Division II. Weir's 1982 team posted 0–10 overall record.
The 1983 UCF Knights football season was the fifth season for the team. It was Lou Saban's first as the head coach of the Knights. Looking to bounce back from a winless 1982 season, Saban's 1983 team earned a respectable 5–6 overall record. The Knights competed as an NCAA Division II Independent. The team played their home games at the Citrus Bowl in Downtown Orlando
The 1984 UCF Knights football season was the sixth season for the team. It was Lou Saban's second and final season as the head coach of the Knights. After a disappointing 1–6 start to the season, Saban stepped away from the program, and was replaced by assistant coach Jerry "Red" Anderson. The Knights finished the year with a 2–9 overall record, facing a schedule entirely made up of Division I-AA opponents. The program had actually petitioned the NCAA to move the football program up to I-AA for 1984, but the move was delayed, in part due to costs and incurred debt. The move would not happen until 1990.
The 1986 UCF Knights football season was the eighth season for the team. It was Gene McDowell's second season as the head coach of the Knights. McDowell's 1986 team compiled a 6–5 overall record.
The 1988 UCF Knights football season was the tenth for the team. It was Gene McDowell's fourth season as the head coach of the Knights. After making the playoffs the year before, UCF started off the season ranked in the top 5 of Division II. After defeating the defending Division II national champions Troy State in week 3, the Knights jumped to No. 2 in the nation, a spot they held for three consecutive weeks. The Knights faltered, however, and lost five of their last six games. McDowell's 1988 Knights finished the season with a 6–5 overall record and missed the Division II playoffs.
The 1989 UCF Knights football season was the eleventh for the team. It was Gene McDowell's fifth season as the head coach of the Knights. The season marked UCF's last in Division II, as the Knight would move to Division I-AA in 1990. The team posted an overall record of 7–3 in 1989 but failed to make the Division II Playoffs.
The 1990 UCF Knights football team was the twelfth season for the team, and UCF football's first season in Division I-AA. In their first year in the division, Gene McDowell led the Knights to a 10–4 record, a program best, and a trip to the I-AA playoffs. UCF would make it to the semifinals, and became the first school in history to qualify for the I-AA playoffs in its first season of eligibility.
The 1991 UCF Knights football season was the thirteenth season for the team and Gene McDowell's seventh as the head coach of the Knights. McDowell led the team to an overall record of 6–5.
The 1992 UCF Knights football season was the fourteenth season for the team and eighth for Gene McDowell as the head coach of the Knights. McDowell's 1992 team posted 6–4 overall record. During the 1992 season, Dr. John Hitt, UCF's fourth president, announced that the program would make the move to Division I-A (FBS) in 1996.
