UCF Sells Out First Ever Big 12 Opener
UCF is a member of the Big 12 Conference for the first time in program history this upcoming college football season.
The Knights are technically still part of the American Athletic Conference, but in July, they'll officially make the transition to power five football.
And UCF fans are clearly extremely excited to finally be part of a major conference.
The school's official Twitter account announced on Wednesday that UCF had already sold out its home Big 12 Conference opener.
Even more impressive, their first conference home game against the Baylor Bears isn't until the end of September. And it sold out before July 1st.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 29: A general view of FBC Mortgage Stadium during the second half of a game between the UCF Knights and the Cincinnati Bearcats on October 29, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
UCF Will Shake Up Big 12 Football
UCF fans already have a reputation for outstanding fan support, so it's not surprising that would continue as the stakes get higher.
After a 9-5 season, expectations are even higher for 2023. Especially with John Rhys Plumlee returning and taking an unselfish approach to NIL.
The sellout against Baylor is even more impressive considering how poorly the Bears played last year. UCF won't get any home games against Texas or Oklahoma in their final year in the conference.
But they do get Oklahoma State, also coming off a down 2022 season.
The early sellout announcement shows how injecting new blood into a conference can create more energy; something the Pac-12 may be hoping to benefit from after USC and UCLA leaves in 2024.
Regardless, it's an exciting time for football in Orlando.