UCF attended its first BIG 12 Media Day over the last two days at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The Knights are just 49 days away from kick off of their 2023-2024 season in the Bounce House against Kent State on Aug. 31, and 72 days until their BIG 12 conference opener at Kansas State on Sept. 23.
BIG 12 commissioner Brett Yormark addressed the media Wednesday morning at media day, and thinks very highly of what UCF will bring to the BIG 12.
“UCF has done a fantastic job. They’re ready for this moment, they’ve galvanized their fan base. I love how they think about brand. They’ve done an incredible job recruiting and leveraging the halo of the BIG X12 over the last couple of years.” Yormark said.
He finished his statement with “It’s a big moment for us, it’s a big moment for them.”
Yormark also commented in the press conference on UCF’s social media presence.
“I mean if you were on social media on July 1, you saw the power of those four brands and how they engage with fans, how they think about brands, and how they think about social media.”
#UCFTwitterMafia has certainly grown tremendously, along with the football team, since the 0-12 record in 2015. UCF has transformed its athletic programs over the last couple of years, giving its fan base a lot to comment on.
I wonder, is the BIG 12 ready for the Knights die hard fan base? Or even the confidence that the university reflects on its own athletic programs. UCF is in fact the only university to quite literally claim a College Football National Championship without playing in the College Football Playoffs or National Championship game. UCF went as far as having “2017 National Champions” displayed in its home stadium alongside its Conference Championships and New Year’s Six Bowl game wins. A lot of that is on the power of social media and the fan base of UCF, but they don’t finalize a decision like that, the university does.
UCF has a swagger, and it’s coming to the BIG 12. Brandon and I dive more into this, along with BIG XII Media Day on In The Zone. Tune in from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. on 96.9 The Game, or streaming on the iHeatMedia app.