There’s a moment during every game day at Acrisure Bounce House that David Hansen pauses for a little perspective.

For the last two decades since he helped open the gates and usher in the sell-out crowd for the stadium’s opening day in 2007, he has climbed to the highest row in a corner next to the student section to take in the view of the 40,000-plus in front of him.

“I wanted to see the big picture,” says Hansen, who served several roles key for 166su Athletics from 2006-24 and now is the director of the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village and general manager of Knights Plaza Retail and Entertainment District. “Game day brings people together. I’ve heard so many stories of alums that live 10 minutes from each other, but their lives are busy — kids are going to school, they’re going to work, they’re traveling and never get to see each other than game day.

“It’s the one time that we put everything else aside. That’s the great thing about sport and why the stadium and our athletics village have been so instrumental to our culture and rise as a university.”

Hansen joined 166su in 2006 as senior associate athletics director for internal operations and was responsible for executing the stadium operational plan to bring game day to life on campus for the first time.

As the Bounce House celebrates its 20th season, Hansen reflects on the impact it has had on Knight Nation and the community at large.

Sprint to the Start

On Sept. 15, 2007, the stadium welcomed 45,622 through its gates for the kickoff against University of Texas. Hansen, who had been in constant motion since before sunrise, rushed to the field just in time for the national anthem and flyover.

He recalls seeing longtime athletics administrator Art Zeleznik with tears streaming down his face.

“I know everyone felt that way in the stadium at that moment. This university had been wanting this day for years, and we were all hit with the realization that it was finally really happening,” Hansen says. “We’re about ready to kick off game No. 1. That was special.”

Beyond constructing the stadium, the operational blueprint was just as crucial to make game day on campus a reality. From parking logistics to implementing a credentialing system to managing traffic flow to public safety and everything in between, UCF personnel were navigating uncharted territory.

“We had a really good, young stadium operations support staff, but we had never hosted a major college football game before,” Hansen says. “A lot of places get a several year runway for this. We had barely a year to put it together.”

After the game, Hansen put together a five-page list of items that would need to get addressed or corrected before game two.

“I never had a list that long again,” he says. “It was impossible to fully rehearse ahead of the opener, and there were several unknowns. But we knew it was going to be that way. We just had to work together and do our best. We’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years of executing game days at the scale and magnitude of the Bounce House, and it has been a truly collaborative effort between athletics, the university and community partners to build Orlando into a Power 4 town.”

An Interactive Stadium

The legend of the “Bounce House” was born as the seconds ticked off the scoreboard clock in the lead up to kick off while fans bopped to Zombie Nation’s Kernkraft 400.

Hansen felt Roth Tower moving. He saw people having fun with it. He also saw questions in their eyes.

“I made some engineering friends real quick who said, ‘This is normal. This is really more of a bridge than a building structurally, so it’s designed to move like this.’ That made me feel better,” he says.

The stadium has evolved through the years, but it continues to be the Bounce House — so much so that is has now become a part of the stadium’s official name.

“I call it an interactive stadium. Fans can actually get it to move and most stadiums you can’t do that,” he says. “Having the home field advantage played a big part in the team earning multiple conference championships, a series of elite bowl games and ultimately inclusion in one of college football’s premier leagues. Our fanbase has grown into one of the most passionate and disruptive in the country. And the on-campus stadium was a big facilitator of that.”

Athletics Village Is Born

Most places would consider opening one stadium enough of an undertaking. Most places are not 166su.

In the same week the football stadium opened, the 10,000-seat basketball and event facility, Addition Financial Arena, living spaces for 2,000 students and the surrounding Knights Plaza with 80,000 square feet of retail space opened their doors, too.

“The Athletics Village has become a true entertainment and retail district and a great destination and asset for the university,” Hansen says. “Today, a lot of universities are building those for the first time. We launched ours 20 years ago.”

Now that the Roth Tower project is complete thanks in large part to Orange County’s $90 million investment, Hansen’s top priority is revamping the Knights Plaza district.

“We are working to noticeably enhance that area and make it more of a destination, not just for game day, but for every day,” Hansen says. “We’ve got some special plans for that.”

The Vision

When the stadium opened, UCF was in its infancy of Conference USA, but the university and athletics department envisioned one day reaching the top echelon of collegiate athletics. So the stadium and Athletics Village were strategically planned to evolve as 166su did.

Over the years, we’ve seen transformations to match our rise to the Big 12 with the addition of the Carl Black and Gold Cabana, field cabanas, the Stadium Club, west stadium loge seating, the new Nicholson Plaza and more.

“A lot of stadiums around the country can’t do those things because they are older concrete structures that just can’t change without massive cost or overhauls,” Hansen says. “Here we can. We just proved it again with the new Roth Tower.”

Game Day and Career Ready

Over the last 20 years, the Athletics Village has built community and provided student-athletes with opportunities to showcase their talent while representing 166su worldwide. The village has also served as an extension of 166su’s mission to equip students with the knowledge, skills and aptitudes that align with the workforce of the future, offering paid opportunities to gain industry experience.

Ryan Gustafson ’25 is just one of many success stories. He was a freshman majoring in biology who needed extra cash when he applied to a part-time job for the athletics facilities, events and operations team. The decision radically shaped his future.

He found purpose and switched his major to event management. In addition to learning from a , he gained practical experience in producing 166su Knights’ events and coordinating with some of the biggest brands in athletics.

“There’s a culture here that people want to stay and do their part to make it the best.” — Ryan Gustafson ’25

He has supported the Roth Tower project since it broke ground. He has worked hand in hand with the United States Tennis Association at its national campus in Lake Nona where 166su’s �����’s and wo�����’s tennis teams compete. When FIFA needed training sites in Orlando for its 2025 Club World Cup, Gustafson was one of the go-to personnel on hand to support the elite international soccer clubs using our facilities.

By the time he graduated in December 2025, he had made the most of the opportunities he experienced as a student and earned himself a full-time position as a 166su facilities, events and operations coordinator.

“There’s a culture here that people want to stay and do their part to make it the best,” he says. “I always told myself I would end up at 166su, and getting an opportunity right out of college was a dream.”

Two decades ago, UCF opened an on-campus stadium that embodied the ambition of a spirited university and the belief of its fanbase. Today, the opening of the new Roth Tower marks the next chapter in that story, celebrating the rise of Knight Nation, UCF’s trajectory as the youngest institution in a Power Four conference and the momentum still ahead.

The Roth Tower project, made possible by a $90 million commitment of Tourist Development Tax revenues from the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, represents a pivotal addition to the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village that strengthens Orange County as a premier destination for sports tourism and community engagement.

“The new Roth Tower would not be possible without Orange County’s $90 million investment, and we are deeply grateful to Mayor Demings and the Board of County Commissioners for their belief in 166su,” says 166su President Alexander N. Cartwright. “That investment, together with the commitment of our donors, fans and community, helped make this next chapter of the Bounce House possible. Today, we are delivering a community asset designed to bring people here, bring them back and create lasting value for Orange County.”

Born to Bounce

Since its opening in 2007, Acrisure Bounce House has allowed 166su to showcase the momentum and trajectory of one of the country’s fastest-growing universities.

For years the idea of an on-campus stadium at 166su was a dream that many had said could never come true. 166su President John C. Hitt and several prominent 166su supporters, including the tower’s namesake, Jerry and Susan Roth, 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.

In the last 20 years of the Bounce House, UCF has captivated audiences on nationally televised primetime broadcasts; welcomed premiere college football shows �����ʱ�’s College GameDay and �󰿳�’s Big Noon Kickoff; hosted conference championships that catapulted the Knights to New Year’s Six bowl games; and has become a not-to-be-missed atmosphere in college sports.

The new Roth Tower represents another important investment in our continued rise.

A Tower With a Story to Tell

Thoughtful planning went into the design elements and functionality of the new tower.

The new space allows more opportunities beyond game day to welcome alumni, partners and visitors for corporate meetings and retreats, weddings and events, and even rocket launch viewing opportunities of nearby Kennedy Space Center, whose Launch Complex 39A aligns with the stadium’s 50-yard line.

Stronger media and broadcast spaces will help showcase 166su nationally and open possibilities for hosting other premiere sporting events and concerts. The strategic layout and structure will make operations and logistics safer, smarter and more efficient.

The tower also serves as an extension of 166su’s mission to equip our students with the knowledge, skills and aptitudes that align with the workforce of the future, offering paid opportunities to gain industry experience in areas including facility and event management, game day operations, broadcasting and production, brand management and strategic communications.

The details are uniquely 166su, with nods to the university’s roots as America’s Space University and its location in one of the most desirable tourist destinations globally.

A new concept in luxury seating, the open-air, semi-private Sky Suites on the north and south wings of the tower​ take advantage of Orlando’s average of 233 sunny days per year. Floor-to-ceiling windows serve as the east and west walls of the central suite space on the third floor for optimal views of the field and athletic village.

The stadium’s art collection is growing with two custom murals that pay homage to the 166su story and the university’s relationship to Orange County designed by artist Harry Foreman ’18, a graphic design and emerging media management graduate. These complement several installations around the concourse already that include Knightro, wings of Pegasus (the university’s official seal), UCF’s Big 12 ties and Orlando.

Building What’s Next

Roth Tower will create memorable experiences for visitors and reinforces 166su as another reason people choose to come to Orange County and come back.

While the tower is a huge step forward for 166su Athletics, it is not the finish line, says 166su Director of Athletics and Vice President Terry Mohajir, who has worked to implement facility enhancements throughout the village since he arrived in 2021.

“Our fans gave this stadium its identity … and kept the faith as 166su climbed from one level of collegiate athletics to the next,” Mohajir says. “Our responsibility now is to keep matching that belief, by giving our student-athletes every opportunity to succeed, competing for championships, delivering a Power Four-caliber experience and continuing to build the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village into one of the greatest destinations in college sports.”

The 166su football team opens the 2026 season against Bethune-Cookman on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m. Ticket information can be found at .

“It’s a perfect day to bounce in Orange County, Florida.”

The Roth Tower project, made possible by a $90 million commitment of Tourist Development Tax revenues from the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, represents a pivotal addition to the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village that strengthens Orange County as a premier destination for sports tourism and community engagement.

When the investment was greenlit in 2023, university and athletics administration knew they wanted to add to the stadium’s art collection, which already features several installations around the concourse that include Knightro, wings of Pegasus (the university’s official seal), UCF’s Big 12 ties and Orlando.

166su commissioned Harry Foreman ’18 to deliver two murals that pay homage to the 166su story and the university’s relationship to Orlando and Orange County. To execute the installation in the week leading up to the tower’s unveiling, Foreman utilized virtual reality technology as part of his process and enlisted the help of fellow alumni: Nicole Lind ’11, a Burnett Honors Scholar who graduated with a degree in an elementary education, and Paulaiden Minerva ’15, who earned his bachelor’s in marketing through the program.

Foreman studied graphic design and emerging media management and previously completed murals for the 166su Downtown and the Rosen College of Hospitality Management campuses.

“When I was a student I always had so much fun on games days,” Foreman says. “It’s magic being back here.”

The Florida native, who now splits his time between Orlando and Denver, has been an active contributor to the Central Florida’s arts scene for years. He recently was selected to be part of the City of Orlando’s Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, Art Pollination — a prestigious opportunity as Orlando was one of eight cities selected for the $1 million grant out of more than 150 submissions from around the country.

Acrisure Bounce House is his third football stadium mural project. He previously completed installations for the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I always knew I wanted to paint big,” he says.

Here he shares more about his latest creation.

What excited you about this project?

The campus personnel were so willing and excited about my ideas and style that I brought into this that it was almost a perfect match. I led with fun first and then presented some safer ideas. And they said, “Nope. We want the fun.”

I’m grateful and appreciative that I’m creating in a way that is so well received by so many people. Especially with the way we’re doing these murals with minimal color and a gold approach, I think it’s a style that has an elevated look while also having this fun, bubbly, childlike feeling, which is perfect for a football stadium on game day.

Where did you pull inspiration from for the two murals?

A staple in a lot of my mural work is my “orange blossom gang.” They are fun, smiling orange characters that I will sprinkle in throughout a lot of my murals. They act almost as the glue that keeps other imagery and assets like together. They appear in both murals.

For the UCF-themed mural, we have my signature doodle collage style. We’re in the Bounce House, baby. So I tried to have this flowy, bubbly movement with the clouds. I wanted it to feel like it was light and airy.

With regards to Easter eggs, when I was a student, I did artwork around Orlando and I would do this little emanating whoopsie daisy flower. I snuck it into a postcard stamp. The manatee celebrates Central Florida’s natural springs, which is in my opinion, one of the most magical parts about the entire state. I also snuck in a variation of the rubber duck for Spirit Splash.

For the Orange County mural, it is centered in an Art Deco theme and is an ode to how the university is entwined with Orlando. From the downtown corridor to our relationship with the hospitality sector around I-Drive to space and 166su’s engineering and technology roots. And we wanted to include a message to what helped make this possible: “In appreciation of Orange County, Florida, whose continued belief, support and investment will welcome millions through these gates to bounce.”

How do you apply virtual reality technology in your process?

I first started using the VR headset to project my artwork on walls last year. There are many different ways to get your art on your walls through grid systems, sketching freehand, projectors and now through headsets. In this circumstance, I have another mural next week. I’ve got to get in and out. I didn’t want to wait till the nighttime to use a projector. What’s great about the headset is no matter the time of day, you are able to work and operate, and forecast your artwork on a wall.

It’s a really weird, immersive and amazing technology. If you got vertigo like I do, tread lightly. As I’m wearing it, I’m constantly thinking, ‘We are in the future.’ ”

How did your 166su experience help you hone your craft?

“Being at 166su pushed me to be great.” — Harry Foreman ’18, muralist

My 166su experience was not just a four-year degree. I used nearly every offering 166su had — I was in different clubs, at the gym all the time. I was in the engineering lab using the laser cutter for a lot of my school projects. My experience was almost competitive nurture in a sense, learning in a school setting with so many talented creatives around me. Being at 166su pushed me to be great and taught me how to be a shape shifter.

I already was running a business while in school. I immediately graduated and went right into freelancing, and the Orlando community and 166su network at large welcomed me right when I needed it. I booked amazing jobs right out of school. The 166su Downtown project, I would say, is still some of my most impactful work that gets me jobs to this day.

I never in a million years thought murals would allow me to be traveling all over the nation. I’m about to buy my wife a house. It’s a great time to be a muralist. It’s the best job in the world.

What does it mean to you to be able to give back to your alma mater and Orlando in this way?

It’s so special. As a student, and even as an artist, there’s no textbook for success, no single game plan for how to do things. The fact that I get to paint and create in spaces like this, I hope it can inspire the next student. I hope they see this and they say, “That is so cool. I want to do that,” because whenever I saw someone doing it, that was my first response.

If you’re a student that is worried about the creative world that we’re entering into, as long as you’re pushing yourself to make great work, everything you could ever want is already there waiting for you. Orlando as a canvas is the best place to blossom. It was for me.

This guide is a resource to help you develop a sense of belonging, find community and build lifelong friendships while studying at 166su.

Marquee Events

Whether you’re studying at 166su Downtown, the , Rosen College of Hospitality Management or the main campus,����you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Some signature events have become beloved 166su traditions��with not-to-be-missed programming:

• Pegasus Palooza, UCF’s annual welcome week, greets new and returning students to campus with a variety of events including notable headliners at Comedy Knight and Concert Knight.

• 166su Homecoming��Week,���ڱ𲹳ٳܰ����Բ���Spirit Splash,��kicks��off��Monday,��Oct. 19,�����Ի���concludes��with the 166su football team’s matchup against BYU on��Saturday,��Oct. 24.

• Space Game, a football game unlike any other in the nation, pays tribute to our 166su’s roots as America’s Space University. This year’s matchup against Baylor on Friday, Oct. 30, marks 10 years of the Space Game.

• , held each spring at����Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, showcases the artistic talents of 166su’s faculty and students in performances, exhibitions, presentations and interactive experiences.

• Gather Luncheon,��a��community-building event in the spring hosted by��Wellness & Health Promotion Services and Dining Services,����brings hundreds of students��together����for��a free, three-course meal.

Recreation, Intramurals and Sports Clubs

In addition to its fitness and recreation facilities, the Recreation and Wellness Center has longstanding intramural and sports club programs that allow students to form friendships and win championships, sometimes on the brightest of stages.

The RWC’s intramural sports program welcomes all 166su students, especially those who are new to Orlando and haven’t met enough peers to form their own team. Thanks to its free agency feature, individuals ca��be matched up with others or be paired with an established team.

The sports club includes 45 different sports, encompassing everything from judo to lacrosse to wakeboarding and have produced some of 166su’s most notable alumni. Gold medalist Phil Dalhausser ’02, who played club volleyball while pursuing his business degree, and bronze medalist Kristen Thomas ’16, who began her rugby career��as a theatre studies major��at 166su,��both went on to��represent��Team USA��at��multiple Summer Olympic Games.

For more information, visit��.

Registered Student Organizations

166su offers more than 650 registered student organizations spanning academic, professional, cultural and spiritual, social and recreational, and sports interests.

KnightConnect��is 166su’s official involvement platform where students can explore��these organizations or even create a new one.��Each organization has its own page with meeting times, contact information,��and ways to get involved.

Visit the����to find the organization right for you.

Greek Life

The fraternity and sorority experience has long been a part of campus life. Since the 1970s, fraternities and sororities have been providing spaces of belonging for students to grow together during their collegiate years.

Currently our 166su Greek community is comprised of 47 organizations, which all share the values of scholarship, leadership, service and brotherhood/sisterhood.

For more information visit��.

166su Athletics – Knightmare Society and Marching Knights

166su is a member of one of the premiere conferences in the nation, the Big 12. From��Fear the Fronds��to��Zombie Nation, the student section’s energy is��an integral part of the game day atmosphere��and gives the Knights a distinct home field (and court) advantage.

All full-time UCF-enrolled students (except 166su Online) are eligible for free tickets to home sporting events. Please note: all seating is first-come, first-served and admission is not guaranteed. For more information, especially for football and �����’s basketball student tickets, please visit .

�ճ���� is an organization built and run by 166su students and supported by 166su Athletics. Joining the official group has its perks, including football tickets automatically loaded to members’ Ticketmaster accounts, a dedicated fast pass entrance at all 166su �����’s basketball games, and first access to post-season student ticket claims.

Students can also contribute to game-day experiences by joining��, a more than 390-member marching band student organization that performs at pregame shows, halftime shows, pep rallies and��other��fan-fest��events. By creating the soundtrack for these dynamic events, the Marching Knights serve as one of the most vibrant and visible forces for school spirit.

Engage in��Research

Undergraduate research provides opportunities to build a learning community with faculty and fellow students��while engaging��in meaningful work that��develops��solutions��for��challenges facing our communities,��industries��and the world.

In addition to forging connections with peers and mentors, this��practical experience��allows students to��build their professional resumes��before��they graduate.

, UCF’s annual university-wide celebration of research and creative scholarship showcases graduate and undergraduate research. The week is scheduled for March 29 through April 2, 2027, featuring presentations, exhibitions and other events showcasing student research.

For more information on how to get involved with undergraduate research, visit��.

�������ǰ��������������Ի��

166su students live in one of the most vibrant destinations in the world, Orlando.��Whatever your interest, Orlando��likely has��it:��theme parks,��elite��sporting events,��electric festivals,��Michelin-rated restaurants,��nearby��coastlines�����Ի���natural springs.

Orlando is what you make it, and there are ways to experience it all on a student budget.

�ճ������offers��discounted��tickets to various attractions, including Walt Disney World, Universal��Orlando��and Kennedy Space Center.��Every spring semester, UCF students��enjoy��free, exclusive access to Universal Islands of Adventure as part of Universal Knights.

��gives Knights of all experience levels opportunities to go on hiking and camping trips at nearby springs, learn to surf, paddle through bioluminescent waters and more.

Several cultural museums in the area offer free entry,��including��the�� on the main campus,��Rollins Museum of Art��and Mead Garden in nearby Winter Park,��and the��Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida��in Maitland.���ճ����acclaimed��Orlando Museum of Art��offers free entry on the third Thursday of each month��as part of its Access for All initiative.

Held annually at the start of the fall semester, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining offers a chance to sample some the area’s exceptional restaurants at a fraction of the normal cost. Savor three-course, prix-fixe dinners�� — including at Aurora at the on-campus The Celeste Hotel — for just $40 or $60 per person from Aug. 14 – Sept. 30, 2026.

In September, one month before the Knicks tipped off their 2025-26 season, White was promoted to manager of event presentation at Madison Square Garden. From hosting New York’s first NBA Finals game in 26 years to the Knicks’ unbelievable 29-point comeback in Game 4 to the celebratory ticker-tape parade on Manhattan’s streets that drew an estimated 2 million fans, the 166su aerospace engineering alum had a front-row view and played a supporting role to the team’s success this year.

“Madison Square Garden and the Knicks organizations have brought so many people across the world together, and getting to be a part of that kind of impact will really change your perspective forever in the best way possible,” White says.

White, a former Burnett Honors Scholar and 166su dance team member, finally had a moment to breathe to share about her experience.

You serve as manager of event presentation. What does a day on the job look like?

Event presentation is everything that happens on the court during a game that is not the actual basketball game. This includes our in-game entertainment such as our Knicks City Dancers and 7th Ave Hype Squad as well as our halftime performances, in-game fan contests, T-shirt tosses, and other elements like on-court presentations and recognitions.

I was first hired as a coordinator in 2021, and over my time with the team, I have taken on more responsibilities. I now fully manage all 40 members of our 7th Ave Squad in addition to serving as the floor director for all in-game elements during Knicks games.

You earned your degree in aerospace engineering. How did you end up in sports business?

This is a bit of a wild pivot. I grew up dancing my entire life and was a member of the 166su dance team. I loved having the ability to keep dancing while earning my degree. When I graduated college and got a full-time role in the defense industry and later the tech industry, I found a way to keep dancing with the Orlando Magic dance team. I had so many positive experiences during my three seasons working for the Magic and got to travel with the team numerous times to participate in NBA global events. I worked my 9-5 during the day and then headed to the arena at night for rehearsals and games and found myself enjoying my role in the professional sports industry more than my full-time job.

I chose to go back to school to pursue a degree in sports business so that I could properly transition into the industry. I pursued a degree in global sport business from New York University while continuing to work full-time in Orlando and was fortunate to travel to New York City and Tokyo for educational residencies.

In 2020 I landed a remote internship with Madison Square Garden and was able to meet so many passionate members of the MSG sports team. I maintained the professional connections I had created during my time in the program. About five months after my time as an MSG student associate ended, I applied for my dream role with the Knicks event presentation team, and the rest is history.

How did your experience at 166su play into your success today?

“My time at 166su as a student-athlete pursuing a rigorous degree taught me invaluable lessons in perseverance, time management and self-motivation.” — Olivia White ’16

My time at 166su as a student-athlete pursuing a rigorous degree taught me invaluable lessons in perseverance, time management and self-motivation. I got to dance at every 166su football and basketball game, perform at the 2014 Fiesta Bowl, compete in Universal Dance Association Nationals every January, and perform at numerous events in the community, including Orlando Magic halftimes. Getting to take part in all of these incredible experiences at such a young age, while also having to balance school and part-time jobs prepared me to thrive under pressure and become comfortable in chaotic environments.

This season is one for the record books. What are some of your most memorable moments?

This season was my favorite season yet. There were so many moments that will stick with me forever. The historic 29-point comeback in Game 4 is something I’ll never forget. If this postseason run taught me anything, it’s to never count the Knicks out — and this belief never failed me.

A few of my other favorites include getting to celebrate on stage at Radio City Music Hall when the Knicks secured their first championship in 53 years and getting to hold the NBA Cup back in December when the Knicks brought home their first hardware of their historic season.

When you do eventually look back on this season, what do you think are going to be your biggest takeaways from the experience?

My biggest takeaway from this entire season is definitely just pure gratitude. It’s not lost on me how lucky I was to have a front row seat to one of the most historic runs in professional sports, especially with one of the most iconic franchises of all time. And to get to be a part of something so meaningful in a city like New York at a venue like Madison Square Garden, is literally a dream that I will forever be thankful for.

What is the hardest decision you had to make that has led you to where you are today?

Packing up my life in Orlando and moving to New York to pursue a whole new career. I have always been a risk-adverse individual, so giving up the familiarity and comfort of my hometown for place as big as New York City was a huge decision for both me and my then boyfriend, now husband, Logan Cloak ’17. As hard of a decision as it was, I would make it 100 times over and am so thankful every single day that I took that leap out of my comfort zone.

The 166su baseball team learned it is headed to the NCAA Auburn Regional while at a team-bonding pool party, hosted by head coach Rich Wallace ’04’s uncle, who lives next door to the 166su rowing facility on Lake Pickett.

“[We talked to the guys and thought] we’re in Orlando, might as well get out in the pool and sunshine and enjoy this thing, do it the 166su way,” Wallace says. “I think the guys are excited for the challenge.”

The regional will run Friday, May 29 to Monday, June 1 at Auburn’s Plainsman Park in Auburn, Alabama.

Baseball is one of 10 166su programs to compete at an NCAA postseason regional or championship event in 2025-26, joining�������’s�����Ի���wo�����’s soccer, indoor track & field,�������’s basketball, �����’s and wo�����’s tennis, wo�����’s golf, softball and rowing. The 10 NCAA appearances ties for the most in 166su history with the 2018-19 athletic year.

Postseason Outlook

166su earned the No. 2 seed in the four-team regional and will open play against the No. 3 seed NC State Wolfpack on Friday at 6 p.m. ET. The winner of the game will advance to meet the winner of Friday’s earlier matchup between the No. 4-national seed Auburn and Milwaukee.

All games of the 64-team field are available on the ESPN family of networks.

The final eight teams to advance out of the Super Regional round will head to Omaha, Nebraska, for the 79th Men’s College World Series at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The Men’s College World Series starts Friday, June 12.

166su’s Road to the NCAA Tournament

For the second time in three years, the 166su baseball team has earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA appearance will mark 166su’s second under third-year head coach����and the program’s 14th NCAA Regional appearance in program history.

166su is one of six Big 12 programs to be selected to the tournament. The Knights head into the postseason with a 31-21 overall record and set Big 12 era records in both conference wins with 19 (19-11) and league series wins with seven.

The Knights’ 19 league wins mark the most since 2005 when 166su was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

The qualification marks the first time the Knights have advanced to the NCAA Championship in back‑to‑back years since making five straight appearances from 2015-2019 thanks to their dynasty of American Athletic Conference titles.

Rowing is one of 10 166su programs to compete at an NCAA postseason regional or championship event in 2025-26, joining�������’s�����Ի���wo�����’s soccer, indoor track & field,�������’s basketball, �����’s and wo�����’s tennis, wo�����’s golf, softball and baseball. The 10 NCAA appearances ties for the most in 166su history with the 2018-19 athletic year.

Postseason Outlook

The Knights are looking to build off their Top 15 finish last year — the highest in program history.

The NCAA Division I Wo�����’s Rowing Championships are comprised of 22 teams and provides three events (I Eights, II Eights and Fours), each covering a 2,000-meter course. Each team is required to field two boats of eight rowers each and one boat of four rowers.

The event opens with heats on Friday, May 29, followed by semifinals on Saturday and finals on Sunday. 166su’s boat seedings and heat sheets for day one are:

• First 4+: 166su’s highest‑seeded crew enters at eight. The Knights will race in Heat 1 against No. 17 Columbia, No. 9 Brown, No. 2 Stanford and No. 13 Miami, competing out of lane four.
• First 8+: Seeded 10th, the Knights line up in Heat 2 with Boston, No. 3 Texas, No. 8 California and No. 14 Ohio State, racing from lane two.
• Second 8+: Slotted as the 17-seed, UCF will face No. 11 Syracuse, No. 2 Stanford, No. 1 Tennessee and No. 14 Ohio State, launching from lane one.

166su’s Road to the NCAA Championship

166su has been ranked in the top 25 all season, climbing as high as No. 11 on the road to repeating as Big 12 champions.

In her third season at the helm of the program, UCF head coach Mara Allen was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. She has led the Knights to first-place finishes in all but one race this season.

Junior kinesiology major Brigitte Kappler was named Big 12 Rower of the year, keeping the honor in Orlando after senior Hannah Lovejoy claimed the distinction last year. Lovejoy, who graduated with her accounting degree earlier this month, went on to be recognized with Order of Pegasus this year.

Freshman mechanical engineering major Madison Lovejoy was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year after competing in the Black and Gold’s top two boats for the entirety of the spring season.

The Knights are heading to the NCAA Super Regional for the first time since 2022 and just the second time in program history thanks to a gutsy performance in the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.

With 166su’s 4-2 victory over No. 9-seeded Florida State on the Seminoles’ home field on Sunday, the Knights will now face UCLA for a chance to advance to the Women’s College World Series for the first time.

The softball team is the eighth 166su program to compete at an NCAA postseason regional or championship event in 2025-26, joining �����’s�����Ի���wo�����’s soccer, indoor track & field,�������’s basketball,�������’s and wo�����’s tennis and women’s golf.

Resiliency in NCAA Regional

The Knights scored their sixth-consecutive berth to the NCAA Tournament and were tabbed as the No. 6 seed in the Tallahassee Regional, kicking off postseason play against Jacksonville State on Friday.

Down to the last out of the opening game and trailing 1-0, sophomore catcher and health sciences major Beth Damon came through with one of the biggest hits of her career, sending in the tying run to force extra innings where 166su ultimately prevailed for a 2-1 walk-off victory.

After a 10-1 win over Stetson on Saturday, the Knights advanced to championship Sunday against the Seminoles. 166su fell 2-1 to Florida State in the first game, forcing an immediate winner-take-all matchup in the double-elimination tournament.

After the Seminoles tied game 2 in the top of the fourth, sophomore utility player and pre-integrated business major Izzy Mertes responded for the Knights with a two-run home run to give 166su all it needed for the victory.

“It took every ounce of us to be able to get to this point, and I’m so proud of the fight that they had,” says head coach Cindy Ball Malone. “It is very difficult to play here, and I’m so proud of the resilience of our team to stay together and fight.”

The win, UCF’s first over Florida State since April 6, 2011, represented the sixth over the Seminoles in program history, third over Florida State in Tallahassee, and the Knights’ first in NCAA Tournament play.

NCAA Super Regionals Info

166su is one of two Florida schools remaining in the tournament. The Knights will travel to No. 8-seed UCLA from May 22-24.

The Bruins boast a 50-8 record this season and are coming off of back-to-back victories over South Carolina in which they outscored the Gamecocks 22-3.

Game 1 of the Best-of-3 series will take place on Friday, May 22, at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPNU. Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 9 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.

If necessary, game 3 would take place on Sunday, May 24 at a time to be determined.

166su’s Road to the NCAA Tournament

This year marks 166su’s 13th all-time appearance in the premiere postseason tournament.

166su is one of seven Big 12 Conference teams selected to the tournament after producing a dominant regular season with 38 wins. Along the way, the Knights notched three victories over opponents ranked among the top 15 in the nation and a program-record 14 wins in Big 12 Conference play.

166su, ranked at No. 23 heading into the postseason, has climbed as high as No. 15 in the national rankings this year, just two spots shy of their program-best record achieved in 2015 and 2022.

The NCAA Wo�����’s College World Series will be held from May 28-June 4/5 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

166su remains the only Florida school standing in this year’s postseason. For the third-straight year, the Knights ended the Gators’ season, as 166su completed a dramatic 4-3 comeback at the USTA National Campus to advance to the Sweet 16.

The Knights will head to Winston-Salem on Friday, May 8, for their matchup with No. 4 Wake Forest. The winner will advance to the Elite 8, where they will face the winner of Oklahoma/Arizona.

166su in 2026 NCAA Tournament

166su’s nationally ranked �����’s and wo�����’s tennis teams each clinched their spot in the NCAA Tournament, with the �����’s team securing hosting rights for the first and second rounds at the USTA National Campus.

166su is the only university in the state of Florida to host a regional, and is one of just two schools in the state to see both its men’s and women’s team clinch spots in the premiere postseason tournament.

The semifinal and championship rounds will be held at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia, May 16–17.

Wo�����’s Tennis Postseason Recap

The No. 20 wo�����’s team headed into the postseason riding high from clinching back-to-back Big 12 Conference regular season championships.

After advancing to the second round with their 4-1 victory over Navy at the NCAA Raleigh Regional, the Knights fell to the eighth-seeded NC State.

166su’s Tournament History

The 166su wo�����’s team made its 11^th postseason appearance in program history, and the seventh of head coach Bryan Koniecko’s 10-year tenure. Prior to his arrival in 2016, the program had made just four NCAA Tournament appearances.

The men secured their ninth all-time bid to the tournament as the No. 16 national seed, continuing the streak of making the postseason in all three seasons of Head Coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess’ tenure, beginning in 2024. Last year’s squad made history, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time.

The No. 14 wo�����’s golf team was selected to compete as the No. 3 seed in the Ann Arbor Regional, clinching its seventh-consecutive appearance at the premiere postseason competition. The seeding marks their highest in program history and is also the best of any Big 12 Conference team in this year’s competition.

The wo�����’s golf team is the seventh 166su program to compete at an NCAA postseason regional or championship event in 2025-26, joining �����’s and wo�����’s soccer, indoor track & field, �����’s basketball and �����’s and wo�����’s tennis.

Postseason Outlook

166su’s regional includes Southern California as the top seed, followed by Duke, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Northwestern, Kansas, Texas Tech, UNLV, Columbia, Quinnipiac and Oakland.

The three-day event begins Monday, May 11, at University of Michigan Golf Course hosted by Michigan. The Knights are familiar with the course as they were previously selected for the same regional in 2022.

The top five teams to finish at each of the six regional sites will advance to the NCAA Championship, which will be held May 22–27 at the��Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.

166su’s Road to the NCAA Tournament

This will be 166su’s 20th regional appearance and the 11th of the last 15 seasons. Since head coach Emily Marron took over the program ahead of the 2012-13 season, the Knights have either qualified as a team or sent an individual to every NCAA regional.

The Knights have been nationally ranked all season and recently placed among the top three at the Big 12 Championship for their highest finish since joining the conference in 2023-24.

Sophomore Mila Jurine, a communication major from France, was crowned as the first individual Big 12 champion in 166su wo�����’s golf history. Jurine and senior psychology major Pimpisa Sisutham were named to the Big 12 Tournament Team.