With Big 12 Media Days wrapped up, UCF fans now have three more offseason checkpoints to keep an eye on. The Knights open the year with a run of non-conference games against Bethune-Cookman, Pittsburgh, and Georgia State, and each of those programs is stepping into its own media day spotlight this week.
Bethune-Cookman goes first on Wednesday, July 15, at 11:56 a.m. ET, with the Wildcats’ SWAC Football Media Day appearance streaming on tv.swac.org.
Head coach Raymond Woodie Jr. is heading into his fourth year leading his alma mater in 2026, and he’ll be joined by offensive lineman Christian Loving and linebacker Stephen Sparrow. Both players are among Bethune-Cookman’s six preseason all-conference selections.
The Wildcats visit UCF to open the season on Thursday, September 3 in Orlando. That game is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Georgia State also takes the stage Wednesday, with its Sun Belt media day appearance scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN+.
Dell McGee is entering his third season with the Panthers after a 1-11 campaign last year, and quarterback Cameran Brown along with defensive lineman Jabriel Rhodes-Nelson will be available as well. Georgia State is the first team scheduled for the main stage at the Sun Belt Conference’s annual media days in New Orleans.
UCF hosts Georgia State on Saturday, September 19 for Family Weekend. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Pittsburgh closes out the trio on Friday, July 17, at 11 a.m. ET during the ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Pat Narduzzi will represent the Panthers, and he’ll be joined by quarterback Mason Heintschel, linebacker Braylan Lovelace, and offensive lineman Ryan Baer. The ACC event runs three days, with Pitt, Cal, Duke, North Carolina, SMU, and Wake Forest all appearing on the final day.
The Knights head to Pittsburgh on Saturday, September 12. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
In Other News...
Scott Frost Sees One Encouraging Sign And One Real UCF Concern
UCFs quarterback room looks a lot different heading toward 2026, and thats a good thing for a program that learned the hard way how thin things can get at the position. The Knights have rebuilt their depth through the transfer portal, headlined by Alonza Barnett III coming in to compete for the starting job, with Keyone Jenkins and Kaleb Annett also added to give the room a much sturdier feel.
Scott Frost sees the obvious upside in having more proven options, especially in a Big 12 landscape where roster churn is now part of the job. The concern, though, is the one every coach in college football is wrestling with: how quickly all those new faces can turn into a cohesive unit, and whether UCF can build enough chemistry before the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
UCF History Fans Know Has A Forgotten Offensive Line Chapter
The Daytona News-Journals latest all-time UCF football roster is a reminder that the Knights history is deeper than the usual headline names, especially up front. Among the 105 players selected, the offensive line gets a deserved spotlight, with a group of guards who helped define different eras of the program after UCF moved into the FBS 30 years ago.
Josh Sitton is the familiar anchor of that story, but he is hardly alone. The list also points to players such as Jordan McCray and Cole Schneider, whose careers stretched beyond college into the pro game and, in some cases, into alternative leagues where they kept winning. It is the kind of forgotten chapter that suggests UCFs rise was built not just on flash and skill talent, but on a steady run of interior linemen who gave the program a foundation worth revisiting. [Read more 🡒]