UCF’s 2025-2026 athletic year ended with the kind of broad-based success programs spend years trying to build. The Knights sent 11 teams to the postseason, the most in school history and one more than the previous high-water mark of 10 from 2018-2019, according to UCF Athletics.
The postseason group stretched across the department: UCF Baseball, men's basketball, men's soccer, men's tennis, rowing, softball, women's golf, women's soccer, women's tennis, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field all advanced to their respective NCAA Tournaments.
Among that long list, men’s basketball delivered the clearest headline-grabber. Johnny Dawkins assembled a fresh roster through the transfer portal, and the Knights came out of non-conference play at 11-1 with wins over Texas A&M and Pittsburgh.
That momentum carried straight into Big 12 play. UCF opened conference action by beating Kansas and collecting its first ranked win of the season. Senior guard Riley Kugel led the way with 19 points, flashing confidence early when he buried his first 3-pointer and then kept attacking with pump fakes, ball handling and mid-range work while also getting downhill.
The Knights added more quality wins as the league schedule rolled on, taking down BYU, led by eventual No. 1 overall pick A.J. Dybantsa, and later knocking off then-ranked No. 11 Texas Tech.
Still, everything eventually funneled toward the Big 12 Tournament and a matchup with Cincinnati that carried the feel of a March Madness elimination game. UCF spent most of the night trailing, shot 34% from the field and hit just 3 of 24 from deep, a season-low 13%.
Then came the turnaround. In the final two minutes, the Knights turned to a 1-3-1 pressure look and ripped off an 8-0 run to drag the game into overtime.
In the extra period, sophomore center John Bol steadied UCF at the line by making four straight free throws. Cincinnati’s Day Day Thomas kept swinging back, scoring all seven of the Bearcats’ overtime points. Thomas had gone just 1-11 before overtime, but he strung together three straight buckets and connected on his only 3-pointer of the game.
UCF still finished the job by one point, a win that sent the Knights back to the Big Dance.
For a program still early in its Big 12 life, that kind of success across the board stands out. And with UCF football expected to be back in the postseason next year, the athletic department already has another record within reach for 2026-2027.
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UCF Just Made A Move Fans Have Been Waiting On
UCFs offseason push to sharpen its passing attack took a notable step with the arrival of a coach who has seen both the college and pro sides of the game. Kefense Hynson arrives after a season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and brings experience from Oregon State, giving the Knights another voice to help reshape an offense that needs more consistency through the air.
The assignment is straightforward enough, but the expectations are not. Hynson will be working with transfer quarterback Alonza Barnett III and a revamped group of receivers, and the timing matters after UCF spent last season near the bottom of the Big 12 in passing production while also dealing with quarterback injuries and trouble stretching the field. For a program trying to climb in a hurry, this is the kind of move that has to show up on Saturdays. [Read more 🡒]
Omari St. Fort Looks Built For Scott Frosts Kind Of Offense
Omari St. Forts arrival gives UCF another piece who fits the kind of offense Scott Frost has wanted to build. The Delray Beach product is listed as both a running back and slot receiver, and that kind of versatility is what has made him stand out to coaches and evaluators alike. At 87 overall as a three-star prospect, he arrives with a reputation as one of the more intriguing backs in the class, and his recruitment also drew interest from programs such as UConn and UCLA.
For the Knights, the appeal goes beyond the ranking. St. Fort brings the sort of athletic profile that can create problems for defenses before the snap and after it, especially when a staff can move him between the backfield and the slot. Evaluators have pointed to his speed and multi-position background as part of the package, which is why his fit in Orlando feels so natural, even if the rest of the class picture around him is still settling into place. [Read more 🡒]