UCF and the Big 12 unveiled the 2026 schedule in January, with every game initially scheduled on Saturday. Two of those games are now shifted to Friday:

• Oct. 30 vs. Baylor (Mission X Space Game)
• Nov. 20 vs. Iowa State (Senior Knight)

TV and streaming designations and kickoff times will be revealed at a later date.

2026 Schedule & Game Day Themes

-Home games in bold-

9/3 vs. Bethune-Cookman (Season-Opener)
9/12 at Pittsburgh
9/19 vs. Georgia State (Family Weekend)
9/26 vs. TCU (Big 12 Opener)
10/3 at Houston
10/10 at Oklahoma State
10/24 vs. BYU (Homecoming)
10/30 vs. Baylor (Mission X Space Game)
11/7 at Kansas
11/14 vs. Arizona State
11/20 vs. Iowa State (Senior Knight)
11/28 at Colorado

The Big 12 Championship Game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, and will once again be played at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Dallas, Texas.

Under the direction of head coach Scott Frost, UCF carries early momentum into the 2026 season after landing quarterback Alonza Barnett III and a strong group of transfers through the portal. The Knights also secured a pair of four-star high school recruits, highlighting a solid overall class.

TICKETS

Season tickets for the 2026 campaign can be purchased at . Single game tickets are not yet for sale.

WHY WE BOUNCE

The 2026 campaign will mark the 20th season that UCF football plays its home games in Acrisure Bounce House. To recognize UCF’s 20 years of Acrisure Bounce House,  a season-long celebration of the countless memories made inside the place Knight Nation calls home. The 2026 campaign is more than just another season. It is a chance to tell our story.

We want to know why YOU bounce. If you’d like to help us tell our story of the bonds built through game day experiences, , and be ready to include photos.

The UCF men’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years, earning an at-large bid to college basketball’s premiere postseason tournament.

The Knights head to Philadelphia as the No. 10 seed and will play 7-seed UCLA on Friday, March 20, at 7:25 p.m. The game will air on TBS and stream on HBO Max and NCAA March Madness Live.

��AV is one of eight Big 12 teams featured in the 68-team tournament, matching a league record.

UCF’s Bracket Outlook

UCF was slotted into the East Region, which features Duke as the No. 1 seed. The Knights will play their first-round matchup in Philadelphia at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

UCF (21-11) meets UCLA (23-11) for the first time in school history on Friday, March 20. UCLA has won six of its last eight games and defeated Rutgers and Michigan State to advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals before falling to Purdue.

If the Knights advance, they will face the winner of No. 2-seed UConn and No. 15-seed Furman on Sunday, March 22.

The Final Four will be held April 4-6 in Indianapolis.

The Road to March Madness

With 13 newcomers and zero points returning from last year’s squad, UCF was dismissed as a bottom-dweller in the Big 12 Conference preseason poll. But the Knights produced a resume worthy of selection with their second-straight 20-win season in one of the best basketball conferences in the nation.

��AV pulled out a gutsy road win at Texas A&M early in its non-conference schedule and went on to upset three ranked teams during conference play (No. 17 Kansas, No. 11 Texas Tech and No. 19 BYU), tying a school record for the most wins over Top 25 opponents in a season.

After edging Kansas in their Big 12 Conference opener, the Knights cracked into the Associated Press national poll for the first time since 2019 at No. 25.

UCF advanced to its first quarterfinals appearance in the Big 12 Conference Tournament after clinching a thrilling overtime win against Cincinnati in the second round.

UCF March Madness Events

• Team Bus Send-off (Orlando)

Date: Wednesday, March 18

Time: 3:45 p.m.

Location: Alleyway between Garage F and the The Venue (4275 E Plaza Drive, Orlando)

Free parking available at Garage F. Bring signs, flags, and don’t forget the palm fronds.

• ChargeOn Tailgate (Philadelphia)

Date: Friday, March 20

Time: 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Location: The Pub at Stateside Live! (1100 Pattison Ave, Philadelphia)

RSVP:

• Watch Party (Orlando)

Date: Friday, March 20

Time: 7:25 p.m. (tip-off)

Location: Miller’s Ale House – Waterford Lakes (641 N Alafaya Trail, Orlando)

UCF’s NCAA Tournament History

UCF earned its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance since joining the Division I ranks in 1984-85. This year’s selection marks second at-large berth in program history.

The Knights earned automatic qualifiers in 1994, 1996, 2004 and 2005 when the Black and Gold won the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. UCF received its first at-large bid in 2019, following a successful season in the American Athletic Conference.

The last time UCF appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2019, the Knights made history with their first win in the tournament in school history before meeting top-ranked Duke in what would become an instant classic.

Seattle offensive tackle Amari Kight ’24 and defensive back Shaquill Griffin ’16 or New England safety Richie Grant ’20 could become the latest Knights to claim Super Bowl rings when the two squads square off on Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. on NBC in Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

To date, 13 former Knights have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, most recently integrated business alum Jordan Franks ’18 with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in 2023.

After joining the Knights in 2023 as a graduate transfer, Kight was a two-year starter on the offensive line for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in sport business management.

During his freshman year as a defensive back at UCF, Griffin helped clinch the program’s first New Year’s Six bowl championship (2014 Fiesta Bowl) and went out to finish his career as an all-conference standout. The 9-year NFL veteran and 2019 Pro Bowl selection was initially drafted in 2017 by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round and has been affiliated with several NFL teams. He resigned with the Seahawks last June and is currently on the practice squad. Griffin earned a bachelor’s degree in human communication.

Grant, who signed with the Patriots’ practice squad in October, was an all-conference selection who helped lead the Knights during their historic 25-0 unbeaten streak in 2017–18 before he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2021. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sport and exercise science and a minor in medical sociology.

Tied at 72 with less than a minute remaining in Saturday’s game, junior forward Jordan Burks drilled a 3-pointer in front of the Knights’ bench that ignited UCF on to its 81-75 victory over the No. 17 Jayhawks.

As the buzzer sounded, droves of the more the 8,000 in attendance stormed the court in celebration — a nearly identical scene to the Knights’ 65-60 win over then-No. 3 Kansas in the first Big 12 Conference game in school history on Jan. 10, 2024.

“We beat a good basketball team tonight – the tradition, the coaching, the players they have. Just really proud of our players for playing for 40 minutes,” UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins says. “They showed a lot of heart throughout the game because Kansas is [terrific]. I thought our guys did a great job of sustaining effort on the court. I thought we finished strong at the end of the game when Kansas made a really good run to tie the ball game up. Those were things we were talking about as a team prior to us going away for Christmas break; how we have to play in conference, and I thought our guys it reflected that today in how we finished the game.”

��AV is now ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since 2019.

This year’s squad now improves to 12-1, marking the program’s best start under Dawkins since he took the helm in 2016. On Monday, UCF cracked into the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2019, debuting at No. 25 in the Week 9 poll.

The ranking marks just the sixth week UCF has appeared in the AP Top 25 since the program’s inception in 1969 and the second time under Dawkins.

Senior guard and Orlando native Riley Kugel led with 19 points, followed by guard Themus Fulks with 16 points and Burke with 14. UCF’s 44 first-half points marked the most the Jayhawks have allowed this season, after previously holding then-No. 5 Duke and then-No. 17 Tennessee to 41 points apiece.

Up next, the Knights continue league play when they head to Oklahoma State for an 8 p.m. matchup on Jan. 6 before returning home Jan. 11 to face Cincinnati at 5 p.m.

The Big 12 boasts the most Top 25 teams (seven) of any conference in the country.

“At the end of this day, this needs to be behind us and we have to throw all of our preparation into Oklahoma State because that’s how this league is,” Dawkins says. “You’re going to have 17 more games like we had tonight. None of them are going to be different. All of these teams are well-coached, all these teams have a lot of talent so we have to prepare for it that way.”

Here are the highlights that shaped an unforgettable year.

Daring to Boldly Invent the Future: Florida’s Next-Generation Preeminent University

UCF met the 12 metrics required to earn the Preeminent State Research University designation from the Florida Board of Governors, the highest designation for state research universities. This landmark achievement highlights sustained progress in student success, research and more — affirming UCF’s leadership in advancing opportunity and impact in Florida and beyond.

UCF Opens Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion in Lake Nona, Fueling a Talent Pipeline and Healthcare Innovation

UCF opened the Dr. Phillips Nursing Pavilion on the Academic Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona — a 90,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility dedicated to preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. The pavilion expands immersive simulation technology and interdisciplinary learning spaces, enabling UCF to graduate more nurses ready to serve communities across the region.

Pegasus Partners Expand with BNY and Lockheed Martin

This year saw strategic growth of UCF’s Pegasus Partners program, with major collaborations forged with global financial services company BNY and aerospace and defense leader Lockheed Martin. The BNY co-located educational innovation hub on UCF’s main campus — the first of its kind in Florida — brings experiential learning and cybersecurity education directly to students. Additionally, the expanded Lockheed Martin partnership will grow the highly successful College Work Experience Program and expand research in vital areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics and hypersonic technologies.

Elevating Impact Across Space

As America’s Space University, UCF deepened its influence across the space sector this year, highlighted by the inaugural UCF Space Week that took place Nov. 3-7. The university-wide celebration showcased all the ways Knight Nation is advancing space research, supporting Florida’s fast-growing space economy, and preparing the next generation of explorers, engineers, and entrepreneurs. The observance also marked the debut of the SpaceU Awards, which celebrated eight honorees — two students, three faculty, two organizations and a record-setting astronaut — for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space development, discovery and exploration.

UCF’s impact also extended into human health in space. Two internationally known  experts — William Powers and Jennifer Fogarty — joined the College of Medicine’s faculty as part of UCF’s new Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine that will lead research and technology development for improving health in extreme environments such as space.

As the top talent provider to the nation’s aerospace and defense industries, UCF also launched a new online space MBA program to meet the expanding needs of the booming space industry on Florida’s Space Coast and around the world. The 24-month part-time graduate business program focuses on space commercialization, business strategy and innovation, preparing graduates to lead in high-impact roles across the commercial space, aerospace, government, startups and emerging tech industries.

UCF Launches Institute of Artificial Intelligence to Advance Research, Talent Development Across Disciplines

UCF launched the Institute of Artificial Intelligence, a new university-wide initiative bringing together top faculty, industry partnerships and cross-campus collaboration to position the university as a national leader in AI. The institute will also support UCF’s AI for All Initiative, which integrates AI into teaching and learning across disciplines, ensuring students graduate with the ability to use AI effectively in their careers.

Honoring Excellence on Founders’ Day

UCF’s annual Founders’ Day honored the outstanding achievements of the university’s employees, faculty and students. Hundreds of Knights were recognized for their excellence and impact — among them Pegasus Professors Roger Azevedo, Fevzi Okumus and Yan Solihin; Medal of Societal Impact honoree Mohamed Abdel-Aty; Reach for the Stars honorees Amrita Ghosh, Leland Nordin, Yogesh Rawat and Kelly Stevens; and 37 Order of Pegasus inductees — the university’s highest student honor.

Epic Universe Launch Provides Immersive Learning Opportunities at UCF

Universal Orlando Resort’s highly anticipated new theme park, Epic Universe, opened its gates this spring, and Knights played a role in bringing it to life. Located less than a mile away, UCF’s — ranked No. 1 in the world for hospitality education (CEOWORLD magazine) — turned Epic Universe into a living case study for hands-on learning in hospitality, themed experience, engineering and beyond. While the park attracts millions of guests with its immersive worlds and attractions, it’s also transforming hospitality education for Rosen College students, building a direct talent pipeline into the park and developing a workforce ready to lead the industry.

Introducing John Buckwalter, UCF’s Next Provost 

Following a competitive national search, John Buckwalter was appointed UCF’s next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. He and his wife, Amalia, officially joined Knight Nation on Aug. 1. Buckwalter brings more than 20 years of experience in academia to UCF. He most recently served as provost at Boise State University, where he led transformative interdisciplinary initiatives and championed student achievement. He succeeds Provost Michael D. Johnson, who retired this summer following 35 years of service to UCF.

Knights Shine in Athletics

UCF Athletics delivered unforgettable moments this year — from the rowing team claiming its first Big 12 Championship in program history, to men’s soccer’s conference title, to men’s tennis clinching its , to 82-78 victory over Hofstra at Additional Financial Arena that sparked the best start (8-1) in head coach Johnny Dawkins’ tenure.

Together, We Unleashed Impact: Thank You, Knight Nation, for a Transformational Day of Giving 2025

Knights made a collective impact for another record-breaking celebration of all things Black & Gold. raised more than $14.8 million — a 63% increase from last year and the most in university history. With 10,472 gifts, inspired donors across the globe rallied together for the community-driven effort — fueling UCF’s academic programs, life-changing scholarships, groundbreaking research and more. These contributions were made across all 50 U.S. states, as well as globally, including Australia, France, Panama and the United Kingdom.

UCF earned the automatic bid to the postseason Sunday after securing its first Sun Belt Tournament championship in program history with a 3-1 win at Marshall. While the majority of UCF’s teams compete in the Big 12 Conference, the league does not sponsor men’s soccer as an affiliated sport. The men’s soccer team joined the Sun Belt in 2023.

The Knights are the only program in the state of Florida and one of 15 in the country to see both their men’s and women’s soccer programs advance to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Road to the Championship

After a first-round win over Georgia Southern, the Knights toppled two nationally ranked opponents in their run to the top of the Sun Belt, besting No. 19 Kentucky and No. 12 Marshall for their second and third ranked wins of the season. This year marks the team’s first season in history with at least three top-25 ranked victories.

“How incredible this group of young men is — I could not be prouder. This group was 2-5-1 to start the season, and to end the season as Sun Belt Champions and win on the road and go through the teams we went through and then win at Marshall, what character this group has displayed,” head coach Scott Calabrese says. “It’s an incredible achievement, and we’ve put in a lot of work. The response from the team, the level went up from our players. They are determined to keep going.”

Heading into Sunday’s championship match at Marshall, the Thunder Herd had been defeated just twice all season, and not on their home turf since Nov. 26, 2023, a span of 721 days.

UCF’s win marked the fifth conference tournament title in program history, as well as the Knights’ eighth overall conference championship, and their first since 2020-21.

The Knights headed to the 2025 NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, boasting an 8-1-2 record in its last 11 matches ahead of the premier postseason tournament.

NCAA Tournament Info

��AV is in the middle of its 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in school history.

With their first-round win over FAU, the Knights remain unbeaten against in-state opponents this season, improving to 2-0-1 in matches against the Owls, then-No. 22 South Florida and Jacksonville.  The win also marked the team’s first victory in the NCAA Tournament since the program toppled then-No. 17 James Madison, 2-1, in the round of 32 of the 2020 tournament (pushed to the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

The Knights will now face No. 15 Georgetown Sunday evening. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. in Washington, D.C. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Their mentality? Don’t tell us the odds.

“I told the team from the very beginning, no successful team goes through any journey that is easy. This is part of our journey,” UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak says. “How are we going to respond to this? You have the ability to go out there and play for them. Believe in how good you are. Visualize doing great things and the rest will follow.”

From that point on, the Knights closed the regular season with a nine-match unbeaten streak, helping them clinch the No. 7 seed and hosting rights in the NCAA Tournament.

UCF will hold a first-round game on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at the UCF Soccer Complex against Maine, who just won its third-straight America East championship title.

The Knights are one of a conference-record eight teams from the Big 12 selected to participate in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

“After what we went through on a weekly basis in the Big 12 this year — a historical year with how many teams earned postseason bids — what excites me as we head into the NCAA Tournament is we’ve seen the best in the country. We are part of that,” Roberts Sahaydak says. “Obviously it’s one game at a time, and that starts with Maine, but the team should be feeling really confident because they are prepared from the physical and tactical and mental tests they’ve had all season.”

UCF’S NCAA Tournament History

This year’s postseason appearance will mark UCF’s first as a member of the Big 12 Conference and first since 2022 when the Knights advanced to the tournament’s second round.

Friday’s home match will mark the 11th time that UCF has hosted an NCAA Tournament First Round competition and the program’s first since 2017.

In all, it will be the program’s 23rd all-time appearance in the NCAA Division I Championship. UCF ranks among the NCAA’s top 25 winningest teams nationally since the inception of Division I women’s soccer in 1982.

Tickets/Broadcast Info

General admission tickets are $10 and can be at ucfknights.com. The first 100 UCF students with valid UCF ID will receive free entry (first come, first serve). Stadium gates open at 6 p.m.

The match will air on ESPN+.

Founded to reach the moon, we’re already on our way to the next frontier. Built for liftoff, America’s Space University celebrates UCF Space Week Nov. 3-7.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Boldly Forge the Future of Space

UCF aerospace engineering graduate research assistant Justin Sprunger ’22 ’25�ѳ� says he can trace his earliest memory to gazing at the space shuttle when he was 4. Before the age of 10, he was testing the limits of homemade bottle rockets, relentlessly experimenting with ways to increase speed.

In a lot of ways, his job today as a propulsion engineer and hypersonics facility director at the Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion (also known as the HyperSpace Center) is rooted in that same curiosity and innovation his younger self embraced so whole-heartedly.

So when the lab’s large-scale hypersonic wind tunnel HADES becomes operational later this month, he is eager to push the limits once again in pursuit of revolutionizing travel as we know it.

HADES — which stands for high enthalpy altitude-stimulating dynamic experimental system — will prove crucial to the HyperSpace Center’s hypersonic and space propulsion research for scientists and strategic partners across the globe. Ů��AV is the first university in the nation to have hypersonic technology at this scale.

The wind tunnel will be able to replicate the pressure and temperature of atmospheric conditions needed to figure out the keys to unlocking speeds that could one day allow a commercial airliner to fly from New York to London in less than 15 minutes.

“I’ve been staring at this thing on my computer screen with the 3D model for over a year. To watch the evolution of something that started as an idea to now in front of you in person is… I don’t think there’s a better reward, honestly,” Sprunger says. “As a fundamental researcher looking into all these problems that we face, you always come up with these hypotheses. ‘Oh, if we could just do this experiment,’ or ‘If we could hold this one thing constant, then I’d be able to see everything.’ And with this facility coming online, those once-impossible ideas will now start to become a possibility.”

Not Just ‘Hype’ Anymore

NASA, and its predecessor the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, has been involved in the study of hypersonic flight since the 1950s, though technology of the time limited much progress in the field. In the early 2000s, things started to change when NASA aircraft set two airbreathing speed Guinness World Records at Mach 7 (5,370 mph) and at Mach 10 (7,672 mph), respectively, as part of its Hyper-X Program.

Now, Sprunger says, technology has advanced to the point that it’s viable to be investing significant resources in this area of research.

Which brings us to the HyperSpace Center, which launched in October 2024 as a first-of-its-kind partnership with the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research that provides a centralized, physical space to advance hypersonic technology.

The work conducted in this unassuming one-story, gray rectangular building on the perimeter of Central Florida’s Research Park will build on Trustee Chair Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Kareem Ahmed’s progress so far, including development of the first hypersonic detonation rocket engine in 2020.

So how does HADES fit into this?

HADES stands for high enthalpy altitude-stimulating dynamic experimental system.

High enthalpy translates to very hot, or a lot of energy.

Altitude-simulating attributes to the atmosphere’s range of pressures and temperatures. With this facility, Sprunger and the team will be able to adjust elements to simulate the low-pressure altitude environment that’s important for outer body aerodynamic tests.

Dynamic refers to the range of tests it can conduct, which is novel compared to wind tunnels at other institutions. The Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion in Tallahassee has a that has the ability for long run times and can reach up to Mach 5, but its downside is its cold. University of Illinois’ ACT-II tunnel is an arc-heated tunnel that has capabilities for high Mach numbers and flight relevant enthalpies, but it is limited to run times of around 1 second.

Simply put, HADES can do it all, which will attract researchers because it allows for long run times while also customizing and accounting for the pressure and temperature they need in the atmosphere to strengthen the data of their experiments.

“We’re going to be able to hit all the high Mach numbers; we’re going to be able to do it for long durations; and we’re going to be able to match the enthalpy of a flight,” Sprunger says. “So we’re taking the high temperature, the high pressure, the long duration, and we’re making a facility that’s going to be able to do that over and over and over again.”

Mission IX

When Ahmed conceptualized HADES three years ago and aerospace and alum Jonathan Reyes ’15 ’17MS ’19PhD led the design-into-action, he — nor anyone else on the HyperSpace team — fathomed it would one day be tied to a UCF football game.

When the Knights kick off the ninth installment of our annual space game Nov. 7, the players’ uniforms will prominently feature a diagram of HADES’ fueling apparatus. It’s the piece that funnels in the air and fuel to the targeted location of the tunnel.

When members of the Athletics brand team contacted the lab to explore the possibility of centering the Mission IX game’s theme on HyperSpace, graduate research assistant Nate Dreyer ’26MS crafted original concepts and key information as source material for the uniform design team to draw inspiration from.

“A lot of members of my team are huge sports guys, so we had so much fun being involved and part of this year’s game,” Sprunger says. “It really is about celebrating the university and demonstrating the capabilities we have here.”

“It’s hard to explain everything in a sizzle reel,” he says before doing his best to provide a rapid-fire montage of life since retiring from the National Football League in 2022. He works as a community coordinator with NFL Legends, is actively involved in six companies, manages several real-estate holdings, travels to speak at corporate events and schools, serves on the Big 12 Alumni Council, writes books, is co-founder (with his twin brother, Shaquill Griffin ’22) of Consumer Launch Pad to help entrepreneurs streamline innovative ideas into manufacturing processes, cares for his three children at home in Anna Maria Island, Florida, and is working on a movie script about his life.

“I’m also training for three track and field events at the Paralympics — the long jump, 100 meters and 200 meters,” he says. “I plan to be in Los Angeles in 2028.”

If you know anything at all about Shaquem Griffin, then you know enough to take him at his word when he sets his mind to anything. And that seems like a perfect bridge into the expected subject of sports, specifically Griffin’s determination to play linebacker at the highest level despite having his left hand amputated when he was 4 years old.

But Griffin’s mind is set on something bigger, newer and just as personal as the sport that brought his story into the public eye. It’s his collaboration with smartARM, a tech company dedicated to developing prosthetics using a rare combination of artificial intelligence (AI), cameras, 3D printing, cosmetic appeal and, at the heart of it all, genuine compassion.

“Over the years, I’ve been approached by countless prosthetic companies,” Griffin says. “But they only wanted to use me for my name and likeness. The moment I met the people from smartARM, I knew there’s something different about them — not only what they’re doing with technology, but why they’re doing it.”

Griffin says this today from the perspective of a smartARM user. A few minutes ago, he was cleaning his son’s bottles with the help of a smartARM. Yesterday, he picked through produce at his favorite market with it. Every time he lifted an apple, the prosthetic collected real-time data and fed it into a constantly improving algorithm. When he picks up an apple tomorrow, the arm will be smarter than it was yesterday.

“I didn’t know how helpful it would be until I started using it,” Griffin says.

The technology, however, is just part of the reason he wanted to join the smartARM team.

“Their values match mine,” he says. During his initial conversation with smartARM’s founders in 2022, he heard a story about a friend of theirs who never had a commercial-grade prosthetic because of the high cost. Griffin heard words that had been missing from his brief discussions with other prosthetic makers: affordability and accessibility.

“I could relate to those issues,” he says. “I’m at a point now where I can say my challenges were part of God’s purpose for me — to overcome obstacles and be in a position to do more good for others. smartARM fits that purpose.”

Now, let’s go back to the Griffins’ garage in St. Petersburg, Florida. Before Shaquem and Shaquill helped put UCF on the national football map, before Shaquem was named defensive player of the year in the American Athletic Conference, before he set the record for the fastest 40-yard-dash time by a linebacker at the NFL combine, before he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks and before he’d ever heard of smartARM, there was just a set of tools and a workbench in the garage. Griffin’s father also brought vision into the garage. In his mind, he saw a prosthetic his son could use for training. But instead of taking out a $40,000 loan to buy it, he’d build it.

“Who can afford that kind of money?” Griffin says. “I’ve always thought it’s wrong that people who really need prosthetics often don’t have access to them.”

Through middle school and high school, Griffin would use “dad’s contraption” as he calls it to lift weights. Shaquill was his dedicated spotter. Whenever the contraption broke, dad would buy a replacement part and fix it, or he’d build a new one. When Griffin arrived at UCF to prepare for his freshman season, the Knights training staff surprised him with a commercial-grade prosthetic.

He returned the favor by surprising them, too.

“They’d never seen someone doing pullups and pushups the way I did them. They didn’t expect me to increase my bench press to 385 pounds with the prosthetic either. Looking back, I was changing the way people think about disabilities.”

Griffin was growing off the field, too, earning a , which prepared him to share his powerful story with large audiences. He studied business books so he could be a discerning investor, and he immersed himself in technology to learn how it works and how it can be improved. Whenever a prosthetic company came along to pitch Griffin about a partnership, he knew exactly what to ask.

“What kind of advanced tech do you use? How do you plan to scale it?” And most important: “What will it cost the person who needs it?”

“Being a D-1 football player gave me access to resources that others don’t typically have,” he says. “Those resources shouldn’t be exclusive. With smartARM I have an opportunity to bring them to a space that’s been lacking forever.”

Griffin now has something more tangible to share with families who frequently contact him simply for an encouraging word.

“Parents of disabled children have approached me since I was a teenager, asking if their child would ever make friends, if they’d be able to play sports, if they’d find someone to marry,” he says. “Honestly, I didn’t know what to say because I was going through it myself. I’d hear comments like, ‘Oh, he’s pretty good for being handicapped.’ I thought all of that would change when I made it to the NFL, but it didn’t. Eventually, I realized I was trying to erase something that could actually make me a blessing to others.”

Proving others wrong once motivated Griffin. Today, perspective drives him. He knows how the workbench in the garage morphed into his platform. He’s spreading awareness, assembling like-minded investors, and participating in technology advancements. With his help, the cost of a smartARM is almost one-fourth the cost of most bionic prosthetics — and he’s hopeful that insurance plans will soon cover the costs.

“This is just the start,” Griffin says. “My goal is for more people to commit resources to help others the way smartARM is doing. Let’s provide access so we can see the capabilities of those who have been marginalized. You’ll be surprised what they can do. That’s my message and it’s now my purpose.”

Keep reading to discover all the ways to join the fun, connect with fellow Knights and celebrate UCF spirit all week long.

Student and Community Events

Note: Comedy Knight and Concert Knight are ticketed events with free admission for current students with a valid UCF ID. Tickets for the public may be purchased through Ticketmaster.

Oct. 13 – Knights Got Talent | Memory Mall | 7-9 p.m.
Bring a blanket or chair to Memory Mall and support your fellow Knights as they showcase their special talents. This event is free for both the community and UCF students.

Oct. 14 – Movie Knight: Superman | UCF Student Union, Pegasus Ballroom | 7-10 p.m.
Catch an epic showing of Superman, plus a short film competition and concessions.

Oct. 15 – Comedy Knight: Karlous Miller | Addition Financial Arena | Doors open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m.

Enjoy a night of laughs with comedian Karlous Miller, known for the 85 South Show and Wild N’ Out. Admission is free for all UCF students. Non-UCF students can purchase $25 tickets on Ticketmaster.

Oct. 14 – Foam Splash | Communication and Media Building Plaza, UCF Downtown | 12-2 p.m.
Dive into the biggest foam party of the semester. Splash into a giant foam pit and bubbly pool, enjoy tacos and ice cream, play water games and more. The first 200 attendees will get free rubber ducks and exclusive Foam Splash T-shirts.

Oct. 16 – Concert Knight: JT and SoFaygo | Addition Financial Arena | Doors open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m.

Experience a high-energy Concert Knight featuring Miami rapper and special guest SoFaygo, a rapper from Michigan. Admission is free for all UCF students. Non-UCF students can purchase $25 tickets on Ticketmaster.

Oct. 17 – Spirit Splash | UCF Reflecting Pond | 12-2 p.m.
The nation’s biggest homecoming tradition is back. Students will be able to run into the Reflecting Pond and attempt to catch the famous homecoming duck. There will be special guest speakers, as well as performances from the cheer team, Knightmoves, and Marching Knights. The event is free and open to both UCF students and the community.

Oct. 17 – UCF Volleyball vs. University of Arizona | The Venue at UCF | Match begins at 6 p.m.
The UCF women’s volleyball team welcomes Big 12 opponent Arizona. For more information, visit .

Oct. 17 – Ignite the Knight | Memory Mall | Event starts at 6 p.m., fireworks start at 8:30 p.m., weather permitting 

Bring your own towel, blanket, or chair to sit on and enjoy live music, carnival games, food, beverages, and special appearances. Then cap off the evening with a one-of-a-kind fireworks display.

Oct. 18 – UCF Football vs. West Virginia | Acrisure Bounce House | Kickoff: 1 p.m.
Cheer on the Knights as they take on the West Virginia Mountaineers during the homecoming game. Purchase game tickets on Ticketmaster or through the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at 407-823-1000. For more information, check out the .

Alumni Events

Oct. 16 – Shining Knights Alumni Awards Reception | Pegasus Ballroom, UCF Student Union | 6-9 p.m.
The Shining Knights Alumni Awards honor UCF’s outstanding alumni and community leaders who have significantly contributed to the university and the community. The UCF Alumni family is honored to recognize nine honorees at this year’s reception.  and include a pre-reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and dinner.

Oct. 17 – Ignite the Knight | Memory Mall | 6-8:30 p.m.
Join Knight Nation for a family-friendly UCF festival celebrating the eve of the big football game. Enjoy live music, food, beverages, carnival games and special appearances, then cap off the evening with a one-of-a-kind fireworks spectacular. .

Bonus: by bringing sealed, individually packaged Halloween candy, small toys or crafts. These items will be collected at Ignite the Knight.

Oct. 18 – UCF Alumni Tailgate | UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center | Three hours before kickoff
Head to the UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center three hours before the Knights charge the field to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. Admission to this family-friendly zone is complimentary for all UCF alumni and guests.

Oct. 18 – UCF Black Alumni Community Family Reunion and Tailgate | UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center | Three hours before kickoff
Head to the ultimate tailgating experience, hosted by the UCF Black Alumni Community, three hours before the Knights take on the West Virginia Mountaineers. Enjoy a DJ, giant yard games, guest appearances and more. while they last. This event is open to all alumni and guests.

Oct. 18 –  UCF Regional Community Watch Parties | Locations vary | Time varies Not able to come to campus? Regional Knights communities will host local watch parties before the UCF vs. West Virginia game — and everyone is invited. .

Oct. 19 – Trick or Treat on Greek Street | Greek Park Drive | 2-5 p.m.
The UCF Greek Community is hosting its annual Trick or Treat on Greek Street. This family-friendly event brings Halloween fun to the Central Florida community — and everyone’s invited.

in your group. All registered Greek alumni will be entered for a chance to win.