UCF Men's Hoops to Play Game in Daytona Beach

Mar 5, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins talks to the team in the second half during a timeout against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The UCF Knights and Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball teams will face off at a neutral site in Daytona Beach this upcoming season, according to Jon Rothstein.

NEWS: Pitt and UCF will meet this season in a neutral site game in Daytona Beach, according to a source.https://t.co/syGv0RZJhs

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 16, 2025

The college basketball insider broke the story on Wednesday morning, citing an unnamed source. No official date was given for the game, nor a timetable for an official announcement.

No venue was mentioned in Rothstein's report either. Daytona Beach has been the home of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) since 2021, with all of its games played in the Ocean Center.

The report marks the first clue towards the Knights' non-conference slate after their Big 12 Scheduling Matrix was revealed on Jun. 12.

The Knights and Panthers almost squared off at a neutral site last season when both teams traveled to the Greenbriar Tip-Off this past November. However, both teams were on opposite sides of the bracket and ended up not playing each other.

Both teams are coming off just-over .500 seasons in 2024-25. The Knights finished 20-17 (7-13 Big 12) after a run in the inaugural College Basketball Crown, while the Panthers finished 17-15 (8-12 ACC) and declined an invitation to the NIT.

A matchup between the two schools this season would mark their second-ever matchup in program history, with Pittsburgh prevailing, 53-44, the last time the two met up in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament in Milwaukee.

UCF coach Johnny Dawkins and Pittsburgh coach Jeff Capel not only share Duke as an alma mater, but Dawkins got to watch Capel play during the 1996-97 season while working as an administrative intern in the athletic department and a radio color analyst for all Blue Devil home games.

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