UCF Joining Big XII: "It Changes Everything"

ORLANDO – When UCF joins the Big XII Conference in July of 2023, it’s going to certainly provide different opportunities for the Football program. That’s been discussed ad nauseum by Inside The Knights, and it continues to be true.

Recruiting? Oh, definitely. Recruits want to be on major television networks as often as possible, and they want to be around the best facilities, coaches, and trainers. Power Five conferences like the Big XII have member institutions with more finances to pay for those demands, and UCF will now benefit as well. There’s still more.

Coaches, too, want to go against the best. When an assistant coaching position opens up, one can bet that it’s going to be easier for UCF Head Football Coach Gus Malzahn to hire a quality assistant with the Knights being a Power Five member.

Do not forget, the salaries will be higher as well. That certainly makes Malzahn’s pitch to any assistant coach a quality opportunity. The bottom line, UCF Football, as well as the entirety of the Athletic Department as a whole, will benefit from the transition to the Big XII. Here’s part of UCF Athletic Director Terry Mohajir’s commentary about the Knights and the opportunities that await.

Heckuva birthday present for @UCF! #ChargeOn ⚔️ @Big12Conference pic.twitter.com/fFUAgbLppv
— UCF Knights (@UCFKnights) June 11, 2022

Two particular notes from that video clip. The current UCF Athletic Director said “It changes everything” in reference to the Athletic Department’s move to the Big XII. He mentioned recruiting, of course, and then there was mention of the revenue increases. He’s absolutely correct on both accounts.

It will now be up to UCF Athletics to do the best with its newfound goldmine called the Big XII. It’s just nice to know that the Knights will be a part of it in just over a year. One last point from Mohajir’s press conference and that video clip.

This would be Mohajir’s quote of Michael Johnson, who's title is Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs, by stating, “'This changes our academic profile at this university.'”

Yes, the money and resources that come from playing in a Power Five conference will spread the wealth into UCF’s academics. More exposure, that’s clear already. UCF will also now have access to different professors and researchers that can then be utilized by students at UCF, and that’s absolutely awesome.

UCF is truly growing its Athletic Department by way of the move to the Big XII, and that’s also true on the side of academia as well. It's not often that both athletics and academics benefit universally with a major decision, or at least not to this level. Joining the Big XII is truly monumental for UCF as a whole.

Inside The Knights: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Spotify - Apple - Instagram

College Football Recruiting Coverage: Prospects - YouTube - Facebook - Twitter