Judging by the anticipation for its spring game, you would not know that UCF went winless in 2015.
The 2016 Knights are very much turning a new page, and everyone seems excited to see what the new coaching staff and style will bring. That will be the big storyline to follow as UCF takes the field for its spring game later Saturday.
Can UCF become Oregon East? Can the Knights take to this new, aggressive style and inspire confidence for the fan base and create an excitement for the upcoming season after so much embarrassment and frustration last season.
UCF has reported the school has reserved at least 11,000 tickets for Saturday’s spring game, a number that does not include students. Tickets are free and so that number could easily increase from there. That almost certainly doubles the usual number of fans that attend UCF’s annual spring game.
It certainly signals there is interest, if not excitement, for what new coach Scott Frost is going to bring to the program.
Frost came from Oregon’s coaching tree and is promising to bring a fast-paced offense similar to what Oregon runs. How personnel fits that new offense, especially after injuries decimated the roster last year, will be the focus throughout the game.
Fast though has become something of a slogan for UCF. The Knights are not hiding behind this identity. This is what they want the team to play like.
“Fast” has been a part of the marketing throughout the entire time Frost took over.
The “Fastival” festivities around the spring game is a sign of that as much as anything. That has already kicked off with the UCF baseball game against USF at Jay Bergman Field and then tailgating along Memory Mall. Fans are likely already turning up for the event.
This is not a team that did not win a game last year and had fans jokingly wearing bags over their head.
This is a team and a program creating some buzz and instilling confidence. The spring game will likely be a showcase of what the Knights want to be — the game often turns into an exhibition for fans anyway.
There will be plenty of them at Bright House Networks Stadium to see what this new team and this new era of UCF football is about.
