Buddy Dyer: UCF to play in 'kickoff classic' game at Camping World Stadium
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer dropped some pretty big news last week during an interview with a San Diego radio station.
Discussing Orlando's sports facilities and their successful pursuit of an MLS franchise - topics quite relevant to today's San Diego's sports scene - Dyer dropped a UCF-related nugget in response to a question from former Orlando sports talk radio host Dan Sileo, who several years ago relocated to California.
San Diego State's football team is in the midst of a dilemma as their current home, Qualcomm Stadium, former home of the NFL's San Diego Chargers, is slated to be closed after 2018.
In reference to SDSU's situation, Sileo asked Dyer about UCF's relationship with the city and its venues, perhaps unaware the Knights opened an on-campus stadium in 2007.
Dyer explained that UCF wasn't a factor in their move to renovate the Citrus Bowl - now called Camping World Stadium - because UCF no longer called the stadium home.
UCF returned to their former home last year to play in the Cure Bowl and Dyer pointed out they'd return again soon.
"We have some neutral site kickoff classic games at Camping World Stadium," Dyer said. "They're going to play in one of those in the next three years, and have played a neutral site (basketball) game against Florida at the Amway Center, but for the most part they play games at their campus."
Dyer then mentioned other upcoming "Camping World Kickoff" games, which include Alabama vs. Louisville in 2018 and Florida vs. Miami in 2019. In 2016, Florida State played Ole Miss.
There is no kickoff game at Camping World Stadium this upcoming season, but UCF had previously discussed the possibility of moving this year's Memphis game to the venue.
If Dyer is referring to an opening-weekend game, 2020 appears to have the first opening. UCF already has two games on the docket that season: A Sept. 12 home game vs. North Carolina and a Sept. 19 road game at Georgia Tech.
Update: UCF Athletics spokesman Andy Seeley says there is no scheduled game at Camping World Stadium, tentative or otherwise.
