Two announcements this week have provided clarity regarding UCF's 2024 non-conference football schedule.
With the Knights moving to the Big 12 in 2023 and adopting a nine-game conference schedule, there will be three available slots for non-conference games moving forward.
FBSchedules.com, via a public records request with the University of New Hampshire, discovered the FCS Wildcats recently signed an agreement to play a game at UCF on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 with a guarantee of $350,000. An FCS game on UCF's 2024 schedule was always a given, though it was previously unclear who the opponent might be.
UNH finished with a 3-8 record in 2021, including a 77-7 loss at Pittsburgh.
On Wednesday, Sam Houston State announced a future game at UCF scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. The Bearkats will replace Liberty as the Flames are rearranging schedules to accommodate their upcoming move to Conference USA.
SHSU currently competes in FCS, though will be moving to FBS and C-USA in 2023. The Bearkats have been highly successful in recent years, including an 11-1 mark in 2021 and an FCS National Championship and perfect record (10-0) during the 2020-21 spring season.
Rounding out the 2024 schedule is a road game at Florida on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, which was announced last year.
UCF's 2023 non-conference schedule - their first season as a member of the Big 12 - includes a home game against Kent State (Sept. 2, 2023) and the return game at Boise State (Saturday, Sept. 9). An additional home game against an FCS opponent is expected.
While the future Big 12 conference schedules have yet to be finalized, UCF Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir recently said they expect to host four Big 12 games in 2023 with five games on the road, which would be flipped the following season in 2024 (five home, four away).
2025's non-conference schedule includes a road game at Maryland and home games vs. FAU and North Carolina.
Beyond that, UCF's future schedules are wide open with return games against UNC (2027), Maryland (2028) and Florida (2030, 2033) as the only games on the docket.
