Pop quiz: Name the five youngest universities among the current Power 5 conferences.

All before the invention of bubble gum, you’ve got UCLA in 1919, Texas Tech in 1923, Miami in 1925 and Houston in 1927.

By far and away the youngest is �鶹ӳ����ý, founded in 1963. Initially named Florida Technological University, it was established to provide a pipeline of talent for the United States space program at nearby Cape Canaveral.

It’s impossible to appreciate the journey of �鶹ӳ����ý Athletics without a timeline that exhibits the youth of the institution and the manner in which the athletics program has skyrocketed to success.

• In 1963 �鶹ӳ����ý was founded.
• In 1968 the first classes were held.
• In 1969 the first varsity athletic event was held — a men’s basketball game at Massey Institute in Jacksonville. And several other sports began competition in the 1970s.
• Ten years later, in 1979, �鶹ӳ����ý played football for the first time at the Division III level with no scholarships in its first three years. Its first game was held in a muddy cow pasture.
• In 1984-85, the majority of �鶹ӳ����ý’s sports programs were playing at the Division I level.
• Four decades of a rollercoaster ride — including the football team’s first FBS game (the current highest Division I level) in 1996 — led to national notoriety
• On July 1, 2023, �鶹ӳ����ý begins an exciting new chapter as one of four schools to join the Big 12 Conference.

“A lot of the national powers right now were playing (football) at the turn of the 20th century. … And to understand what you’ve got to make up in that time, it’s generations of donors, it’s generations of parents taking their kids to games, it’s generations of players growing up watching the team play and say, ‘I would give anything to play for that team,” says Andy Staples, senior writer for The Athletic

“�鶹ӳ����ý, without the advantage of decades and generations of all this, has put itself in position to be very competitive in its new league,” Staples says.

Sunshine State Conference (1975-84)

�鶹ӳ����ý’s first conference affiliation was with the Sunshine State Conference, starting in 1975. The Knights were a charter member of the Division II league which included Biscayne College (now St. Thomas University), Eckerd, Florida Southern, Rollins and Saint Leo.

Following the 1983-84 season, �鶹ӳ����ý withdrew from the Sunshine State Conference and moved to the NCAA Division I level in the majority of its programs. The Knights competed as an independent until 1990.

Highlight of the Sunshine State Era: �鶹ӳ����ý won six Sunshine State championships in men’s basketball, three in men’s tennis, two in men’s golf and one in baseball.

New South Women’s Athletic Conference (1986-90, Women’s Only)

�鶹ӳ����ý was a charter member of the New South Women’s Athletic Conference, the forerunner of the Atlantic Sun. The women’s cross country, basketball, golf, tennis and volleyball teams competed in the conference. During �鶹ӳ����ý’s stint in the league, Florida A&M, FIU, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Mercer and Stetson were members.

Highlight of the NSWAC Era: �鶹ӳ����ý women’s soccer’s Michelle Akers ’89 helped lead the Knights to the 1987 NCAA Final Four and was honored with collegiate soccer’s top honor, the Hermann Trophy, a year later. Akers went on to be recognized as the FIFA Women’s Player of the Century after a longstanding and decorated career with the U.S. Women’s National Team.

American South Conference (1990-91)

In 1990, the Knights joined the American South Conference, its first Division I league affiliation for all sports except football. �鶹ӳ����ý spent one campaign in the league which also featured Arkansas State, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, New Orleans, Texas-Pan American and Southwestern Louisiana.

Highlight of the American South era: The American South Conference provided a home for the first time for both the men’s and women’s programs at �鶹ӳ����ý.

Sun Belt Conference (1991-92)

Following the 1990-91 academic year, the American South merged with the Sun Belt (which retained its name), forming an 11-institution league. �鶹ӳ����ý competed in the league for just one year against the likes of Arkansas-Little Rock, Arkansas State, Jacksonville, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, New Orleans, South Alabama, Louisiana, Texas Rio Grande Valley and Western Kentucky.

Highlight of Sun Belt era: �鶹ӳ����ý was crowned with the women’s golf title thanks in part to individual champion Liz Earley ’92, who won the individual title in a sudden-death playoff. Jannet and Mike Shumaker were recognized with the Coach of the Year award.

Atlantic Sun Conference (1992-05)

�鶹ӳ����ý joined the Atlantic Sun (then known as the Trans America Athletic Conference) in 1992. During �鶹ӳ����ý’s tenure in the league, membership changes occurred frequently. Including �鶹ӳ����ý, 16 institutions were part of the conference since 1992 — including �鶹ӳ����ý’s biggest rival at the time, Stetson, located just up the road in DeLand.

�鶹ӳ����ý was extremely successful in the ASUN — winning nine league titles in women’s soccer, eight each in baseball and women’s outdoor track and field, seven in volleyball, five in women’s tennis, four in men’s basketball, three each in men’s soccer, men’s golf, women’s golf and men’s tennis, two in women’s basketball, one in softball (who fielded its first team in 2002).

Highlight of the ASUN era: The 2001 baseball team (pictured below) that climbed to its highest national ranking in program history (No. 7, Baseball America) and earned the top seed in the NCAA Columbia Regional. From 2000-02, the Knights dominated the league with a combined record of 67-17 against ASUN opponents.

Milestone: Knights Head to FBS (1996)

Although the football team remained independent from conference affiliation until 2002, quite likely the biggest move in �鶹ӳ����ý Athletics history came in 1996 when the football team first began competing at the NCAA FBS level. Below are excerpts from the April 1993 press release announcing that jump (at that time �鶹ӳ����ý had only been playing football for 14 seasons). Many of the same sentiments still ring true for �鶹ӳ����ý’s transition to the Big 12:

The �鶹ӳ����ý will upgrade its football program to the NCAA Division I-A level beginning with the 1996 season, President John C. Hitt announced today.

“Just as a great city needs a great university, a big-league city like Orlando should have a big-league college football program,” Hitt said in making the announcement at the Florida Citrus Bowl, �鶹ӳ����ý’s home field. …

“We expect to reap a number of benefits by making the move to major college football,” Hitt said. “Historically, many elements of the community first become involved with a university through quality intercollegiate athletic programs and then expand that involvement into other areas of the university.”

“In addition to increased revenues, the elevation of the football program is expected to result in greater national visibility for the university and Central Florida, increased alumni and donor activity, increased interest and camaraderie among the student body, and easier recruitment of student-athletes and students in general, the president said. Local merchants should also benefit financially through increased fan support at �鶹ӳ����ý athletic events and therefore the support of the business community, including the major attractions, should increase dramatically,” he said.

“This change isn’t something that will just happen; we will have to earn it,” Hitt said. “One of key requirements in moving up to Division I-A is for us to reach an average attendance of 17,000 per game prior to 1996. For this to happen, we will need support from all of �鶹ӳ����ý’s friends, from the student body and the campus community to alumni, community leaders and business leaders throughout Central Florida.”

This was also the era of Daunte Culpepper, a Central Florida standout out of Ocala Vanguard High School, who put �鶹ӳ����ý on the map nationally (literally — in 1998, the Knights made their first national television appearance on ESPN against Purdue). Culpepper finished his career as the Knights’ first NFL first-round draft pick.

“Daunte Culpepper helped �鶹ӳ����ý become a bigger thing than it had been because it was just getting into the FBS at the time, coming out of I-AA,” Staples says. “It made people sit up and take notice and then Daunte goes to the NFL and has this long, productive pro career as well. Now you’re thinking, ‘OK this is a program that can produce that kind of player, that can nurture that kind of player, get them to the NFL and then they can be successful in the NFL.’ ”

Mid-American Conference (2002-04, Football Only)

After 24 seasons as a football independent, �鶹ӳ����ý joined the Mid-American Conference in 2002 as a football-only member. While it may not have made sense geographically to be playing teams like Kent State, Toledo and Western Michigan as conference opponents, options for joining a league were slim and it provided �鶹ӳ����ý stability and reliability in its scheduling.

Conference USA (2005-12)

�鶹ӳ����ý became an all-sports member of Conference USA in 2005 and advanced to the inaugural football championship that same year. It was a period of transition for CUSA, with Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa and UTEP also joining the league in 2005.

The �鶹ӳ����ý men’s basketball team made immediate strides on the court in a competitive league, finishing second during the 2006-07 regular season and saw Kirk Speraw named conference coach of the year. �鶹ӳ����ý’s Jermaine Taylor was also a bright spot for the Knights from 2005-09. He was chosen as the conference’s Player of the Year his senior season and selected in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft.

�鶹ӳ����ý won five CUSA titles in women’s soccer, four in women’s outdoor track and field, three in men’s golf, two each in football, women’s basketball and women’s indoor track and field, and one in softball.

Highlight of the CUSA era: The excellence of �鶹ӳ����ý’s women’s teams. Women’s soccer advanced to NCAA Sweet 16 in 2011 for first time in nearly three decades and was ranked among the top 10 nationally the following year in its final year as a member. The track and field team’s dynasty of six indoor and outdoor championships in three years resulted in the first NCAA individual champion in school history and a top-five finish at the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championship. Women’s basketball returned to the NCAA Tournament twice thanks to two tournament titles and softball earned a bid to the NCAA regional with its second conference championship in program history in 2008.

American Athletic Conference (2013-23)

In 2013 �鶹ӳ����ý joined Houston, Memphis and SMU in leaving Conference USA for the American Athletic Conference — featuring members of the BIG EAST who played football. It also kickstarted the War on I-4 rivalry with nearby conference foe South Florida. �鶹ӳ����ý went a perfect 7-for-7 in the annual all-sports standings before exiting The American in 2023.

�鶹ӳ����ý concluded its 10-year tenure in the AAC with more league titles during that decade than any other conference member. �鶹ӳ����ý teams won 52 AAC titles from 2013-14 through 2022-23 — 21 regular-season crowns and 31 more via conference postseason tournaments, league title games or other conference champion designations.

“Without question that level of success (in the AAC) played a major role in our opportunity to join the Big 12 Conference.” — Terry Mohajir, vice president and director of Athletics

“We take great pride in the tremendous accomplishments of our teams during their 10 years in the American Athletic Conference,” says �鶹ӳ����ý Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir. “Without question that level of success played a major role in our opportunity to join the Big 12 Conference.”

“Every time some more stuff happened (with conference realignment), �鶹ӳ����ý happened to be playing very good football and people noticed,” Staples says. “That’s why when the Big 12 lost Texas and Oklahoma, �鶹ӳ����ý is coming off its most successful period in its history. And it was an easy choice. It was obvious where the Big 12 should go.”

Highlight of the AAC era: The football team’s historical 25-0 run over a span of 745 days from 2017-19. The accomplishment is listed in the NCAA record book among the longest win streaks ever recorded and marks the fourth-longest win streak this millennium (Miami, 34 – 2000-03; Florida State, 29 – 2012-14; Alabama, 26 – 2015-16).

Big 12 Conference (2023-present)

The Big 12 announced in September 2021 that �鶹ӳ����ý would join BYU, Houston and Cincinnati as future members. The Big 12 does not sponsor men’s soccer, so the Knights will compete in the Sun Belt Conference (which features fellow Power 5 programs West Virginia, Kentucky and South Carolina) in that sport.

Below are excerpts from the Sept. 10, 2021, announcement when the �鶹ӳ����ý Board of Trustees voted unanimously to accept an invitation for �鶹ӳ����ý to join the Big 12. Mohajir was quoted:

“This is a landmark day for anyone ever associated with �鶹ӳ����ý or �鶹ӳ����ý Athletics. As we anticipate a future move to the Big 12 Conference, we first owe a vote of thanks to all those at �鶹ӳ����ý who have gone before us. There’s a long list of student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, university presidents and support staff, fans and donors and, of course, our student body, plus so many others whose hard work and successes have helped pave the way for today’s announcement. The bases were already loaded, and I feel very blessed and honored to get to step up to the plate on behalf of �鶹ӳ����ý.

“I speak for all of us at �鶹ӳ����ý in expressing our excitement for the opportunities that lie ahead. I’m confident our Knight teams will rise to the challenges to come.

“Here at �鶹ӳ����ý we are in the business of providing the best possible opportunities for our student-athletes to thrive while they are here and to have post-collegiate career success. We are convinced that competing as a member of the Big 12 Conference absolutely will help us accomplish those goals.

“In addition, Orlando is one of the most vibrant cities in the world — and the NIL (name, image, likeness) opportunities for our student-athletes here are endless compared to many college towns.”

“�鶹ӳ����ý has always kind of looked at the next step. If these programs are thinking that �鶹ӳ����ý is going to come in and just try to fit in, that’s not going to be how it goes.” — Andy Staples,  The Athletic senior writer

“�鶹ӳ����ý has always kind of looked at the next step. If these programs are thinking that �鶹ӳ����ý is going to come in and just try to fit in, that’s not going to be how it goes,” Staples says. “�鶹ӳ����ý is going to come in and try to take over. I think Cincinnati, Houston, BYU probably feel the same way, but you’ve seen it with �鶹ӳ����ý. When �鶹ӳ����ý went into the American, it was a step up in competition — but it didn’t take long before �鶹ӳ����ý was one of the best programs in the league. It’s got everything it needs to be successful. It has all the ingredients.”

“Just because Oklahoma and Texas are gone (in 2024 to the sec), no one is going to be able to walk through this league,” says Nicole Auerbach, The Athletic. “We’ve seen Kansas State and Baylor and different teams make Big 12 title games recently, but I would not be surprised if �鶹ӳ����ý is competing to win this league pretty soon after getting there.”

�鶹ӳ����ý will hold a press conference to officially introduce new head coach Sytia Messer Tuesday at 2 p.m. in the lobby of Addition Financial Arena. More information to come.

Messer comes to �鶹ӳ����ý after serving as associate head coach at LSU for the 2021-22 season under 2022 Associated Press National Coach of the Year and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kim Mulkey.

“Due to the great success our team had this past season, we knew we had to find a coach that we believe could continue to elevate our program. It quickly became crystal clear that Sytia was the right coach for us at the right time.” —   Terry Mohajir, director of Athletics

“Due to the great success our team had this past season, we knew we had to find a coach that we believe could continue to elevate our program. It quickly became crystal clear that Sytia was the right coach for us at the right time,” Mohajir says. “She has played and coached in multiple Final Fours. She has recruited and developed a long list of great players in the ACC, the Big 12 and this last year the SEC. She played a major role in a great run at Baylor, and she has been an accomplished head coach. Sytia understands what it takes to be successful on and off the court — and that will make her a great fit at �鶹ӳ����ý.”

“We are excited to welcome Coach Messer to the �鶹ӳ����ý family. She brings to �鶹ӳ����ý a championship pedigree as a coach and player, tremendous success as a recruiter, and strong track records of winning with integrity and fostering student-athletes’ academic excellence,” �鶹ӳ����ý President Alexander N. Cartwright says. “We are proud of the incredible achievements of our student-athletes, both on the court and in the classroom, who have taken our women’s basketball program to new heights with the enthusiastic support of Knight Nation. We look forward to coach Messer further elevating our program — and our university — on the national stage.”

As an assistant coach on Mulkey’s staff at Baylor from 2013-14 through 2020-21, Messer helped lead the Bears to a combined record of 260-23 (.918) in eight seasons, winning eight Big 12 Conference regular-season championships, six conference tournament titles, an NCAA title in 2019 and making six NCAA Elite Eight appearances.

With Messer’s help, Baylor won 32 or more games in each of her first six seasons with the Bears — the last of those a 37-1 record in the 2019 NCAA title campaign. In those six years Baylor finished sixth or higher in the final Associated Press poll every season — including first in 2019 and second in 2018. Messer’s eight seasons at Baylor included 23 NCAA Championship victories and at least a tie for the Big 12 regular-season title every year.

“For decades, Orlando has been a place where dreams come true, and becoming the head coach of the women’s basketball program at �鶹ӳ����ý is a dream come true for me,” Messer says . “My vision aligned perfectly with �鶹ӳ����ý’s vision for success, and I can’t thank Dr. Alexander N. Cartwright and Terry Mohajir enough for selecting me to lead this program. I also want to share how much I truly respect the work of each head coach who preceded me in this endeavor and thank them for all that they poured into the program and the young women that have competed and graduated from �鶹ӳ����ý. I am eager to start a new era of �鶹ӳ����ý basketball. Let’s go Knights!”

“For decades, Orlando has been a place where dreams come true, and becoming the head coach of the women’s basketball program at �鶹ӳ����ý is a dream come true for me.” — Sytia Messer, �鶹ӳ����ý women’s basketball head coach

During her time at Baylor, Messer oversaw scouting and recruiting, helping the Lady Bears sign the nation’s top recruiting class in both 2016 and 2018 as well as the second-ranked class in 2015. She helped recruit 15 top 50 players and 14 McDonald’s All-Americans. The Lady Bears had nine players selected in the WNBA Draft during that span, including Odyssey Sims, the second overall pick in 2014, and Alexis Jones, the 12th overall selection in 2017.

In addition, Messer recruited Kalani Brown, a first-round (seventh overall) draft pick of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2019, and Lauren Cox, the nation’s top-rated recruit out of Flower Mound High School in Texas and the third overall draft pick by the Indiana Fever in the 2020 WNBA Draft. She also helped develop Didi Richards, the 2020 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year at Baylor, as well as 2022 first-team All-SEC honoree Khayla Pointer at LSU.

In eight years at Baylor, Messer coached Sims (the 2014 Big 12 Player of the Year) and had seven guards named first-team All-Big 12 Conference. She also recruited and signed 2021 Wade Trophy winner and Big 12 Player of the Year NaLyssa Smith. Baylor in Messer’s tenure there produced eight selections on one of the three Associated Press All-America teams—including first-team picks Sims (2014), Nina Davis (2014), Cox (2020) and Smith (2021). Smith claimed first-team honors again in 2022.

Since joining the Baylor staff is 2013, Messer’s teams over the last nine years have produced 73 All-Big 12 selections, 20 All-America honorees, five Big 12 Players of the Year, 26 Academic All-Big 12 selections and two All-SEC performers.

A head coach for three seasons at Tennessee Tech from 2009-10 to 2011-12, Messer led the Golden Eagles to the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship, two postseason appearances (WNIT in 2011, WBI in 2012), back-to-back appearances in the OVC tournament title game–and she was named the 2011 OVC Coach of the Year. Her three-year mark of 54-41 (.568) featured an overall 23-8 record in 2010-11, a three-year 34-18 OVC mark and 30-12 home record.

Messer got her start in coaching as an assistant coach for two years at Arkansas State in 2000-01 and 2001-02. Other coaching stops for Messer include assistant coaching positions at Memphis (2002-03 and 2003-04) and Georgia Tech twice (2004-05 through 2008-09; 2012-13).

In her second season at Memphis, Messer helped the Tigers to a 21-10 mark and a second-round WNIT appearance. She played a key role on Georgia Tech teams that three straight years won at least 21 games and advanced to NCAA Championships in 2007-08-09.

The Waldo, Arkansas, native was a standout women’s basketball student-athlete at Arkansas, where she helped the Razorbacks reach the NCAA Final Four for the first time in school history in 1998.

Messer finished her career with the Razorbacks (1995-96 through 1998-99) ranked in the school’s top 10 for points (1,379) and rebounds (603). She was a two-time captain for Arkansas as a junior and senior and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 1996. Messer’s top individual season came when she averaged 12.6 points per game in 1997-98 and she added 12.2 per game as senior in 1998-99.

She was named the 1998 NCAA Championship West Regional MVP after helping Arkansas to a berth in the Final Four—thanks to regional wins over Kansas (led by Messer’s 24 points) and eight-ranked Duke (team-leading 20 points). Arkansas, seeded ninth in the NCAA bracket that year, became the first unranked team in the modern era to advance to the Final Four. The win over Duke is ranked as the greatest in Arkansas women’s basketball history.

Messer also helped Arkansas to the 1999 WNIT championship. She’s a member of the Razorbacks Hall of Honor (inducted in 2018) and was part of the 2012 Class of SEC greats.

She started 96 career games, played in 128 consecutive games and helped her Razorback teams to win totals of 21 as a freshman (1995-96), 22 as a junior (1997-98) and 20 as a senior (1998-99).

Messer played in the summer prior to graduation for the collegiate squad of Athletes in Action. She also played for the post-college Athletes in Action touring team.

She is a 2000 graduate of Arkansas, with a bachelor of science degree in kinesiology. She has been an honorary chair of Habitat for Humanity — and she also was a 2012 graduate of the Center for Coaching Excellence.

For more information on Messer’s career, visit ucfknights.com.

�鶹ӳ����ý (25-3) will take on the 10^th seed Florida (21-10) on Saturday, March 19. The game tips at 3:30 p.m. on ESPNews.

The winner of the first-round matchup will take on the winner of second-seed UConn (25-5) and Mercer (23-6) in the second round.

Sunday’s selection marks �鶹ӳ����ý’s seventh NCAA Tournament appearance since joining the Division I ranks in 1984-85. Each of �鶹ӳ����ý’s first four appearances had been via an automatic berth, winning the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament twice (1996, 1999) and capturing a pair of the Conference USA Tournament titles (2009, 2011). The Knights earned the first at-large bid in program history for the 2019 tournament and again in 2021. �鶹ӳ����ý won its first American Athletic Conference tournament title on March 10 to earn the automatic bid in 2022.

For the third straight NCAA Tournament, �鶹ӳ����ý has earned its highest seed in program history. The Knights enter the 2022 tournament as a No. 7 seed and were previously being seeded as high as 10^th in 2021.

�鶹ӳ����ý’s NCAA Tournament History

Year      Seed      Round                 Opponent                         Result

1996      #16         First Round        #1 Louisiana Tech             L, 98-41

1999      #16         First Round        #1 Louisiana Tech             L, 90-48

2009     #14         First Round        #3 North Carolina             L, 85-80

2011       #13         First Round        #4 Ohio State                    L, 80-69

2019      #12         First Round        #5 Arizona State                L, 60-45

2021      #10         First Round        #7 Northwestern               L, 62-51

Thousands of students lined up for the event hours before the 1 p.m. rush in at the Reflecting Pond . (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

�鶹ӳ����ý women’s basketball players Masseny Kaba (left), Diamond Battles (center) and Kay Kay Wright (right) hyped up the crowd. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

Head Football Coach Josh Heupel was also in attendance. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

A group of students showed off their excitement. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

Members of the football team, including Jake Brown (left), McKenzie Milton (center) and Kyle Benkel (right) checked out the crowd before tossing ducks. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

�鶹ӳ����ý’s 2019 Homecoming Court waved to everyone and wished them luck in catching a duck. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

Students raced to the front of the Pond. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

One attendee in particular took the spirit of the occasion to heart by wearing a duck mask. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

Quarterback Dillon Gabriel poses with some ducks before tossing them to the crowd. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

Offensive lineman Jordan Johnson had some fun with the crowd. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

One lucky students secures a duck. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

No Spirit Splash would be complete without Knightro. (Photo by Nick Leyva ’15)

Another student is amazed he made the catch. (Photo by Lauren Schoepfer ’17)

The cheerleading team helped keep the energy high during the event. (Photo by  Lauren Schoepfer ’17)

Knightro crowd surfs as more ducks are thrown. (Photo by Lauren Schoepfer ’17)

No feeling compares to catching a duck. (Photo by  Lauren Schoepfer ’17)

�鶹ӳ����ý Interim President Thad Seymour Jr. and Katie Seymour pose with the crowd in festive attire as the event came to an end. (Photo by Carly McCarthy ’14)

A good boy named Thor guards a few of the highly coveted ducks. (Photo by Rhiana Raymundo ’19)

Trailing 77-76, the Knights had two good looks at the hoop in the final seconds when senior guard BJ Taylor ’18 drove toward the basket and tried to bank his attempt. Redshirt junior forward Aubrey Dawkins ’18 tipped Taylor’s miss, but both shots rimmed out, allowing the Blue Devils to escape to the next round.

“We left it all out there. We played as hard as we could. I think we showed a lot of people across the country that we were a serious basketball team and that we really could play with anybody,” Taylor said in the postgame press conference. “I know coming into this game a lot of people had us losing by 15-plus to these guys, and they’re a great team. Like coach said, they fought and played extremely hard, but I think we represented �鶹ӳ����ý as best we could. I think we did everything we could to win that game. It just came down to a couple plays.”

�鶹ӳ����ý head coach Johnny Dawkins gave an emotional speech in the locker room to the Knights, who finished the year with 24 victories, just one victory shy of the program’s Division I record for victories in a season, set in 2003-04.

“We haven’t had a team play any better against us than they did. They were fantastic.” — Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski

Longtime Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was extremely complimentary of �鶹ӳ����ý’s performance following the final buzzer.

“They were deserving of winning. They were so good. I’m so proud that those kids played at the level of their coach,” said Krzyzewski, who coached Dawkins as a player from 1983-86 and later had Dawkins on Duke’s coaching staff from 1998-2008. “It was a great game because both teams played hard. We haven’t had a team play any better against us than they did. They were fantastic.”

History Made

Despite the heartbreak, the Knights will be able to look back fondly on one of the best seasons in school history filled with milestones.

�鶹ӳ����ý punched its first at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and made its first appearance in the Big Dance in 14 years. Selected as a nine seed, the Knights earned their highest seeding, topping their previous best (14) by a substantial margin.

The Knights made the most of their opportunity and recorded their first NCAA Tournament win in program history — a 73-58 victory over VCU in Friday’s first round.

That win — the team’s 24th of the season — matched a best for �鶹ӳ����ý under Dawkins’ leadership. He also led the 2016-17 squad, which advanced to the NIT Final Four, to 24 victories.

Taylor became the first Knight to average 15 or more points in three straight seasons. Fellow senior Tacko Fall finished with 280 blocks in his career, which is a program record. Fall also set a new NCAA Division I record for career field goal percentage.

“I’m just very proud of them. What we were able to do this year as far as competing at the level we wanted to compete at, making the NCAA Tournament, winning a game in the NCAA Tournament says a lot about our senior class because they led us all the way, and I’m just really proud of everything they’ve done for our program,” Dawkins said. “Going forward, we need to use these type of moments to build on. Now our guys understand what it takes to be in these moments, to be in the NCAA Tournament team, and now we need to grow from that. We’ll lose some valuable players, guys that helped do some things at �鶹ӳ����ý that hadn’t been done before, and now we need the players that are returning to understand the importance of continuing that legacy that the seniors left behind.”

Women’s Season Finale

The historic season �鶹ӳ����ý women’s basketball season came to a close on Friday evening as the Knights dropped a 60-45 decision to Arizona State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

�鶹ӳ����ý ended its season with a 26-7 overall record, setting a record for victories this season.

For the first time since 1996, the �鶹ӳ����ý men’s and women’s basketball teams both appeared in the NCAA Tournament in the same season.

For the first time since 1996, the �鶹ӳ����ý men’s and women’s basketball teams both appeared in the NCAA Tournament in the same season.

�鶹ӳ����ý and Michigan are the only two NCAA Division I programs in the country this year who can boast to have had their football team compete in a New Year’s Six bowl game and both their men’s and women’s basketball teams compete in the NCAA Tournament.

All season long, the women’s team reached milestone after milestone. �鶹ӳ����ý received votes in the USA Today/WBCA coaches poll in each of the 19 weeks, and picked up its first-ever votes in the AP Top 25, appearing in 10 polls on the season. Posting a 13-3 record in the American Athletic Conference, the second-place Knights made their first appearance in The American’s title game for the first time since the league’s inception in 2013.

They made history again when the NCAA Tournament bracket was released — earning the program’s first at-large bid and the highest seed in the Knights’ five appearances.

The women spent the weekend in Uncasville, Connecticut, making a successful run through their tournament while the men are gearing up for their conference tournament in Memphis, Tennessee, later this week.

Monday’s Championship Matchup

Thanks to Sunday’s historical win against Cincinnati in The American Championship semifinal, the �鶹ӳ����ý women’s basketball team advanced to compete in the league final for first time since the conference’s inception in 2013. The Knights will take on national powerhouse UConn at Mohegan Sun Arena at 7 p.m. Monday on ESPN2.

The Knights’ 66-58 win over the Bearcats marked the team’s 26th win of the season and in effect set a new school record for the most wins in a season.

“We’re going to stick together, we’re going to play hard, we’re going to stay focused. This is our time.” — �鶹ӳ����ý head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson

“I’m so proud of these young women. It’s kind of fitting the Nike (warm-up) shirts say �鶹ӳ����ý family. When we went in the locker room I just said, ‘Families back each other up. You guys are my daughters. You guys are your sisters. We’re going to stick together, we’re going to play hard, we’re going to stay focused. This is our time. We are going to try to get in this championship game.’ And everybody really stepped up,” head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson says.

A win against UConn would deliver the team’s first conference trophy since the 2010-11 season and automatically punch the Knights’ ticket to the NCAA Tournament. While �鶹ӳ����ý has also put together a strong resume for the program’s first at-large bid to the Big Dance, the Knights will have to wait a week to find out the details of their postseason fate.

The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship bracket will be revealed at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, March 18, on ESPN.

Men’s AAC Championship Outlook

The men’s basketball team (23-7, 13-5 American) will head into the postseason with its most regular season victories in its Division I history (since 1984). The Knights’ 13-5 record in American Athletic Conference play is its best performance in league play since joining The American.

Thanks to back-to-back wins over nationally ranked opponents (No. 6 Houston; No. 19 Cincinnati), the Knights earned a bye in the first round of the conference tournament. As the No. 4 seed in the bracket, �鶹ӳ����ý will appear in the quarterfinals at FedEx Forum on Friday, March 12, at 2 p.m. on ESPN2 against the winner of Thursday’s first-round matchup between No. 5 Memphis and No. 12 Tulane.

The championship final will be held Sunday, March 17, at 3:15 p.m. ET on ESPN. Later that night, the NCAA Tournament selection show will stream live from 6 to 7 p.m. ET on March Madness Live and broadcast nationally on CBS.

As a child, Shuler’s summer breaks from school were spent with her grandmother, a retired nurse. Shuler was fascinated by a nursing kit she kept in the house that had a stethoscope, thermometer and other medical equipment.

“She still comes to a lot of the home games and sits behind the bench. It’s a really good feeling to be able to look at the stands and see her,” Shuler says.

With a bachelor’s degree in health sciences already under her belt, the Orlando native and interdisciplinary studies graduate student has started every game this season for the Knights, who are off to their best start in the Division I era and receiving votes in the national polls. With a 17-3 record, including 6-1 in American Athletic Conference play, �鶹ӳ����ý is currently second in the league’s standings, behind only No. 3 UConn.

When did you know you wanted to become a Division I student-athlete?

In high school (Edgewater), we were cleaning out the garage and I found these old scrapbooks of my dad and my mom from their playing days. I realized, wow my parents were really good at basketball. It was that moment in the garage that motivated me to put in the extra work to get better and get a scholarship.

What do you think it will be like when your basketball career is done?

My mom talks to me every day about it: “You have to remember, your games are numbered.” Basketball has given me confidence and a competitive nature. It’s motivating to be around other women who are strong. I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for when it’s all over. I am going to take an MCAT course because I want to go to medical school, but I’m probably going to take a gap year first. I need experience in the work force, and I’ve never had a job in my life, so it’s going to be interesting to see how that goes. But for now, I’m focused on playing every game like it’s my last. I want to be able the leave the program on a good note. We want to turn it into a top 25 program. I hope Knight Nation will keep coming out to support us. That would be really great. They make such a difference.

Who is a better shot blocker: You or �鶹ӳ����ý men’s basketball 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall?

It’s interesting because I don’t think either one of us really jump to block shots. Statistics-wise he has more, but I think I have him beat on technique. (Note: Shuler, who stands 6-feet tall, ranks among the �鶹ӳ����ý women’s top 10 for career blocks while Fall owns the school record for career blocks.)

�鶹ӳ����ý is your hometown team. What does that mean to you?

That was part of the reason why I came here. It was to stay home and build something here. And it’s not just me who thinks that way. I have been watching [junior guard and teammate] Kay Kay Wright play since the eighth grade. [Men’s basketball senior guard] BJ Taylor is from Orlando. We’ve had football players from Orlando. I think we’re doing a really good job of getting people to come here. This is our city so why not try to build it up and be the best?

If you could give yourself advice when you were a freshman in 2014, what would it be?

“Perseverance is key.” That first year was really hard for me. I was so excited to play college basketball and then I got injured and basketball was basically taken away from me for the next eight months. I had to find other things that made me happy because I wasn’t able to play the game I love so much.

What makes you happy?

School. And Netflix. My teammates and I watch shows together. We’ve been watching a show called You. I just finished one called Somewhere Between. I so excited for the sequel to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. (Freshman forward) Brittany Smith and I are going to watch it. [Women’s basketball forward Tolulope Omokore] and I have been watching Grey’s Anatomy. That’s probably one of my favorite shows of all time. I’ve seen every season. Derrick’s death hurt me so much. I stopped watching after his death for a couple months and then I was finally able to get over it and start watching again. I get connected to the characters so when they die or go off the show, I feel like part of me is just gone.

The �鶹ӳ����ý women’s basketball team’s next game is Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. against Houston at CFE Arena. The first 1,000 fans will receive a mini Knugget bobblehead.

The �鶹ӳ����ý men’s and women’s basketball teams both notched victories against American Athletic Conference opponents in Sunday’s doubleheader at CFE Arena to remain undefeated in league play.

The women took their game down to the wire against Cincinnati and came out on top, 56-55, thanks to junior guard Kay Kay Wright’s layup with five seconds remaining in the game.

Fueled by four Knights who scored in double digits, the men followed up with a 76-65 win over East Carolina.

The two squads are receiving votes in both the Associated Press top 25 and USA Today Coaches top 25 rankings. It marks the first time in school history that both programs are earning recognition in the polls in the same season.

Women’s Winning Ways

The women’s team has won four in a row and is off to a 3-0 start in conference play for the second straight year.

With a 14-2 overall record, the Knights are in the middle of one of their best seasons in program history. �鶹ӳ����ý has defeated eight opponents that made either the NCAA Tournament or WNIT last season.

Part of the reason for the Knights’ success can be attributed to their stellar defense. �鶹ӳ����ý leads The American and ranks among the top 10 in the nation for scoring defense, limiting opponents to an average of 53.6 points per game.

Wright, who scores 19.3 points per game, is also a major factor as the second leading scorer in the conference.

Ticket information for the women’s games can be found online at ucfknights.com.

Men’s Rise to the Top

With a 13-2 overall record, including 3-0 in conference games, the men’s team currently sits atop The American’s standings as the only remaining unbeaten team in league play.

The Knights are currently riding a seven-game winning streak — their longest streak since the 2010-11 season.

�鶹ӳ����ý boasts two of the conference’s top scorers in senior guards B.J. Taylor ’18 (17.3 points per game) and Aubrey Dawkins ’18 (15.9 points per game) and two of the league’s best shot blockers in senior forwards Tacko Fall (3.1 blocks per game) and Chad Brown (1.2 blocks per game).

In fact, Fall has already claimed the school record for career blocks and currently ranks seventh in the country for total blocks so far this season (47).

Ticket information for the men’s games can be found online at ucfknights.com.

Up Next

Fans can catch both teams at CFE Arena at their next doubleheader Saturday, Jan. 19. The men tip off first at noon against Tulsa, and the women will follow at 2 p.m. against SMU.

The teams are in action separately before the weekend. The men will play on the road at Wichita State at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday, while the women are home on Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Tulsa.

Fans can also enjoy a unique opportunity to interact with �鶹ӳ����ý head coaches Johnny Dawkins and Katie Abrahamson-Henderson at today’s �鶹ӳ����ý Knight Talk.

Hosted by longtime play-by-play announcer Marc Daniels, �鶹ӳ����ý Knight Talk is a weekly radio show held at Burger U at 6 p.m. on Mondays leading up to the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The show is free for all fans to attend and there will be opportunities to ask questions during the live program.

Abrahamson-Henderson, also known as Coach Abe, has inked a one-year deal keeping her at the helm through the 2022-23 season. Dawkins will lead the Knights through the 2023-24 season.

“We are very fortunate to have Katie Abrahamson-Henderson leading our women’s basketball program [and] I am thrilled to have Johnny Dawkins leading our men’s basketball program,” says Danny White, vice president and director of .

Under Abrahamson-Henderson’s guidance, the Knights finished the 2017-18 campaign with a 22-11 record, tying the most wins in a season as a Division I program. �鶹ӳ����ý turned in a 12-4 mark in The American – its best record in league play since 2010-11 – and posted its highest finish in the conference for the second consecutive season, earning the third seed. One year after earning the program’s first postseason victory in either the NCAA or WNIT tournaments, Abrahamson-Henderson’s squad followed with a second-straight WNIT second round appearance.

“I am blessed and excited for the confidence of Danny White, Brandi Stuart, former President Hitt and new President Whittaker,” Abrahamson-Henderson says. “Our team’s success over the last two seasons, both on the court and in the classroom, would not be possible without their support. Our entire staff is looking forward to building on the success of back-to-back postseason appearances as we head into this season and the future.”

Dawkins took over a 12-18 team that hadn’t finished above .500 since the 2012-13 season and has led �鶹ӳ����ý to 43 wins in his two years under his leadership. In the last two seasons, Dawkins’ Knights have made a run to the National Invitation Tournament Semifinals, led the NCAA in field goal percentage defense, won at Memphis for the first time ever and earned their first true road win over a ranked opponent.

“I’m very thankful to Danny White, Eric Wood, former President John Hitt, and new President Dale Whittaker for their continued support of me and my staff,” Dawkins says. “It’s great to have our administration behind us, knowing they believe in what we’re doing as a program and our standard of representing �鶹ӳ����ý and the community at the highest level.”

With the average team GPA of 3.0 for the last two semesters, both coaches have seen academic growth among their players.

Purchase tickets for the upcoming 2018-19 men’s and women’s basketball seasons online or call 407-823-1000. 

After playing under Hall of Fame coaches for the University of Georgia and University of Iowa, as well as one season professionally overseas, Abrahamson-Henderson began coaching in 1990. This season, as head coach of �鶹ӳ����ý’s women’s basketball team, Abrahamson-Henderson led the Knights to their best season with 22 wins, a tie for their highest since becoming a Division I team, and their first back-to-back postseason appearances in program history.

“I set the bar really high [for players] in terms of their personal lives, their academic lives and their goals for the future,” says Abrahamson-Henderson.

Before coming to �鶹ӳ����ý in 2016, Abrahamson-Henderson, also known as Coach ABE, helped the Albany Great Danes win a combined nine America East Conference tournament and regular season titles. And she was named the America East Coach of the Year three times.

But Abrahamson-Henderson doesn’t only help the women she coaches to become better athletes, she encourages their personal development and academic success to shape them into the leaders of the future. Having earned a bachelor’s in physical education with an emphasis in sports administration at Iowa and a master’s in education from Duquesne University, she knows first-hand the importance of academics.

“I set the bar really high in terms of their personal lives, their academic lives and their goals for the future,” says Abrahamson-Henderson. “We talk about those things from the moment they walk in. What they want to do the next 55 years of the life, not just basketball.”

We sat down with Coach ABE to learn more about how sports can empower women beyond the court.

Nicole Dudenhoefer: You started out as a swimmer and eventually became more interested in basketball. Why is it important to encourage young girls to participate in sports?

Katie Abrahamson-Henderson: For self-confidence. I really think self-confidence is huge. I mean obviously with my daughters [Savannah and Brooklyn] I try to thrust them in there and it gives them a sense of purpose. I think women, when they’re fit and they’re healthy and they feel like they’re accomplishing something, they’re stronger women.

ND: What does it feel to be in a position to mentor so many women?

KAH: It’s a big responsibility because there are so many different personalities and not every young person is raised the same way. So it’s a huge responsibility for me as a coach in trying to raise somebody else’s child. We’re really selective on who we choose because you’re going to want to be focused, you’re going to want to work hard and you’re going to want to have to accomplish something at a higher level, at a higher bar than maybe you’re comfortable doing.

ND: What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned from sports that has helped you succeed in your personal life and your professional life?

KAH: Hard work. I learned that when I was growing up [as a swimmer]. My family, my mother, who raised four kids on her own, taught me that. [Her father died when she was 12.] I also learned that when I was playing college basketball, and then [coaching] Elite Eight [teams in the NCAA] pretty much every year. And obviously I’ve played for great coaches, so they taught me that, too.

ND: You’ve emphasized the importance of a solid education even above athletics. Why is it important for athletes and women to be excellent in more areas than just sports?

KAH: Basketball ends for women — unlike for men it may go a little longer — but basketball ends and so I really try to empower them in what they’re going to do the next 55 years of their life.

Basketball ends for women — unlike for men it may go a little longer — but basketball ends and so I really try to empower them in what they’re going to do the next 55 years of their life.

If they want to accomplish anything, set goals for themselves, and if they want a really good job that pays more than minimum wage, they’re going to have to be smarter, tougher and stronger. The jobs aren’t waiting for them. They’re going to have to find a way to go get them.

So I try to train them that way. I teach them little things, how to shake people’s hands, how to talk to people, how to look people in the eye, how to dress appropriately and how to talk to each other. There are a lot of little intangibles that we do every single day.

ND: How can you tell when you’ve made an impact on your players?

KAH: I think when I see that they can achieve success without me telling them how to get it, and they are constantly doing it. An example of this is Tolulope Omokore. She’s [No.] 25 on our team. She came into the office and told me she wants to work for Nike. I told her, “Oh you do? Well so do two million other people in the world.”

So I told her step by step what she needed to do in order to get to this path. There are tons of people around this university that know Nike reps and [other] people that need to get you in touch, and give you the references that you need to get and the marketing you need to work on and so on.

And she has gone from having no clue of knowing how to do that, to now she calls me the next day and says she met this person from this company, and this person from that company and I’m like, “Wow, that’s amazing.”

So I know that I have empowered her and touched her life that way, because she has taken it to another level. She is so driven to get what she wants and she’s on the right path to do it.

ND: What’s the most meaningful thing a player has said to you about any sort of mentorship you’ve given?

KAH: “I love you, Coach ABE.” “Thank you, Coach ABE. I love you.” To be honest, when I get invited back to their weddings or they come visit me, and things like that, that shows I was a really good coach.