How did UCF get their mascot?

Knightro's Name came from an election held by the Student Government and the winning submission was from Robert Morris (the Senate Pro Tempore at the time) with UCF's first mascot had been the Citronaut in 1969. The first costume was made by Costume World, of Pompano Beach.

What is the history of Knightro?

In November 1994, an unnamed, towering knight clad in golden armor started making on-campus appearances. Trey Gordon, '96, a cheerleader and member of the Student Government Association, helped to create the mascot and filled the role himself that season, showing up at UCF basketball games and public gatherings.

Why did UCF choose knights?

The moniker was switched to "Golden Knights" in 1993 as a solution to poor merchandise sales. In 2007, UCF announced that they would be dropping “Golden,” and would be known as the “Knights.” The mascot of the athletic teams is Knightro, a black knight with golden armor.

Why is UCF logo a Pegasus?

The logo was officially unveiled by President Charles Millican on April 5, 1968, from a design by Jim Shattuck and Norman Van Meter. More than 50 proposals were considered during the process. The Pegasus design was chosen for its distinctiveness—and it symbolizes the university's vision of limitless possibilities.

Why is UCF called Citronauts?

The Citronaut was the original, unofficial, mascot of UCF when the program was FTU (Florida Technological University). The mascot consisted of the body of an orange emblazoned with the FTU logo while having what is meant to be the face of a space helmet-wearing astronaut.

Knightro: UCF's mascot for 20 years

Why do UCF uniforms say space U?

For the past seven years, UCF has played a “Space Game” to celebrate the school's proximity to the Space Coast and NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. And for the last six years, the Knights have worn special uniforms for the game.

What was UCF originally called?

In December 1978, Governor Reuben Askew signed legislation changing the school's name from Florida Technological University to the University of Central Florida.

What is UCF motto?

The University of Central Florida was founded in 1963 to fuel the talent and technology needs of America's growing space program at the Space Coast. From the beginning, UCF's purpose has been to help people and organizations “Reach for the Stars,” which is the university's official motto.

What is the UCF Knight called?

Knightro. Knightro debuted at the first Spirit Splash in 1994 as a knight in golden armor without a name. Over the next year, the golden mascot made appearances at events, sporting events and other student gatherings before being officially named Knightro.

What celebrity donated a horse to UCF?

The horses

Horses have been donated by Burt Reynolds, UCF Board of Trustees member Rick Walsh and Medieval Times. In 2009, the famed touring show the "World Famous" Lipizzaner Stallions agreed to provide their horses for the program.

Who is the UCF biggest rival?

The UCF-South Florida rivalry has been the standard for the last decade. Two proud Central Florida institutions, 100 miles apart, thrown together in the American Athletic Conference —with no other leagues foes this side of East Carolina.

Why is UCF wearing blue?

UCF is synonymous with the space industry due to its proximity to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. For UCF's 7th Space Game, the team is switching things up. For the first time, the Knights will wear “Canaveral blue,” in a “Reaching New Horizons” theme.

Who is the UCF rival?

The South Florida–UCF football rivalry, better known as the War on I-4, is an American college football rivalry between the South Florida Bulls football team of the University of South Florida and UCF Knights football team of the University of Central Florida.

What is UCF known for?

A Legacy in Engineering That Contributes to Space Exploration. Additionally, UCF is recognized among the Best Engineering Schools that offer doctorates in the nation. Our origin as an engineering school created to power the space industry continues to be one of UCF's greatest strengths in innovation.

What makes UCF special?

UCF is an academic, partnership and research leader in numerous fields, such as optics and lasers, modeling and simulation, engineering and computer science, business, public administration, education, hospitality management, healthcare and video game design.

What is the Knightmare at UCF?

The Knightmare Society was founded in 2017 to assist in fund-raising efforts to support UCF Athletics' expanding program.

What is the UCF Golden Rule?

The Golden Rule is a compilation of policies and procedures from different university areas intended to define the rights and responsibilities afforded to students and provide a better understanding of each student's role as a member of the UCF community.

Why is UCF so big?

UCF grew in response to demand for education in its region, and in doing so it has also expanded access to underserved students.

Is UCF prestigious?

University of Central Florida's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #124.

Is UCF the biggest college in the world?

The University of Central Florida (UCF) is the second-largest university in the United States, with 63,000 students and over 200 programmes of study to choose from. The university has a Carnegie Foundation designation for very high research activity.

Why did UCF change its name?

As its academic scope expanded beyond engineering and technology, Florida Tech was renamed the University of Central Florida in 1978.

Why is UCF wearing blue 11 11 23?

UCF revealed its most highly anticipated look of the year Oct. 11, and it features a new base color. The Knights will wear all “Canaveral blue” uniforms, announced in a social media video, for their “Mission VII” Space Game against Oklahoma State on Nov. 11.

What is the color code for UCF?

The Central Florida Knights colors HEX codes are #FFC904 for bright gold, #BA9B37 for metallic gold, and #000000 for black.

How is UCF connected to NASA?

UCF faculty are part of several NASA missions, including OSIRIS-REx and New Horizons. But our faculty aren't the only ones doing research in space. UCF alumni have also gone on to take giant leaps in the space industry with companies such as Blue Origin, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, NASA and SpaceX.