UCF’s spring football season is only a week done. There will still be plenty of questions about the team on the field and how players develop — including the incoming freshman and how this new offense gets adopted.
Those questions will have to wait until July and August to get any kind of clarity with spring pads put away and the spring game completed.
What is undoubted though is that there is a new level of excitement about this team. People are interested in what this team will do and its potential because of that vaunted Oregon offense Frost is bringing with him. There were 23,000-plus fans at Brighthouse Networks Stadium on Saturday to attest to that.
Now comes the marketing train. It begins with the announcement of different jersey nights and fan color coordination at home games this year. The Knights announced the different theme nights during the spring game.
The announcement was made in March that UCF would try to have fans coordinate their colors in the stands — likely to go with special Nike jerseys and jersey combinations on the field.
They will include a “First Frost” white out for the season opener against South Carolina State on Sept. 3, a black-and-white moat design for Senior Day against Tulsa and a black-and-white out for the home game against Maryland.
And, yes, that might mean the Knights will wear distinctive jerseys from Nike each week. Oregon’s offense is not all that is traveling East. Already there are photos circulating of an alternate helmet:
Out of all the #UCF news today though, this by far was the sweetest. #ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/buoO1vzO7f
— Carson Ingle (@caingle) April 21, 2016
There is no word if the Knights will actually wear this gold helmet. But it is very possible they could do this and maybe even add different decals than the block “UCF” logo.
UCF certainly seems to be getting serious about marketing their program and making it unique. That was part of what they wanted in hiring Frost. And certainly that will continue to be part of the story for the Knights.
So what is next more immediately?
UCF will be taking its show on the road for the Charge On Tour.
Frost and his assistant coaches along with athletic director Danny White will be barnstorming around the state in mid May to speak to donors and alumni.
It starts at Cheyenne Saloon in Downtown Orlando on May 17 and will trek to Cocoa Beach, Tampa, Jacksonville, Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Blake Bortles is expected to attend the event in Jacksonville according to multiple reports.
The Knights are now in the hype and marketing building stage of their season. But before we know it, they will be back on the field.
