An estimated crowd of 20,000 came en masse with signs and cheers throughout the day's coverageESPN IMAGES
Saturday was the "most important day (and night) in the history of UCF football," as never before has the school "generated so much exposure on a national basis and so much energy and excitement on a local level," according to Mike Bianchi of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. With ESPN's "College GameDay" in town and UCF's win over Cincinnati televised in ABC's primetime slot, the entire nation "got a chance to witness what those of us in Orlando have known for quite some time: That the Knights are truly one of the most dominant teams in the country and UCF is one of the most dynamic universities in the nation." UCF "didn't just win the game, they won the entire day" in front of a "sellout crowd of 47,795." The estimated crowd of 20,000 on hand at the "GameDay" set was "equally raucous" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 11/18). UCF AD Danny White said "GameDay" visiting campus is a "big moment" and "another milestone." Bianchi noted the UCF brand had never been "put on national display" like that. The next time a major conference wants to expand, UCF will be "right at the top of the list." College football fans "now know UCF is an absolutely thriving institution of higher learning with more growth potential than any college football program in the country" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 11/18). In Orlando, David Whitley wrote under the header, "Lee Corso Becomes A Hometown UCF Hero" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 11/18).
AGENT OF CHANGE: In N.Y., Zach Braziller writes college football has a UCF "problem" and an "anyone-but-Power-5-conference problem." There is "no room for Cinderella in the sport, no shot for the little guy to play for a championship, no chance to replicate basketball's version of March Madness that has become so popular." Broadcasting UCF in primetime on Saturday "felt like it was placating the AAC school and the mid-major hopefuls out there, trying to convince the audience the Knights are playoff contenders when everyone knows the opposite is true." Braziller: "Hopefully UCF wins out, knocks off a Power 5 program in a major bowl like last year, and continues to scream about the uneven playing field." It "may be the only way we get what is so desperately needed: a larger playoff field" (N.Y. POST, 11/19).
