As I posted Thursday night, I had the pleasure of attending the 2022 edition of UCF Ladies Knight. An invite was put out to media so even though I wouldn't have normally qualified, I figured why not. I've always been curious about these events and thought I could help share the experience.
Perhaps @UCF_Video can chime in if he has any insight, but I think GOL was something of a trendsetter for hosting a women's event. The first one he put on was in 2006. I remember maybe a few years later GOL gave out a lot of their old Adidas jerseys to those in attendance.
I was always remembered the female fans appreciating the GOL events because they were football-focused and didn't patronize. I think the Frost ones were also well received. The Heupel event was not - I think Heup's wife and Glen Elarbee's wife had other ideas on what might be popular and that was a girly event with "shopping" and "wine tasting" and I just remember the chorus of complaints.
I'm pretty sure last year's debut event with Gus and Kristi was also popular.
Anyway, I got there a few minutes late and missed the opening remarks inside the Nicholson Fieldhouse but I did tag along with one of the groups. I believe the 450+ attendees were split up into groups of five and each would cycle through different stations/events.
First up for the group I shadowed was the stadium locker room, which included a photo shoot, exhibits of helmets/jerseys, trophies on display. It was basically how the locker room is set up for recruiting visits. Brad Anderson, the equipment manager, was there to answer any questions about the gear. They also had the 360-degree rotating spin thing for taking video.
From there, the group headed into the football facility, going in the backdoor of the new addition which connects to the old Wayne Densch. They ended up in the main football meeting room, which is part of the original structure. That's where UCF used to hold press conferences prior to the stadium. This was where S.J. Tuohy, Gus and Kristi spoke. They first showed the same video they play for visiting recruits. S.J. explained a little bit about NIL, introducing Ryan O'Keefe who says he's debuting a clothing line and also has sponsorships. Gus and Kristi also did a brief Q&A.
Then everybody headed across the hallway to the weight room where Chris Dawson spoke a bit about his philosophy while showing off some of the equipment. Erica Underhill, who is UCF's Director of Sports Nutrition, spoke a bit about what she does and the UCFuel available for players. Everybody got to sample a post-workout protein shake.
Next, everybody walked over to the Defensive Meeting Room where secondary coach David Gibbs and tight ends/special teams coach Brian Blackmon hosted a rules tutorial, trying to explain what constitutes pass interference, holding, etc. The duo were great with the crowd, very personable and funny. TE Kemore Gamble was there to assist.
After that, the ladies headed back into the indoor facility to run some drills with T-Will, Kenny Martin, Addison Williams and other staff members. There were some games as well, including the no-hands Oreo challenge.
Players hanging around included Mikey Keene, Daniel McCullon and Trevion Shadrick-Harris. Mikey was obviously very popular and was great with everyone. He was very sweet to Lynne Cheek.
There were so many people milling about, I may have some missed players in the fieldhouse because there was another big group in the far corner I did not venture over to.
There was a silent auction as well, featuring the following items:
-Orlando Magic pack including autographed ball, etc.
-Corkcicle cooler
-Orlando City tickets and jersey
-Gus Malzahn autographed visor
-Gus Malzan autographed football
-Sprouts gift card and food carrier
-Wine & Starbucks gift card
-UCF cookies
-Orlando Magic City Edition jersey and duffel bag
-"Knights Literary Package" including books by Gus, Kenny Ingram and the Tuohys
-Blind Side gift pack
-Gabe Davis autographed Bills mini helmet
-Cole Anthony autographed Magic jerseys
Unless there were late bids, I think the No. 1 item was the Gabe Bills helmet with a high bid of $270.
Voss Realty and Rock Em Socks were among the presenting sponsors. I had an enjoyable conversation with Lindsay's husband towards the end, lol.
I didn't have a frame of reference to compare to past years, but I thought it was great for any gender to enjoy. I would highly recommend to those who are eligible.
