2025 UCF Football Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 28 - Jacksonville State
Saturday, Sept. 6 - North Carolina A&T
Saturday, Sept. 13 - BYE
Saturday, Sept. 20 - North Carolina
Saturday, Sept. 27 - at Kansas State
Saturday, Oct. 4 - Kansas
Saturday, Oct. 11 - at Cincinnati
Saturday, Oct. 18 - West Virginia
Saturday, Oct 25 - BYE
Saturday, Nov. 1 - at Baylor
Saturday, Nov. 8 - Houston
Saturday, Nov. 15 - at Texas Tech
Saturday, Nov. 22 - Oklahoma State
Saturday, Nov. 29 - at BYU
At long last, the 2025 Big 12 schedule is here. We've known the opponents since November 2023, but now we know how they fall in the calendar. With a nine-game conference schedule, it alternates between 4/5 home/away games. This year it's four home games and five away, which always adds to the degree of difficulty. Last year's schedule was terrific from a travel standpoint. I still can't believe Gus couldn't do any better than 4-8.
Anyway, the first thing that sticks out to me is every home game, aside from the traditional Thursday season opener, is scheduled for Saturday. Playing Thursday/Friday games were commonplace in the AAC. In the first three years in the Big 12, it appears the only non-Saturday conference home game will remain last year's Black Friday game vs. Utah.
Every game alternates between away/home, which I guess is how it should be.
This is a season with two bye weeks. You have liked to see that first bye week come a little bit later with perhaps the second one in November, but I guess it's fine.
Like 2023, the Big 12 opener is a road game at Kansas State. If you're interested in going and staying in Manhattan, book something ASAP. There only maybe a half dozen decent hotels there and prices were already elevated in anticipation of a possible home game. If you aren't staying in Manhattan, the next closest place would be Topeka (one away away). Kansas City is like two hours away.
That's a tough November with five consecutive games, three of which are on the road.
Houston is the Space Game, which is perfect.
UCF hasn't played a Thanksgiving Weekend game outside the State of Florida since 2010 (Memphis). Every year since it's either been a home game or the five AAC-era trips to Tampa for the War on I-4. I know this placement is disappointing because BYU would've been a popular roadtrip and my guess is many folks will bypass due to the timing/cost. Nobody wants to travel Thanksgiving Weekend if you can help it and airfare will undoubtedly be sky high. I do miss the War on I-4 for that reason.
FWIW: The average temperatures in Provo, Utah on Nov. 29 is a high of 49°F and a low of 29°F.
Since BYU will be a no-go for many, I'm guessing Baylor on Halloween Weekend will be the No. 1 road trip destination. Waco has a small airport with only service from American, so I'm assuming most people will fly into Dallas or Austin (each 90 miles away). Does the fact it falls on Halloween Weekend impact your potential travel plans, especially if you have younger kids?
K-State has the best gameday atmosphere in the Big 12, though it's probably a harder sell than Chip & Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Market.
As for opponent strength, everything we initially thought about the 2024 schedule (including the strength of UCF) completely reversed course. A lot of people thought Colorado, BYU and Arizona State would be in the bottom part of the league. ASU won the championship and BYU/Colorado were in the hunt to the very end. Meanwhile, preseason favorites Oklahoma State and Utah were terrible.
So in that regard, time will tell in regards to the strength of this year's slate. Based on the money they're spending in NIL, Texas Tech will be up there as a preseason favorite. The question will be how their team of mercenaries comes together.
BYU could be a trendy preseason champion pick. They return QB Jake Retzlaff and a lot of other key pieces.
Kansas State should be up there. QB Avery Johnson returns.
Everybody thought Baylor coach Dave Aranda was on the hot seat, but they finished strong by winning their final six Big 12 games. Expectations are increasing in Waco.
Kansas still has QB Jalon Daniels.
I'd think Willie Fritz improves Houston in Year Two.
Oklahoma State cratered spectacularly (0-9 in the Big 12) in 2024 after playing in the Big 12 CCG the season before. Can Mike Gundy right the ship?
WVU parallels UCF in bringing back a former popular coach, Rich Rodriguez.
Cincinnati went 3-9 and 5-7 their first two seasons in the Big 12, which coincides with Scott Satterfield's tenure. For some reason, I thought he was there longer. Luke Fickell left for Wisconsin after the 2022 season.
What are your thoughts and impressions of the schedule?
And in case you were wondering, here's UCF's opponent breakdown for the following two seasons:
2026
Home: Arizona State, BYU, Baylor, TCU, Iowa State
Away: Colorado, Houston, Oklahoma State, Kansas
2027
Home: Colorado, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Cincinnati
Away: Arizona, Utah, Baylor, Iowa State, West Virginia
Thursday, Aug. 28 - Jacksonville State
Saturday, Sept. 6 - North Carolina A&T
Saturday, Sept. 13 - BYE
Saturday, Sept. 20 - North Carolina
Saturday, Sept. 27 - at Kansas State
Saturday, Oct. 4 - Kansas
Saturday, Oct. 11 - at Cincinnati
Saturday, Oct. 18 - West Virginia
Saturday, Oct 25 - BYE
Saturday, Nov. 1 - at Baylor
Saturday, Nov. 8 - Houston
Saturday, Nov. 15 - at Texas Tech
Saturday, Nov. 22 - Oklahoma State
Saturday, Nov. 29 - at BYU
At long last, the 2025 Big 12 schedule is here. We've known the opponents since November 2023, but now we know how they fall in the calendar. With a nine-game conference schedule, it alternates between 4/5 home/away games. This year it's four home games and five away, which always adds to the degree of difficulty. Last year's schedule was terrific from a travel standpoint. I still can't believe Gus couldn't do any better than 4-8.
Anyway, the first thing that sticks out to me is every home game, aside from the traditional Thursday season opener, is scheduled for Saturday. Playing Thursday/Friday games were commonplace in the AAC. In the first three years in the Big 12, it appears the only non-Saturday conference home game will remain last year's Black Friday game vs. Utah.
Every game alternates between away/home, which I guess is how it should be.
This is a season with two bye weeks. You have liked to see that first bye week come a little bit later with perhaps the second one in November, but I guess it's fine.
Like 2023, the Big 12 opener is a road game at Kansas State. If you're interested in going and staying in Manhattan, book something ASAP. There only maybe a half dozen decent hotels there and prices were already elevated in anticipation of a possible home game. If you aren't staying in Manhattan, the next closest place would be Topeka (one away away). Kansas City is like two hours away.
That's a tough November with five consecutive games, three of which are on the road.
Houston is the Space Game, which is perfect.
UCF hasn't played a Thanksgiving Weekend game outside the State of Florida since 2010 (Memphis). Every year since it's either been a home game or the five AAC-era trips to Tampa for the War on I-4. I know this placement is disappointing because BYU would've been a popular roadtrip and my guess is many folks will bypass due to the timing/cost. Nobody wants to travel Thanksgiving Weekend if you can help it and airfare will undoubtedly be sky high. I do miss the War on I-4 for that reason.
FWIW: The average temperatures in Provo, Utah on Nov. 29 is a high of 49°F and a low of 29°F.
Since BYU will be a no-go for many, I'm guessing Baylor on Halloween Weekend will be the No. 1 road trip destination. Waco has a small airport with only service from American, so I'm assuming most people will fly into Dallas or Austin (each 90 miles away). Does the fact it falls on Halloween Weekend impact your potential travel plans, especially if you have younger kids?
K-State has the best gameday atmosphere in the Big 12, though it's probably a harder sell than Chip & Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Market.
As for opponent strength, everything we initially thought about the 2024 schedule (including the strength of UCF) completely reversed course. A lot of people thought Colorado, BYU and Arizona State would be in the bottom part of the league. ASU won the championship and BYU/Colorado were in the hunt to the very end. Meanwhile, preseason favorites Oklahoma State and Utah were terrible.
So in that regard, time will tell in regards to the strength of this year's slate. Based on the money they're spending in NIL, Texas Tech will be up there as a preseason favorite. The question will be how their team of mercenaries comes together.
BYU could be a trendy preseason champion pick. They return QB Jake Retzlaff and a lot of other key pieces.
Kansas State should be up there. QB Avery Johnson returns.
Everybody thought Baylor coach Dave Aranda was on the hot seat, but they finished strong by winning their final six Big 12 games. Expectations are increasing in Waco.
Kansas still has QB Jalon Daniels.
I'd think Willie Fritz improves Houston in Year Two.
Oklahoma State cratered spectacularly (0-9 in the Big 12) in 2024 after playing in the Big 12 CCG the season before. Can Mike Gundy right the ship?
WVU parallels UCF in bringing back a former popular coach, Rich Rodriguez.
Cincinnati went 3-9 and 5-7 their first two seasons in the Big 12, which coincides with Scott Satterfield's tenure. For some reason, I thought he was there longer. Luke Fickell left for Wisconsin after the 2022 season.
What are your thoughts and impressions of the schedule?
And in case you were wondering, here's UCF's opponent breakdown for the following two seasons:
2026
Home: Arizona State, BYU, Baylor, TCU, Iowa State
Away: Colorado, Houston, Oklahoma State, Kansas
2027
Home: Colorado, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Cincinnati
Away: Arizona, Utah, Baylor, Iowa State, West Virginia
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