ORLANDO — The College Basketball Season kicks off with a bang in Orlando this week with the UCF men and women hosting a quartet of games.
The Knights men, led by returning starters Darius Johnson and Jaylin Sellers and a bevy of talented newcomers, have set the record for season tickets purchased in back-to-back seasons. The Black and Gold are set to embark on their second season as members of the Big 12 Conference and will host 18 home games in The City Beautiful. 10 of those tilts in Orlando are against league opponents, as the Big 12 Conference will play a 20-game slate.
Men’s opening night on Monday will feature UCF hosting No. 13 Texas A&M for a 7 p.m. tipoff at Addition Financial Arena.
The Aggies are fresh off back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths under the direction of head coach Buzz Williams. Texas A&M was a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Championship this season and topped Nebraska 98-83 before taking top-seeded Houston to the wire in a 100-95 Cougars overtime victory. The Aggies finished the 2023-24 campaign going 21-15, including a 9-9 mark in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play.
Monday will be the first time since 1999 the Knights have begun their season against a ranked foe and just the third time in the program’s Division I history. It will also be the highest ranked team played on opening night, with the Black and Gold meeting No. 16 Florida State in 1988 and No. 25 Miami in 1999.
On Friday, Purdue-Fort Wayne will be at the Arena to face the Black and Gold men at 7 p.m.
The UCF women’s program will open the season on Tuesday for the first of seven home non-conference home games against Iona at 7 p.m. at Addition Financial Arena.
This will mark the fourth consecutive year that the Black and Gold have opened the season at home.
The Knights will have a quick turnaround, as they host Marquette Thursday for the second game of the season. It will be the second meeting, as the last came on Dec. 30, 1987, in Orlando, a 77-75 UCF win.
The UCF women enter the 2024-25 season with the returning Big 12 leading scorer, Kaitlin Peterson, and three returners. The Knights welcomed nine newcomers over the offseason. Of the nine, four are transfers and five will be true freshmen.
