SOAP BOX DERBY
One of the most popular events on the CFSBD calendar, especially with out of state competitors, is coming to Mike Kirby Park to close out 2024 when The City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department and Central Florida Soap Box Derby hosts the 2-Day Holiday Rally today (Saturday) and Sunday.
Each Day, check in will be at 7 a.m., with racing beginning at 8:30 a.m., and will consist of a Double Elimination race for each class in the morning, followed by a lunch break and a Single Elimination race for each class in the afternoon.
Soap Box Derby racing is open to children ages 7 to 20 _ Stock, 7-to-13; Super Stock, 9-to-18; Masters, 10-to-20 _ with a limited number of loaner cars available for new participants.
Everyone, especially interested non-racers, is invited to attend any of the family friendly events, free of charge, at beautiful Mike Kirby Park located on the west side of Sanford on Oregon Avenue, north off of CR-46A (25th Street/H. E. Thomas Parkway) or east off of Rinehart Road, just south of the GreeneWay entry. The track is East of Bentley Elementary School.
For more information on Central Florida Soap Box Derby or to download a registration form, please check out the websites at www.soapboxderby.org or www.centralflorida.soapboxderby.org; [email protected], 407-353-6228, or call the City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department at 407-688-5120. Information is also available at _ https://www.facebook.com/CentralFloridaSoapboxDerby/ _ especially photos and flyers.
POP-TARTS BOWL
The Miami Hurricanes and Iowa State Cyclones will square off in the 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl today (Saturday).
The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. at Camping World Stadium and will air live on ABC.
No. 13 Miami (10-2, 6-2 ACC) will be making a record seventh all-time appearance in the game, and its first since a 2020 Cheez-It Bowl matchup against Oklahoma State. The Hurricanes are 3-3 in their previous six appearances, four of which were played in Orlando.
No. 18 Iowa State (10-3, 7-2 Big 12), fresh off of an appearance in Saturday's Big 12 Championship Game, will be making its third Orlando bowl trip since 2019 — a run that includes a 2019 Camping World Bowl defeat to Notre Dame and a 2021 Cheez-It Bowl loss to Clemson.
The Hurricanes and Cyclones have never met on the gridiron.
The 2024 Pop-Tarts Bowl will be the 35th edition of the game, which has been held at Camping World Stadium since 2001 after 11 years in South Florida. Last year, Kansas State defeated NC State 28-19 in the first edition of the bowl to feature Pop-Tarts as a title sponsor.
Pop-Tarts Bowl tickets are available at Visit PopTartsBowl.com.
STETSON MEN
The Stetson men’s basketball team (2-10) will be back in action on Sunday when the Hatters head up to Gainesville to take on unbeaten Florida at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. That game will tip off at 1 p.m. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
SANFORD ADULT SOFTBALL
The City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department is looking for teams for the Adult Softball Polar Bear Season that will begin the second week of January 2025.
Leagues offered are the Men’s League on Tuesdays and the Semi-Co-Ed/Fun League on Wednesdays.
Everyone is invited to watch the games for free at Pinehurst Park on West 24th Street.
For more information contact Dominic Pascuzzo, City of Sanford Recreation Supervisor, at the City of Sanford Parks and Recreation Department at 407-688-5120, extension 5004; Fax _ 407-688-5121; facebook.com/SanfordFLCityGovt; instagram.com/cityofsanfordfl; visit the city website _ www.sanfordfl.gov _ or email: [email protected].
UCF MEN
With its non-conference schedule complete, the UCF men’s basketball team (9-2) shifts its focus to the Big 12 Conference opener against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. from United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas, and will be streamed on ESPN+.
Follow the Knights
Follow UCF men’s basketball on X (@UCF_MBB), Instagram (@UCF.MBB) and Facebook (/UCFMensBasketball).
CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL
The South Carolina Gamecocks and Illinois Fighting Illini will square off in this season's Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. The game will kick off at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Camping World Stadium and will air live on ABC.
No. 15 South Carolina (9-3, 5-3 SEC) will be making its fourth all-time appearance in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, and its first since a 34-24 win over Wisconsin to close the 2013-14 season. The Gamecocks also appeared in the Jan. 2, 2012 Citrus Bowl, a 30-13 win over Nebraska, and the 1975 game, a 20-7 defeat to Miami (Ohio).
No. 20 Illinois (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) will be appearing in the game for the second time and first since quarterback and game MVP Jeff George led the team to a 31-21 win over Virginia on New Year’s Day 1990.
The Gamecocks and Illini have never met on the gridiron.
This season's Cheez-It Citrus Bowl will be the 79th edition of the game, an annual matchup of top SEC and Big Ten teams since 1993. Last season, Tennessee defeated Iowa 35-0 in the second edition of the Citrus Bowl to feature Cheez-It as a title sponsor.
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl tickets are available at CheezItCitrusBowl.com.
UCF WOMEN
The UCF women’s basketball team (7-4, 0-1 Big 12) heads to #14 West Virginia to open up the New Year against the Mountaineers in Morgantown at WVU Coliseum with a New Year’s Day game at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
STETSON WOMEN
The Stetson women’s basketball team (6-6) will kick off the new year and begin conference play on Thursday, January 2, hosting the West Georgia Wolves at 7 p.m. at Insight Credit Union Arena at Edmunds Center. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
