Seen and heard in Orlando: (Attempted) distractions and offensive Sonoran Dogs

ORLANDO, Fla. — Legend has it that the night before UCF’s first-ever Big 12 home game in January 2024, when Kansas was coming to town, a fierce windstorm blew palm fronds all over the areas outside Addition Financial Arena.

Fans waved those fronds the next day in front of the visiting Jayhawks and, lo and behold, UCF pulled out a 65-60 upset.

UCF sophomore Nate Johnson says he saw it all happen that way. But the UCF’s marketing department instead insists the frond-waving thing was its idea.

“UCF’s Brand Experience team wanted to create a unique experience for the team’s first season in the Big 12,” UCF said, saying students immediately warmed to the idea and that "the nation took notice.”

Johnson said it’s “50-50” over what is really true, while UCF sophomore Xavier Bridenthal agreed but also acknowledged that the school was “pushing" the idea of waving palm fronds around, at least.

Whatever the case, the scheme might have helped a bit.

Opposing teams shot 8.6 percentage points less against the students in the second half (66.4) than they did in the first half (75.0) during 2023-24 season, but the differential was only 3.1% so far this season — and some of that could be attributed to the greater pressure with second-half free throws.

On Saturday, Arizona actually did shoot 8.3% percentage points worse from the first (9 of 13) to the second half (14 of 21). But while Tobe Awaka and Koa Peat each missed two free throws when they stepped up to the line in the second half, guard Jaden Bradley hit the ones that really mattered — 9 of 10 over the final 77 seconds of the game.

Late-arriving crowd

While some Big 12 students routinely camp out overnight in freezing weather, UCF students don’t have to worry about cold weather …or camping out.

Johnson, who goes by the social media handle “KnightedNate,” was first person in line for UCF’s early entry “Knightmare Society” on Saturday, and even he didn't have to show up until 12:30 p.m. for the 4 p.m. Eastern time tipoff.

Showing up early allowed students to take seats directly behind the basket Arizona shot at during the second half, with only about 10 feet and no barrier except cheerleaders and one ESPN cameraperson separating them from the baseline.

“Nobody shows up early,” Johnson said. “We really are a late-arriving crowd.”

That said, there were about 1,000 or so students lined up an hour before the game, and Johnson said it was the biggest early student crowd he’s seen in years of following UCF even before he enrolled.

But the crowds have built since the Knights joined the Big 12 before the 2023-24 season. They had previously been a part of five other conferences, the last the American Athletic Conference.

“You don’t get the No. 1 team here when you’re in the American,” Johnson said.

Family ties

The Wildcats attracted a fairly typical away-game following Saturday, with about 15-20% of fans inside Addition Financial Arena wearing UA gear, maybe in part because the surrounding area offers both proximity to a number of major metro areas and plenty of well-known attractions.

Tucson resident Cecilia Martinez said she and her group of four others attending Saturday’s game hit the beach on Friday while meeting with two others who live in Jacksonville for the game. Additionally she said even the one member of their group who attended ASU would quietly root for the Wildcats.

“She’s a scum devil,” Martinez said, chuckling.

Photogenic

Bridenthal, one of the UCF sophomores at the front of the student line, showed up wearing a pink Knights jersey and pink cowboy hat. That gave him a chance to sit down in the front row behind the basket, all but ensuring he would be on ESPN.

But it was more about a higher calling, it appears.

“I’m not worried about TV. I’m on TV all the time,” he said. “lt’s to distract the other team.”

But no bacon?

Of all the mostly local-themed concessions around Addition Financial Arena, the Knights Nation Grill gets props for its efforts to accommodate visiting fans on Saturday.

But they may have whiffed a bit after deciding to make its “Dog of the Day” a Sonoran Dog. Their dog was smothered in pinto beans, guacamole, jalapeno and salsa ... but appeared to be without bacon and any sort of soft bolillo-style bun, which is pretty much the foundation of a Sonora Dog, isn't it?

So, it wasn't a surprise when a photo of the $10.99 dog we posted on X didn’t exactly generate positive buzz (we did not try it).

“That looks terrible,” Ben White posted.

“This looks disgusting,” EK posted.

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“That’s disrespectful,” Chuck posted.

Punchy

Those who found the Sonoran Dog less than tasty could always wash it down with the “Drink of the Game.”

That, too, was sort of Arizona-themed: A “Cactus Punch” that included pineapple-jalapeno tequila, orange juice, blue curacao and pineapple-jalapeno garnish, though we aren't sure how pineapples really fit in here.

Knightmares?

The “Nightmare News” distributed on seats in the UCF student section informed attendees that (allegedly) “Brayden Burries does TikTok dances to R. Kelly songs” and that “their campus has scorpions in their toilets.”

Students were also instructed to shout “Furr-Ball-Furrball” when the Wildcats shot free throws, as well as “Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty” and “Bark.”

Space U

Once known as Florida Technological Unversity, before administrators changed it to UCF to avoid alienating non-engineers, UCF bills itself as the No. 1 provider of aerospace and defense talent in the country.

The school offers 35 space-related degrees and claims that 29% of the employees at nearby Kennedy Space Center are UCF alumni.

Also, the 50-yard line at the nearby “Bounce House” football stadium lines up on the exact latitude as Launch Complex 39A, NASA’s most historic launchpad, just 31 miles directly to the east.

Space Unis

UCF wore its usual home uniforms featuring white with black and gold trim Saturday, but concession stands featured baby blue ones just as prominently: Those are of the “Space Jersey" sort that the school will wear on Jan. 31 against Texas Tech and March 3 against Oklahoma State.

The light blue jerseys, which are a nod to the school’s ties with space exploration, this season will feature the word “SPACE U” across the top, with the word “SPACE” in black and the “U” in white. The numbers are in dark blue digital style font, with a light blue hairline in the middle.

The shoulders feature Big 12 and Nike logos, with an outlined star on both sides of the shorts.

Citronaut pride

The UCF football team, meanwhile, has long had a full-on annual “Space Game” in which players are known as “Citronauts” and wear space-themed uniforms. It was branded last fall as “Mission IX: Hyperspace” but ultimately came to be otherwise known as a 30-27 loss to Houston.

Maybe it was fitting that Houston, also known for its space ties, became the first ever team to beat UCF in a “Space Game.”

The “Citronaut” is the original mascot for what was known as “Florida Technological University” upon starting classes in 1968 before becoming UCF a decade later. Nodding to both Florida's citrus and space industries, the Citronaunt has a body made from an orange and its green head has a space helmet on it.

UCF only, please

Not only has UCF tossed aside the FTU name but also the words “Central Florida,” at least for athletic branding purposes.

“The 2025-26 season is our third in our new conference, and we’d like to make sure we are referred to correctly on all accounts,” the UCF media game notes read. “Please refer to the University of Central Florida as 'UCF,' not 'Central Florida,' on all references. Also, we are not the “Golden Knights,” instead, we are simply known as the “Knights.”

Ok, then.

Couponing

UCF gives fans a standard prize when an opponent misses two free throws in a row — a Chick fil-A sandwich, if fans download a QR code in-app while at the arena — but fans also get coupons for UCF dunks and victories.

Two dunks in a game earns fans 10 chicken wings, with the purchase of another 10, at a Wingstop while a UCF win is worth a BOGO three-piece meal at Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders.

Also, Tito’s Handmade Vodka is providing military up to 300 individual game tickets, one for every free throw made, under UCF’s “Hoops for Troops” program.

The big number

15: Straight games Arizona has won over a Johnny Dawkins-coached team, counting 13 in a row against Stanford from 2009-2016 and two against UCF.

Quotable 

"Seen a lot of teams this year, and I was really impressed with how they play, kind of an old school style of basketball. They don't shoot a lot of 3s, but they know who they are, and they play their strengths." — Dawkins, on Arizona