Inside the schedule

Aug. 29, vs. New Hampshire, 7 p.m., ESPN+

The buzz: UCF begins the season with its inaugural matchup against New Hampshire, a Football Championship Subdivision team from the Coastal Athletic Association. The Knights have won seven consecutive games against FCS opponents since 2015.

Sept. 7, vs. Sam Houston, 6:30, ESPN+

The buzz: Sam Houston, which won the FCS National Championship in 2021, moved to the Football Bowl Subdivision last season. Five of the Bearkats’ nine losses last season were by seven points or less.

Sept. 14, at TCU, 7:30, Fox

The buzz: UCF opens Big 12 play with its first trip to Forth Worth to take on TCU. The Knights were a disappointing 1-4 on the road in the conference last season, with their final three away games decided by a combined five points.

Sept. 28, vs. Colorado, TBD, TBD

The buzz: Deion Sanders returns to the Sunshine State, where he put together a Hall of Fame career at Florida State (1985-88). This is one of several home sellouts on the schedule as Colorado returns to the Big 12 for the first time since it left in 2010.

Oct. 5, at Florida, TBD, TBD

The buzz: The first of a 2-for-1 series has UCF traveling to the Swamp in Gainesville for the first time since 2006. The Knights are (1-2) all-time against the Gators, with the sole win coming in Tampa’s 2021 Gasparilla Bowl (29-17).

Oct. 12, vs. Cincinnati, TBD, TBD

The buzz: Former American Athletic Conference rivals meet for the 11th time since 2015. UCF has won back-to-back games in this series for the first time since 2017-18, including last season’s 28-26 victory to snap a five-game Big 12 losing streak.

Oct. 19, at Iowa State, TBD, TBD

The buzz: Iowa State is 6-7 at Jack Trice Stadium during the past two seasons, including 3-6 against Big 12 teams. The Cyclones ranked near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing offense, averaging 120 yards per game.

Oct. 26, vs. BYU, TBD, TBD

The buzz: These two programs are familiar with each other after facing off in the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl, which BYU won 49-23. UCF’s only win in this series (1-2) came in 2014 when the Knights scored 21 second-half points for a 31-24 overtime win.

Nov. 2, vs. Arizona, TBD, TBD

The buzz: The sixth of seven first-time opponents on the schedule. The Wildcats return 12 starters from a team that finished 10-3. They won seven straight games to finish the season, culminating with a 38-24 victory against Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.

Nov. 9, at Arizona State, TBD, TBD

The buzz: UCF’s only meeting with Arizona State came in a 46-13 blowout loss in Tempe in 2002. ASU coach Kenny Dillingham served as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Auburn under Gus Malzahn in 2019.

Nov. 23, at West Virginia, TBD, TBD

The buzz: West Virginia is undefeated (3-0) against UCF, including last season’s 41-28 win in Orlando. The Knights last traveled to Morgantown in 2003, a 36-18 loss to the Mountaineers.

Nov. 29, vs. Utah, 8, Fox

The buzz: UCF has won seven games on Thanksgiving Weekend since 2017. Utah previously played in the Sunshine State in 2022 when the Utes traveled to Gainesville and lost 29-26 to the Gators.

— Matt Murschel