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UCF flag raised outside City Hall
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and UCF football coach Gus Malzahn raised a UCF flag outside Orlando City Hall on Thursday ahead of the Knights' inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Orlando's Hometown Team will be honored at City Hall all season long!
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, UCF football coach Gus Malzahn, UCF Athletic Director Terry Mohajir, members of the UCF cheer team, and of course, Knightro, were on hand at City Hall on Thursday morning to mark a momentous occasion – the Knights' inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference.
"We know that you'll be performing on a bigger stage, so that means we need to give bigger support to our hometown team – and you can count on us for doing that," Dyer said at a press conference.
City Hall will have a UCF flag flying high all season long to honor the Knights' foray into the Power 5 – the youngest school in history to do so.
"The City of Orlando is proud and thrilled that UCF will serve as the Big 12 flagship school in the State of Florida," Dyer said. He also issued a proclamation, declaring Orlando an official Big 12 city.
Malzahn said he owed it in part to Knight Nation.
"We got one of the best fanbases – if not the best fanbase – in all of college sports, in college football," he said. "It has a whole lot to do with why we're here today."
MORE UCF FOOTBALL NEWS:
- UCF to host Big 12 Conference's new homecoming tour this fall
- UCF makes game-changing tech upgrades to FBC Mortgage Stadium, including improved cell service
- UCF football season tickets sell out ahead of inaugural Big 12 season
Following the press conference, the crew went outside to raise the black and gold UCF flag. Knightro and members of the UCF cheer team looked on as Dyer hoisted the building's newest accessory.
The Knights kick off the 2023 season against Kent State on August 31 at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Click here to see UCF's full schedule.