UCF coaches talk recruiting, move to Big 12 during 'Charge On' Tour

UCF Athletics making a stop in Oviedo as part of its Charge On Tour. It's a chance for Knights fans to meet a few UCF coaches in person.

OVIEDO, Fla. – - UCF Athletics making a stop in Oviedo as part of its "Charge On" Tour.

It's a chance for Knights fans to meet a few UCF coaches in person. They talked about everything from recruiting to their eventual move to the Big 12.

"First of all, you can just sense the excitement everywhere you go. It feels different than it did this time last year," Gus Malzahn said.

A big part of that excitement is about UCF's impending move to a Power Five conference. They're reportedly set to start competing as members of the Big 12 in 2023.

"One of the reasons I wanted to take the job here at UCF was because we are transitioning to the big 12," women's basketball coach Sytia Messer said. "For me, it’s a great challenge. And I love a challenge."

The move is attracting a lot of talent to Orlando.

Mens' basketball added several transfers this offseason.

They're hoping to be competitive in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and when the eventual conference transition takes place.

"It’s something different for us. We haven’t had that much turnover through our program. But it’s happened all over the country," men's basketball coach Johnny Dawkins said. "We continue to find guys we think can enhance our program."

There's a lot of change happening at UCF, but Malzahn is focusing on the now.

"We’ve got to take care of this year. The AAC, our goal is to win a championship. That’s a real league and I think everybody knows that," Malzahn said.