Knights' stunning Mission IX Hyperspace uniforms blast off, earning top honors and captivating fans with cosmic flair.
Several months after the UCF Knights Space Game uniforms launched into orbit against Houston on Nov. 7, 2025, they received votes as the No. 1 jersey in college football.
UCF revealed its Mission IX Hyperspace uniforms a month prior to the matchup, and their design took the football team by storm. The university hosts its annual Space Game in honor of its ties to the space industry, and its fans take the theme seriously.
"It's always good to get a new uniform every year and see people on the stands with astronaut uniforms on," running back Myles Montgomery said. "It's funny, man. But yeah, it's a great atmosphere."
Some key details on the uniforms are the mission patch, reflective TV numbers and the helmet's back bumper. The mission patch is delta-shaped, reflecting the aerodynamic form of hypersonic vehicles that can reach Mach 17.
It's also facing upwards, signifying the university's ascent in athletics, research and technology. The reflective TV numbers, which Montgomery said he liked, are a traditional design addition to the jerseys in every iteration.
"Citius Est Futurum" is the Latin message on the helmet's back bumper, translating to "The Future is Faster."
Before UCF's matchup against Houston, coach Scott Frost spoke about the university's ties to the space industry and the alternate identity it gives the team.
"I just think our proximity to NASA and a lot of things that have happened, and our tie to the university, is really cool," Frost said. "It's good that the football team can be a part of that and support that. I think it gives us kind of a secondary identity, an alter ego that I think some fans are probably in favor of, and some aren't. But it's a good thing for our school."
UCF was founded in 1963 and named Florida Technological University to aid the growing U.S. space programs at the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The university is the No. 1 aerospace and defense talent provider, and the 50-yard line in the Acrisure Bounce House aligns with the exact latitude of Launch Complex 39, NASA's most historic launchpad.
UCF continues to earn well-received recognition for its Space Game jersey and will repeat the same process next season for its Mission X Space Game.
The Mission X Space Game time and date have yet to be announced, as the team awaits the best environment for its fans with the help of the conference and its television partners.