Johnny Dawkins leads a revamped roster into a gauntlet of elite opponents as the Knights prepare for pivotal matchups against Kansas, Houston, and a grueling road slate.
With the six-year March Madness drought over, UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins is looking to galvanize another new unit ahead of the 2026-2027 season.
Led by impactful transfers like Arturo Dean and Dior Johnson, the Knights are looking to cement themselves as a contending program in the ultra-competitive Big 12.
On Thursday, UCF announced the full conference slate, which features some of the projected top teams in the country.
Last season, star point guard Themus Fulks hit the go-ahead free throw to beat Utah late in the year, scoring 24 points on the night.
Following opening night, UCF heads out west to take on Arizona and Arizona State.
Despite losing multiple first-round NBA talents, Arizona still projects as one of the top teams in the country, while the Sun Devils enter Year 1 of the Randy Bennett-era.
Bennett spent 25 seasons at St. Mary's, where he made 12 March Madness appearances.
From there, the road doesn't get much easier, as the Knights take on Baylor and Kansas in their next two bouts.
The latter will be played in Allen Fieldhouse, one of the toughest environments in all of college sports.
UCF then has it's first two-game homestand of the season, welcoming Colorado and Iowa State.
The Cyclones remain a powerhouse in the Big 12, and are returning a lot of production from last season.
The following game is the first of two matchups against Texas Tech and a potential familiar face.
Jamichael Stillwell, who spent last season with UCF, is battling for an additional year of eligibility, while currently committed to the Red Raiders.
He originally voiced a return to UCF, but committed to Texas Tech weeks later.
The Knights return home to take on West Virginia in their first game of February, before hitting the road for their second matchup with Baylor.
The following Wednesday, Feb. 10, will be one of the biggest home games of the season, against the Houston Cougars.
Houston has one of the top freshman classes in the country coming in, highlighted by 4-star forward Chase McCarty.
UCF once again hits the road after Houston, taking on Cincinnati and West Virginia.
The next two games are against Texas Tech (and potentially Stillwell), and Oklahoma State and Jordan Burks.
Last season, Burks was one of UCF's most consistent scorers, committing to the Cowboys in the transfer portal during the offseason.
On Feb. 27, UCF closes out the month at home against BYU, before a two-game March slate of Kansas State and TCU, finishing out in Fort Worth.
While no game is a cakewalk in the Big 12, it's hard to find many easy stretches on UCF's schedule.
Nevertheless, Dawkins has shown the ability to defy the odds as of late, and has big opportunities to face off against the conference's best.
