The No. 14 wo尘别苍鈥檚 golf team was selected to compete as the No. 3 seed in the Ann Arbor Regional, clinching its seventh-consecutive appearance at the premiere postseason competition. The seeding marks their highest in program history and is also the best of any Big 12 Conference team in this year鈥檚 competition.

The wo尘别苍鈥檚 golf team is the eighth UCF program to compete at an NCAA postseason regional or championship event in 2025-26, joining cross country, 尘别苍鈥檚 and wo尘别苍鈥檚 soccer, indoor track & field, 尘别苍鈥檚 basketball and 尘别苍鈥檚 and wo尘别苍鈥檚 tennis.

Postseason Outlook

UCF鈥檚 regional includes Southern California as the top seed, followed by Duke, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Northwestern, Kansas, Texas Tech, UNLV, Columbia, Quinnipiac and Oakland.

The three-day event begins Monday, May 11, at University of Michigan Golf Course hosted by Michigan. The Knights are familiar with the course as they were previously selected for the same regional in 2022.

The top five teams to finish at each of the six regional sites will advance to the NCAA Championship, which will be held May 22鈥�27 at the聽Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.

UCF鈥檚 Road to the NCAA Tournament

This will be UCF鈥檚 20th regional appearance and the 11th of the last 15 seasons. Since head coach Emily Marron took over the program ahead of the 2012-13 season, the Knights have either qualified as a team or sent an individual to every NCAA regional.

The Knights have been nationally ranked all season and recently placed among the top three at the Big 12 Championship for their highest finish since joining the conference in 2023-24.

Sophomore Mila Jurine, a communication major from France, was crowned as the first individual Big 12 champion in UCF wo尘别苍鈥檚 golf history. Jurine and senior psychology major Pimpisa Sisutham were named to the Big 12 Tournament Team.

UCF鈥檚 nationally ranked 尘别苍鈥檚 and wo尘别苍鈥檚 tennis teams each clinched their spot in the NCAA Tournament, with the 尘别苍鈥檚 team securing hosting rights for the first and second rounds on May 1鈥�2 at the USTA National Campus.

UCF is the only university in the state of Florida to host a regional, and is one of just two schools in the state to see both its men’s and women’s team clinch spots in the premiere postseason tournament.

The No. 21 wo尘别苍鈥檚 team is looking to build off its back-to-back Big 12 Conference regular season championship campaign while the No. 15 men hope to keep their undefeated streak on their home court alive this season.

The semifinal and championship rounds will be held at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Georgia, May 16鈥�17.

Outlook

The Knights will travel to Raleigh for their regional round matches, hosted by the tournament鈥檚 No. 8 national seed NC State.

UCF鈥檚 opening-round match against Navy is slated for Friday, May 1, at 2 p.m. at the J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center. If they advance, they will face the winner of the NC State vs. Morgan State match.

Outlook

Men鈥檚 tennis program secured its third consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, serving as a regional host school for the second season in a row at the USTA National Campus.

UCF will face South Carolina State on May 1 at 5 p.m. looking to advance to face the winner of the Stetson vs. Florida match.

UCF鈥檚 Tournament History

The UCF wo尘别苍鈥檚 team is making its 11^th postseason appearance in program history, and the seventh of head coach Bryan Koniecko鈥檚 10-year tenure. Prior to his arrival in 2016, the program had made just four NCAA Tournament appearances.

The men secured their ninth all-time bid to the tournament as the No. 16 national seed, continuing the streak of making the postseason in all three seasons of Head Coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess鈥� tenure, beginning in 2024. Last year鈥檚 squad made history, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time.

UCF and the Big 12 unveiled the 2026 schedule in January, with every game initially scheduled on Saturday. Two of those games are now shifted to Friday:

• Oct. 30 vs. Baylor (Mission X Space Game)
• Nov. 20 vs. Iowa State (Senior Knight)

TV and streaming designations and kickoff times will be revealed at a later date.

2026 Schedule & Game Day Themes

-Home games in bold-

9/3 vs. Bethune-Cookman (Season-Opener)
9/12 at Pittsburgh
9/19 vs. Georgia State (Family Weekend)
9/26 vs. TCU (Big 12 Opener)
10/3 at Houston
10/10 at Oklahoma State
10/24 vs. BYU (Homecoming)
10/30 vs. Baylor (Mission X Space Game)
11/7 at Kansas
11/14 vs. Arizona State
11/20 vs. Iowa State (Senior Knight)
11/28 at Colorado

The Big 12 Championship Game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, and will once again be played at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Dallas, Texas.

Under the direction of head coach Scott Frost, UCF carries early momentum into the 2026 season after landing quarterback Alonza Barnett III and a strong group of transfers through the portal. The Knights also secured a pair of four-star high school recruits, highlighting a solid overall class.

TICKETS

Season tickets for the 2026 campaign can be purchased at . Single game tickets are not yet for sale.

WHY WE BOUNCE

The 2026 campaign will mark the 20th season that UCF football plays its home games in Acrisure Bounce House. To recognize UCF’s 20 years of Acrisure Bounce House, 聽a season-long celebration of the countless memories made inside the place Knight Nation calls home. The 2026 campaign is more than just another season. It is a chance to tell our story.

We want to know why YOU bounce. If you鈥檇 like to help us tell our story of the bonds built through game day experiences, , and be ready to include photos.

A well-regarded civic leader who has helped propel Orlando鈥檚 trajectory as the fastest major metro area in the United States, Martins has spent 30 of his nearly 40 years in professional sports management as part of the Orlando Magic organization. For his many years of dedicated service and leadership, Martins became the 14th person inducted to the NBA franchise鈥檚 Hall of Fame.

The UCF聽grad, who earned his聽master鈥檚 in business administration聽in 2001,聽joins聽the likes of聽fellow Hall of Famers聽Shaquille O鈥橬eil, Anfernee 鈥淧enny鈥� Hardaway and Dwight Howard.

鈥淗is decades of work with the Orlando Magic and his continued investment in our university reflect the character and commitment that define UCF.鈥� 鈥� UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright

鈥淐hair Martins聽leads with humility,聽generosity听补苍诲 a deep sense of responsibility to this community,鈥� says聽UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. 鈥淗is decades of work with聽the Orlando Magic and his continued investment in our university聽reflect the character and聽commitment聽that聽define聽UCF. As chair of our Board of Trustees, I see every day how deeply he believes in this institution and the聽opportunities聽we聽create for聽Central Florida. His induction into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame is a well-deserved recognition of a remarkable career听补苍诲聽all of us at聽UCF聽are聽proud to celebrate this moment with him.鈥�

Man of the Hour

Martins聽was聽inducted on Monday, March聽23,聽at聽Kia Center, near the Orlando Magic Fan Experience.

鈥淲e are excited to welcome Alex Martins into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame,鈥澛爏ays聽Orlando Magic聽chairman聽Dan聽DeVos. 鈥淗is innovative business acumen has transformed our organization, while working tirelessly to make the Magic an invested community partner. For his efforts that spanned three decades, this is truly a worthy recognition for Alex and his family, and we look forward to continuing to work with him in his role as vice chair.鈥�

Ties that Bind

Martins聽was named聽聽in 2021 and聽also聽serves on the dean鈥檚 executive council for the聽. Martins served on the developmental board of the globally acclaimed 聽at UCF, which is funded through a $9 million endowment by Rich and Helen DeVos and awards dual master鈥檚 degrees in聽sport management听补苍诲 business administration. Under Martins鈥� leadership, the Magic contributed $1.5 million to the construction of聽UCF Downtown聽in 2015, the first major private donation for the campus.

He聽is a member of the College of Business鈥� Hall of Fame and recipient of the university鈥檚 Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Magic Career

Martins聽serves as vice chair of聽the Orlando聽Magic. In this position, he acts as a senior advisor to the Magic Board of Directors to advance long-term strategic initiatives and serve as a resource to Magic executives.

Martins also represents the Magic as the team鈥檚 alternate governor to the NBA Board of聽Governors, and聽oversees all operations of the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL and the Osceola Magic of the NBA G League.

Martins served as the Orlando Magic鈥檚聽CEO聽for 14 seasons (2011-25). He has held various senior-level management capacities with the Magic between 1989-98 and upon his return to the organization in 2005, including director of media relations, executive vice president of marketing and franchise relations,聽president听补苍诲 chief operating officer.

During his tenure as CEO, the聽Sports Business Journal聽named the Magic as one of the 鈥淏est Places to Work in Sports,鈥� the only franchise in the four major professional sports leagues to receive the recognition聽in 2024.

His effort and collaboration with local business and political leaders聽helped to聽secure the Kia Center as a sports and entertainment home, which opened in October 2010. The Kia Center was named the聽Sports Business Journal鈥檚 Sports Facility of the Year in 2012.

Martins has also held senior executive positions with the New Orleans Hornets, the NFL鈥檚 Cleveland Browns and Tavistock Group. He started his career as a student assistant in the聽Villanova sports information department,聽assisted聽in the Philadelphia 76ers public relations department and was also the assistant sports information director at Georgetown University.

With its numerous industries to sustain a career and vibrant culture to build a life, Orlando isn鈥檛 a hard sell. Still, when it comes to promoting all this city has to offer, you鈥檇 be hard pressed to find someone who loves it more than Andrea (Rodrigues) Sage 鈥�12.

The advertising-public relations grad spent the last decade in various sales-related positions with the Tampa Bay Rays, Orlando Magic and insulated beverageware company Corkcicle (headquartered in Orlando).

That experience along with the leadership and life skills she developed at UCF and her beloved hobby as the mastermind behind 鈥� an immensely popular social media account that explores new activities, restaurants and happenings in Central Florida 鈥� gave her what she needed to land her dream gig as marketing manager for Visit Orlando.

鈥淚 get to marry my love for this community and something I鈥檓 passionate about doing 鈥� marketing this city. It鈥檚 perfect for me,鈥� Sage says. 鈥淭o find this opportunity with Visit Orlando, it truly has been a dream come true.鈥�

Tourism Shapes Orlando

Sage鈥檚 mission in her role at Visit Orlando as a marketing manager, specializing in domestic tourism, is to bring visitation to the destination, period.

Orlando is the most visited destination in the U.S. bringing more than 75 million visitors. According to Visit Orlando, tourism supports 37% of all jobs in the region.

Central Florida鈥檚 tourism industry generated an economic impact of $94.5 billion in 2024, a 2.2% increase over the previous year, according to a study by Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics and a leader in industry research.

As 2025 numbers work on being finalized, all signs point to the continued momentum of the region鈥檚 tourism.

It鈥檚 not hard to see why Orlando is in demand:

• Standard-setting theme parks
• Marquee sporting events 鈥� earning Orlando the No. 1 spot for Sports Event Cities in the U.S., according to Sport Business Journal
• Vibrant arts scene
• Top-of-the-line hotels and resorts
• 58 Michelin-recognized restaurants
• Proximity to beautiful beaches and Port Canaveral鈥檚 cruise ships

Sage gives a glimpse into what goes into helping shape Orlando鈥檚 reputation as one of the world鈥檚 most desirable destinations.

Advertising All of Orlando

Sage鈥檚 role with Visit Orlando oversees many facets. She might be placing a billboard in Baltimore, a well-timed ad on a streaming platform, or organize a tropical oasis in the middle of New York City on a 30-degree Fahrenheit day, enticing winter-weary New Yorkers to plan their next vacation.

She recently spent a week overseeing the production of an eco-tourism campaign video shoot at several locations to highlight the area鈥檚 natural beauty, hiking and springs.

鈥淐ulinary, arts, theme parks, nature, cultural experiences, whatever your travel bug is, this destination brings it all.鈥� 鈥� Andrea (Rodrigues) Sage 鈥�12

鈥淎dults with kids, adults without kids, this vacation has all your needs 鈥� culinary, arts, theme parks, nature, cultural experiences, whatever your travel bug is, this destination brings it all,鈥� Sage says.

Competing on the Global Stage

Orlando鈥檚 prime competitors in the tourism market depends on who you鈥檙e talking to.

It could be California (theme parks), Las Vegas (conferences), or Spain and Italy (international visitation). As cruise lines have come roaring back after the pandemic, the Caribbean is now in the mix, too. Orlando doesn鈥檛 just compete with other cities for tourists, but entire states and countries.

鈥淥ur destination is amazing, but every Jan. 1 the visitor tally resets, and there is a lot of work happening behind the scenes to make sure we remain top of mind,鈥� Sage says.

Success Fueled by UCF

A St. Petersburg, Florida, native, Rodrigues was recruited to UCF to play for the wo尘别苍鈥檚 soccer team. From 2008-12, she helped lead the Knights to five NCAA postseason appearances, including the 2011 Elite 8, three conference championships and one of the program鈥檚 highest national rankings (No. 6) in school history.

During her collegiate career, she also joined the Portuguese National Team, which exposed her to places and cultures that would ultimately spark her interests in travel and exploration today.

As an elite scholar-athlete, she points to the intangible soft skills she gained 鈥� work ethic, goal-setting, communication, collaboration and time management all at an elevated standard of excellence 鈥� as formative to her life as a working parent.

鈥淏eing a UCF student-athlete has made who I am.鈥�

鈥淏eing a UCF student-athlete has made who I am,鈥� Sage says. 鈥淚 take interviews today as a 36-year-old and still talk about how it has positively shaped me. I would go from a 6 a.m. strength training to study hall to three classes to practice to a night class, still have homework and study and then travel to a road game the next day.

鈥淭he controlled chaos I lived in then, it is innate in me and still my normal today. I have two little kids, I鈥檓 married, I have a full-time job, I work out every day, I have a hobby. It just feels right. It is a controlled chaotic environment that I love.鈥�

Living Where the World Vacations

Rodrigues says what she appreciates most about living in Orlando is getting to explore new places in her own backyard. She started @cheatdayorlando in 2021 after becoming a mother. Since then, she has grown the account to nearly 100,000 followers and landed a regular gig on the 106.7 FM morning show Johnny鈥檚 House spreading the word about new experiences in the area.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 feel like you鈥檙e stagnant in Orlando 鈥� you can have a different experience just 10 minutes away,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 love that there鈥檚 something for everyone to feel like home because we have a melting pot of culture.鈥�

Spring Break Scene

Whether you鈥檙e a local enjoying a staycation or coming to Orlando for your Spring Break, Rodrigues shares her pro tips on some new experiences worth checking out:

• ICON Park will soon feature Ripley鈥檚 Crazy Golf, a glow-in-the-dark immersive indoor miniature golf course with many unconventional ways to putt.
• Harlow Grove Restaurant and Lounge, a new trendy restaurant in Winter Garden, opened this month and features a rooftop terrace and elevated menu.
• Maitland鈥檚 Enzian Theater is a single-screen independent cinema cafe that offers cozy, vintage decor and seating, with a full kitchen menu. For the parents out there with little Spring Breakers, consider the theater鈥檚 Peanut Butter Matinee Family Film Series, which offers free admission to kids 12 and under. Cars 2 will be featured at noon on March 22.

Seattle offensive tackle Amari Kight 鈥�24 and defensive back Shaquill Griffin 鈥�16 or New England safety Richie Grant 鈥�20 could become the latest Knights to claim Super Bowl rings when the two squads square off on Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. on NBC in Levi鈥檚 Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

To date, 13 former Knights have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, most recently integrated business alum Jordan Franks 鈥�18 with the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in 2023.

After joining the Knights in 2023 as a graduate transfer, Kight was a two-year starter on the offensive line for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in sport business management.

During his freshman year as a defensive back at UCF, Griffin helped clinch the program鈥檚 first New Year鈥檚 Six bowl championship (2014 Fiesta Bowl) and went out to finish his career as an all-conference standout. The 9-year NFL veteran and 2019 Pro Bowl selection was initially drafted in 2017 by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round and has been affiliated with several NFL teams. He resigned with the Seahawks last June and is currently on the practice squad. Griffin earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in human communication.

Grant, who signed with the Patriots’ practice squad in October, was an all-conference selection who helped lead the Knights during their historic 25-0 unbeaten streak in 2017鈥�18 before he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2021. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sport and exercise science and a minor in medical sociology.

Tied at 72 with less than a minute remaining in Saturday鈥檚 game, junior forward Jordan Burks drilled a 3-pointer in front of the Knights鈥� bench that ignited UCF on to its 81-75 victory over the No. 17 Jayhawks.

As the buzzer sounded, droves of the more the 8,000 in attendance stormed the court in celebration 鈥� a nearly identical scene to the Knights鈥� 65-60 win over then-No. 3 Kansas in the first Big 12 Conference game in school history on Jan. 10, 2024.

鈥淲e beat a good basketball team tonight 鈥� the tradition, the coaching, the players they have. Just really proud of our players for playing for 40 minutes,鈥� UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins says. 鈥淭hey showed a lot of heart throughout the game because Kansas is [terrific]. I thought our guys did a great job of sustaining effort on the court. I thought we finished strong at the end of the game when Kansas made a really good run to tie the ball game up. Those were things we were talking about as a team prior to us going away for Christmas break; how we have to play in conference, and I thought our guys it reflected that today in how we finished the game.鈥�

UCF is now ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time since 2019.

This year鈥檚 squad now improves to 12-1, marking the program鈥檚 best start under Dawkins since he took the helm in 2016. On Monday, UCF cracked into the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since 2019, debuting at No. 25 in the Week 9 poll.

The ranking marks just the sixth week UCF has appeared in the AP Top 25 since the program鈥檚 inception in 1969 and the second time under Dawkins.

Senior guard and Orlando native Riley Kugel led with 19 points, followed by guard Themus Fulks with 16 points and Burke with 14. UCF鈥檚 44 first-half points marked the most the Jayhawks have allowed this season, after previously holding then-No. 5 Duke and then-No. 17 Tennessee to 41 points apiece.

Up next, the Knights continue league play when they head to Oklahoma State for an 8 p.m. matchup on Jan. 6 before returning home Jan. 11 to face Cincinnati at 5 p.m.

The Big 12 boasts the most Top 25 teams (seven) of any conference in the country.

鈥淎t the end of this day, this needs to be behind us and we have to throw all of our preparation into Oklahoma State because that鈥檚 how this league is,鈥� Dawkins says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to have 17 more games like we had tonight. None of them are going to be different. All of these teams are well-coached, all these teams have a lot of talent so we have to prepare for it that way.鈥�

UCF earned the automatic bid to the postseason Sunday after securing its first Sun Belt Tournament championship in program history with a 3-1 win at Marshall. While the majority 色花堂鈥檚 teams compete in the Big 12 Conference, the league does not sponsor 尘别苍鈥檚 soccer as an affiliated sport. The 尘别苍鈥檚 soccer team joined the Sun Belt in 2023.

The Knights are the only program in the state of Florida and one of 15 in the country to see both their 尘别苍鈥檚 and wo尘别苍鈥檚 soccer programs advance to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Road to the Championship

After a first-round win over Georgia Southern, the Knights toppled two nationally ranked opponents in their run to the top of the Sun Belt, besting No. 19 Kentucky and No. 12 Marshall for their second and third ranked wins of the season. This year marks the team鈥檚 first season in history with at least three top-25 ranked victories.

鈥淗ow incredible this group of young men is 鈥� I could not be prouder. This group was 2-5-1 to start the season, and to end the season as Sun Belt Champions and win on the road and go through the teams we went through and then win at Marshall, what character this group has displayed,鈥� head coach Scott Calabrese says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an incredible achievement, and we鈥檝e put in a lot of work. The response from the team, the level went up from our players. They are determined to keep going.鈥�

Heading into Sunday鈥檚 championship match at Marshall, the Thunder Herd had been defeated just twice all season, and not on their home turf since Nov. 26, 2023, a span of 721 days.

UCF鈥檚 win marked the fifth conference tournament title in program history, as well as the Knights鈥� eighth overall conference championship, and their first since 2020-21.

The Knights headed to the 2025 NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the nation, boasting an 8-1-2 record in its last 11 matches ahead of the premier postseason tournament.

NCAA Tournament Info

UCF is in the middle of its 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in school history.

With their first-round win over FAU, the Knights remain unbeaten against in-state opponents this season, improving to 2-0-1 in matches against the Owls, then-No. 22 South Florida and Jacksonville.聽 The win also marked the team’s first victory in the NCAA Tournament since the program toppled then-No. 17 James Madison, 2-1, in the round of 32 of the 2020 tournament (pushed to the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

The Knights will now face No. 15 Georgetown Sunday evening. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. in Washington, D.C. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Their mentality? Don鈥檛 tell us the odds.

鈥淚 told the team from the very beginning, no successful team goes through any journey that is easy. This is part of our journey,鈥� UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak says. 鈥淗ow are we going to respond to this? You have the ability to go out there and play for them. Believe in how good you are. Visualize doing great things and the rest will follow.鈥�

From that point on, the Knights closed the regular season with a nine-match unbeaten streak, helping them clinch the No. 7 seed and hosting rights in the NCAA Tournament.

UCF will hold a first-round game on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at the UCF Soccer Complex against Maine, who just won its third-straight America East championship title.

The Knights are one of a conference-record eight teams from the Big 12 selected to participate in this year鈥檚 NCAA Tournament.

鈥淎fter what we went through on a weekly basis in the Big 12 this year 鈥� a historical year with how many teams earned postseason bids 鈥� what excites me as we head into the NCAA Tournament is we鈥檝e seen the best in the country. We are part of that,鈥� Roberts Sahaydak says. 鈥淥bviously it鈥檚 one game at a time, and that starts with Maine, but the team should be feeling really confident because they are prepared from the physical and tactical and mental tests they鈥檝e had all season.鈥�

UCF鈥橲 NCAA Tournament History

This year鈥檚 postseason appearance will mark UCF鈥檚 first as a member of the Big 12 Conference and first since 2022 when the Knights advanced to the tournament鈥檚 second round.

Friday鈥檚 home match will mark the 11th time that UCF has hosted an NCAA Tournament First Round competition and the program鈥檚 first since 2017.

In all, it will be the program鈥檚 23rd all-time appearance in the NCAA Division I Championship. UCF ranks among the NCAA鈥檚 top 25 winningest teams nationally since the inception of Division I wo尘别苍鈥檚 soccer in 1982.

Tickets/Broadcast Info

General admission tickets are $10 and can be at ucfknights.com. The first 100 UCF students with valid UCF ID will receive free entry (first come, first serve). Stadium gates open at 6 p.m.

The match will air on ESPN+.

Founded to reach the moon, we鈥檙e already on our way to the next frontier. Built for liftoff, America鈥檚 Space University celebrates UCF Space Week Nov. 3-7.

Where Global Leaders Unite to Boldly Forge the Future of Space

UCF aerospace engineering graduate research assistant Justin Sprunger 鈥�22 鈥�25惭厂 says he can trace his earliest memory to gazing at the space shuttle when he was 4. Before the age of 10, he was testing the limits of homemade bottle rockets, relentlessly experimenting with ways to increase speed.

In a lot of ways, his job today as a propulsion engineer and hypersonics facility director at the Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion (also known as the HyperSpace Center) is rooted in that same curiosity and innovation his younger self embraced so whole-heartedly.

So when the lab鈥檚 large-scale hypersonic wind tunnel HADES becomes operational later this month, he is eager to push the limits once again in pursuit of revolutionizing travel as we know it.

HADES 鈥� which stands for high enthalpy altitude-stimulating dynamic experimental system 鈥� will prove crucial to the HyperSpace Center鈥檚 hypersonic and space propulsion research for scientists and strategic partners across the globe. UCF is the first university in the nation to have hypersonic technology at this scale.

The wind tunnel will be able to replicate the pressure and temperature of atmospheric conditions needed to figure out the keys to unlocking speeds that could one day allow a commercial airliner to fly from New York to London in less than 15 minutes.

鈥淚鈥檝e been staring at this thing on my computer screen with the 3D model for over a year. To watch the evolution of something that started as an idea to now in front of you in person is鈥� I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 a better reward, honestly,鈥� Sprunger says. 鈥淎s a fundamental researcher looking into all these problems that we face, you always come up with these hypotheses. 鈥極h, if we could just do this experiment,鈥� or 鈥業f we could hold this one thing constant, then I鈥檇 be able to see everything.鈥� And with this facility coming online, those once-impossible ideas will now start to become a possibility.鈥�

Not Just 鈥楬ype鈥� Anymore

NASA, and its predecessor the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, has been involved in the study of hypersonic flight since the 1950s, though technology of the time limited much progress in the field. In the early 2000s, things started to change when NASA aircraft set two airbreathing speed Guinness World Records at Mach 7 (5,370 mph) and at Mach 10 (7,672 mph), respectively, as part of its Hyper-X Program.

Now, Sprunger says, technology has advanced to the point that it鈥檚 viable to be investing significant resources in this area of research.

Which brings us to the HyperSpace Center, which launched in October 2024 as a first-of-its-kind partnership with the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research that provides a centralized, physical space to advance hypersonic technology.

The work conducted in this unassuming one-story, gray rectangular building on the perimeter of Central Florida鈥檚 Research Park will build on Trustee Chair Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Kareem Ahmed鈥檚 progress so far, including development of the first hypersonic detonation rocket engine in 2020.

So how does HADES fit into this?

HADES stands for high enthalpy altitude-stimulating dynamic experimental system.

High enthalpy translates to very hot, or a lot of energy.

Altitude-simulating attributes to the atmosphere鈥檚 range of pressures and temperatures. With this facility, Sprunger and the team will be able to adjust elements to simulate the low-pressure altitude environment that鈥檚 important for outer body aerodynamic tests.

Dynamic refers to the range of tests it can conduct, which is novel compared to wind tunnels at other institutions. The Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion in Tallahassee has a that has the ability for long run times and can reach up to Mach 5, but its downside is its cold. University of Illinois鈥� ACT-II tunnel is an arc-heated tunnel that has capabilities for high Mach numbers and flight relevant enthalpies, but it is limited to run times of around 1 second.

Simply put, HADES can do it all, which will attract researchers because it allows for long run times while also customizing and accounting for the pressure and temperature they need in the atmosphere to strengthen the data of their experiments.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be able to hit all the high Mach numbers; we鈥檙e going to be able to do it for long durations; and we鈥檙e going to be able to match the enthalpy of a flight,鈥� Sprunger says. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e taking the high temperature, the high pressure, the long duration, and we鈥檙e making a facility that鈥檚 going to be able to do that over and over and over again.鈥�

Mission IX

When Ahmed conceptualized HADES three years ago and aerospace and alum Jonathan Reyes 鈥�15 鈥�17MS 鈥�19PhD led the design-into-action, he 鈥� nor anyone else on the HyperSpace team 鈥� fathomed it would one day be tied to a UCF football game.

When the Knights kick off the ninth installment of our annual space game Nov. 7, the players鈥� uniforms will prominently feature a diagram of HADES鈥� fueling apparatus. It鈥檚 the piece that funnels in the air and fuel to the targeted location of the tunnel.

When members of the Athletics brand team contacted the lab to explore the possibility of centering the Mission IX game鈥檚 theme on HyperSpace, graduate research assistant Nate Dreyer 鈥�26MS crafted original concepts and key information as source material for the uniform design team to draw inspiration from.

鈥淎 lot of members of my team are huge sports guys, so we had so much fun being involved and part of this year鈥檚 game,鈥� Sprunger says. 鈥淚t really is about celebrating the university and demonstrating the capabilities we have here.鈥�