Highlighted by games against Michigan, Oklahoma, Florida State, Miami, and Auburn, UCF will play 11 non-conference games in total to open the year
ORLANDO – It will be one of the toughest non-conference schedules to date for head coach Johnny Dawkins and his UCF men’s basketball team as the Knights released their 2021-22 non-conference slate on Monday.
Highlighted by home games against Michigan and Oklahoma, as well as matchups against Florida State, Miami, and Auburn away from home, UCF will play 11 non-conference games in total to open the year. Home games at Addition Financial Arena will return to 100% capacity for the 2021-22 season.
“The non-conference schedule we have assembled for this season will be as challenging as any we have faced in the past,” said Dawkins. “As always, the hope is that this tough schedule prepares us for conference play and gives us the best possible opportunity to be successful.”
The Knights, who went 11-12 a year ago, will welcome Robert Morris to Addition Financial Arena for the season opener on Nov. 10 before heading to Coral Gables, Florida on Nov. 13 for a showdown at Miami. The Knights and the Hurricanes have squared off 10 times in the history of the series, with the last matchup coming in a 79-70 Miami win on Nov. 12, 2019.
The Knights will then welcome Jacksonville to Orlando for a game on Nov. 16 and will head to Evansville, Indiana for a Nov. 20 matchup against the Purple Aces, before taking on a pair of Power 6 opponents.
UCF, which was scheduled to face Oklahoma in its 2020-21 season opener before the game was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns, will host the Sooners on November 27. This year’s game will be just the second meeting between the Knights and the Sooners after Oklahoma edged out UCF by one point in 2019.
On Dec. 1, UCF will make its return trip to Auburn after defeating the Tigers, 63-55, last season. The UCF defense showed up big in the Knights’ last outing against Auburn as the Black and Gold held the Tigers to 32.3 percent shooting from the field and 20.6 percent from 3-point range.
Following the Knights’ showdown at Auburn, UCF will then return home to host Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina A&T on Dec. 5 and Dec. 11, respectively, before taking on Florida State in the Orange Bowl Classic on Dec. 18.
The Knights defeated the Seminoles for the first-time program history last season, snapping a number of Florida State’s impressive streaks in the process. UCF snapped Florida State’s then 27-game home winning streak, its 41-game non-conference home winning streak, and the Noles’ 31-game winning streak within the state of Florida.
The Knights’ win over FSU marked UCF’s fifth win over a ranked opponent under head coach Johnny Dawkins since he took over for the 2016-17 season and the third time the Knights have topped a ranked team on the road under Dawkins.
UCF will return to Addition Financial Arena to close out its non-conference schedule with a pair of home games against North Alabama (Dec. 22) and Michigan (Dec. 30).
The Knights and the Wolverines matched up for the first time in series history last season in Ann Arbor as Michigan handed UCF its first loss of the season. The Wolverines ultimately climbed the rankings and advanced all the way to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament before falling to UCLA, 51-49.
The Knights are poised for a big leap in 2021-22 as UCF will return 97 percent of its points scored and 96 percent of its minutes played from the 2020-21 season. Dawkins has also added to the team’s core with an impressive recruiting class, bringing in top 100 prospect Darius Johnson, top 150 recruit P.J. Edwards, junior college All-American Tyem Freeman, and UNLV senior transfer Cheikh Mbacke Diong.
Game times and broadcast information for all 2021-22 games will be announced at a later date. For single-game and season ticket information for the upcoming 2021-22 UCF Men’s Basketball season, click here, or call the ticket office at (407) 823-1000.
UCF 2021-22 Non-Conference Schedule
Nov. 10 – Robert Morris
Nov. 13 – at Miami
Nov. 16 – Jacksonville
Nov. 20 – at Evansville
Nov. 27 – Oklahoma
Dec. 1 – at Auburn
Dec. 5 – Bethune Cookman
Dec. 11 – NC A&T
Dec. 18 – vs. Florida State
Dec. 22 – North Alabama
Dec. 30 – Michigan
