180-801: Camping World Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Orlando , Florida , United States located in the West Lakes neighborhood of Downtown Orlando , west of new sports and entertainment facilities including the Kia Center , the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts , and Inter&Co Stadium . It opened in 1936 as Orlando Stadium and has also been known as the Tangerine Bowl and Florida Citrus Bowl . The City of Orlando owns and operates
360-531: A War on I-4 shootout. The Knights were supposed to play Memphis on September 9, but due to Hurricane Irma battering the state of Florida that weekend, the game, which originally had been moved up one day to September 8, was rescheduled for September 30. In order to reschedule the American Athletic Conference game, UCF canceled their scheduled game with Georgia Tech , leaving the team with only 11 regular season games as opposed to
540-491: A wildfire hazard exists. During some years, fires have been severe. In 1998, a strong El Niño caused an unusually wet January and February, followed by drought throughout the spring and early summer, causing a record wildfire season that created numerous air-quality alerts in Orlando and severely affected normal daily life, including the postponement of that year's Pepsi 400 NASCAR race in nearby Daytona Beach . Orlando
720-530: A 1-point loss to No. 23 Southern Miss and the continuation of the Knights woes at quarterback, as Jeff Godfrey and Blake Bortles battled for playing time. Following the 2011 season, Jeff Godfrey planned on transferring, though he later decided to return to the Knights as a wide receiver . It was announced on December 7, 2011, that UCF would join the Big East Conference , but was rebranded
900-534: A 10–6 victory over Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl , marking the team's first-ever bowl victory. UCF would end the season ranked 20th in the final coaches poll and 21st in the final AP rankings. 2011 proved to be a disappointing season as UCF finished with a 5–7 record and were not bowl eligible for the first time since 2008. The season included out-of-conference losses to FIU and BYU , as well as conference losses to then-winless UAB ,
1080-469: A 13–0 record. After the win, UCF athletic director Danny White claimed a national championship for the team, while the Colley Matrix , an NCAA-recognized national champion major selector, also ranked UCF as the number-one team of the season on its final ranking. The team celebrated with a parade at Walt Disney World . Additionally, the team's coaches were paid bonuses for their performance,
1260-579: A 1–1 record. After starting the 1988 season with five straight wins, UCF would be ranked No. 2 in Division II. During a game against the defending D-II national champions Troy at the Citrus Bowl , UCF fans were so loud at one point that the Trojans quarterback Bob Godsey couldn't call plays. Godsey complained to the referee about the crowd noise, but instead of helping Troy, the referee called
1440-524: A 21–0 shutout, and less than a week later, the Knights would win their first home game by defeating Ft. Benning , 7–6. Jonas led the Knights to a 6–2 inaugural season, behind an average attendance of 11,240, including a Division III record crowd of 14,138. Following the season, in March 1980, Jonas was offered the Knights head coaching job as a full-time position. After leading the team to a 4–4–1 and 4–6 record in 1980 and 1981 respectively, Jonas would leave
1620-509: A 3,600-seat upper deck on the east sidelines. However, shortly after completion the project proved to be a public fiasco and potentially an architectural and engineering failure. On November 27, 1976, the first major game was held at the expanded stadium, a regular season matchup between Florida and Miami . During the game, the newly constructed upper deck noticeably swayed whenever fans stood up and cheered. The deck vibrated, fences and railings shook and creaked, causing an unnerving sensation for
1800-421: A 6–12 (.333) record during his tenure as the Knights head coach. Anderson finished out the year with the team in an interim position, with a 1–3 (.250) record. UCF finished the season with a 2–9 mark. In the course of the three seasons following Jonas' departure, the Knights went through three head coaches, and amassed a 7–25 record. Reeling after a disappointing string of seasons, there were discussions within
1980-885: A 9–4 record (3rd in AAC ) including a win against Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl . In 2022 , UCF's final year in The American , Malzahn guided the Knights to a 9–3 regular season record (2nd in AAC ). They clinched a spot in the AAC Championship Game , facing Tulane . In 2023 , UCF officially moved into the Big 12 Conference . In doing so, the Knights became the first NCAA football program to play at every sanctioned level: Division III , Division II , Division I-AA , Division I-A ( Independent ), Group of Five , and Power Five . Under head coach Scott Frost,
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#17327805640172160-486: A capacity of 8,900 as Orlando Stadium. The first college football bowl game was played on January 1, 1947. Catawba defeated Maryville 31–6 in the inaugural Tangerine Bowl . 2,000 seats were added in 1952. During this period, the stadium was known as the Tangerine Bowl. 5,000 more seats were added in 1968, along with the first press box. From 1974 to 1976 an expansion project raised the capacity to 50,612, including
2340-599: A chain reaction that sent Washington to the Oahu Bowl and left the Knights out in the cold. Kruczek guided the team as a Division I-A independent until 2002 . After six difficult years as an independent, UCF played its much-anticipated first season as a football-only member of the Mid-American Conference in 2002 . They finished runner-up in the East division with a 6–2 conference record. They finished
2520-431: A close 26–25 loss due to a late touchdown pass to Temple on October 15. The Knights rebounded the following week to defeat UConn by a score of 24–16. UCF suffered a defeat on October 29 to Houston , then responded with wins over Tulane and Cincinnati , gaining bowl eligibility. Frost's squad concluded the regular season with losses to Tulsa and archrival South Florida . The Knights lost to Arkansas State in
2700-714: A coincidence. In 1823, the Treaty of Moultrie Creek created a Seminole reservation encompassing much of central Florida, including the area that would become Orlando. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorized relocation of the Seminole from Florida to Oklahoma, leading to the Second Seminole War. In 1842, white settlement in the area was encouraged by the Armed Occupation Act. The first settler, Mr. Aaron Jernigan of Camden County, Georgia, arrived
2880-522: A courthouse square. The fledgling village suffered greatly during the Union blockade . The Reconstruction Era brought on a population explosion, resulting in the incorporation of the Town of Orlando on July 31, 1875, with 85 residents (22 voters). For a short time in 1879, the town revoked its charter, and was subsequently reincorporated. Orlando was established as a city in 1885. The period from 1875 to 1895
3060-564: A delay of game penalty on the Trojans. The "Noise Penalty" game is legendary at UCF, and the win over Troy thrust the Knights into the position as the No. 1 ranked team in D-II. Between 1986 and 1990 under the leadership of McDowell, the Knights held a 24–6 record at the Citrus Bowl. During McDowell's tenure, the program moved up to Division I-AA in 1990. In their first year in the division,
3240-455: A few. In UCF's first Black and Gold Spring game held in 1983, the defense won 14–6. The Knights finished the 1983 season 5–6, including the team's first win over a Division I–AA opponent. Starting the 1984 season filled with optimism, the Knights were shaken by a 1–6 start. Following the disappointing beginning to the season, Saban stepped away from the program, and was replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach Jerry Anderson . Saban had
3420-427: A five-year contract worth a fully guaranteed $ 1.7 million in annual base salary. In Heupel's first season, UCF rode its high-powered offense to start the season 12–0 and extend its winning streak to a school-record 25 games. In their rivalry game at South Florida , star quarterback McKenzie Milton suffered a gruesome knee injury and was taken straight to the hospital, eventually requiring multiple surgeries to save
3600-407: A football-only affiliation. In 2003, UCF was invited as an all-sports member of Conference USA beginning with the 2005 season. Following the disappointing 2003 season, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator and former Georgia Tech head coach George O'Leary was named UCF's head coach in 2004 . This was a controversial and bold hire because O'Leary had previously left Georgia Tech after
3780-438: A last-second Hail Mary pass earned UCF a shared conference title. O'Leary's Knights accepted a bid to the 2014 St. Petersburg Bowl , a game they lost to NC State by a score of 34–27. The 2015 season, which began with high hopes, would be a disaster. After dropping their first three, UCF lost to South Carolina by a score of 31–14 on September 26 to fall to 0–4. Following UCF's 59–10 loss to Houston on homecoming, dropping
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#17327805640173960-577: A new $ 375-million performing arts center, and the Camping World Stadium improvements. Conceptual drawings for the possible improvements include enclosed concourses on the east and west sides of the stadium and additions to the north side that will finally complete the lower bowl. The Orlando/Orange County Interlocal Agreement was approved by the Orlando City Council on August 6, 2007. However, the plans were heavily affected by
4140-412: A new format of skills competitions and non-contact Flag football . Seven NFL preseason games have been held at the stadium. The stadium has hosted various college football games, including many bowl games : The Florida High School Athletic Association state football championships are held at Camping World Stadium. The varsity football team from nearby Jones High School used Camping World Stadium as
4320-481: A new renovation on November 14, 2023. Plans included demolition of the upper decks built in the 1980s, and replacing them with a new set of upper decks on the east, west, and south sides of the stadium, integrated with the lower bowl in a 360-degree concourse. The new upper decks would total 18,000 seats. The plans also included a 100,000-square-foot fieldhouse. The Orange County Board of County Commissioners approved $ 400 million in tourist development tax revenue for use in
4500-593: A peace treaty with the Seminoles because it did not reimburse him for the loss of slaves and crops. Rees could have left a pine-bough marker with his name next to the trail; later residents misread "Rees" as "Reeves" and also mistook it as a grave maker. In subsequent years, this story has merged with the Orlando Reeves story (which may have originally incorporated part of Dr. Gatlin's story). On two separate occasions, relatives of Rees claimed their ancestor
4680-498: A plant in the city. Orlando AAB and Pinecastle AAF were transferred to the United States Air Force in 1947 when it became a separate service and were redesignated as air force bases (AFB). In 1958, Pinecastle AFB was renamed McCoy Air Force Base after Colonel Michael N. W. McCoy, a former commander of the 320th Bombardment Wing at the installation, killed in the crash of a B-47 Stratojet bomber north of Orlando. In
4860-438: A practice, O'Leary pulled the team aside and unveiled the template for uniforms of "The Fighting Knights". He would reveal a template that would follow the team into the 21st century: black jerseys, gold pants and gold helmets. Less than one year after Colbourn had envisioned a football program for the university, UCF played its first game on September 22, 1979, against St. Leo University . The Knights would prove victorious with
5040-768: A reconstruction during 2014, at a cost of less than US$ 200 million. The cost estimate as of March 2014 was US$ 207 million. The stadium's upper-level seating was retained, but the entire lower bowl structure was demolished. In the newly reconstructed stadium there are two 360-degree concourses, a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m) plaza deck ("Party Deck") in the north end zone, 41,000 all-new lower bowl seats with six additional inches of leg room & chairbacks, multiple giant video displays, new team facilities including locker rooms training rooms and attached media, new stadium operations facilities to allow better efficiency in food service, security, first aid and maintenance, new concessions and restrooms, and an open-air façade. The new mezzanine
5220-464: A record crowd for a soccer match at the stadium. The stadium will be one of twelve venues to host the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup . On March 30, 2008, the stadium hosted WrestleMania XXIV , the 2008 edition of WWE 's flagship professional wrestling pay-per-view . The first WrestleMania held in Florida, and the second to be held entirely outdoors since WrestleMania IX at Caesars Palace , it had
5400-406: A regular season home field for decades through the end of their 2011 season. The school started playing home football games on their own field beginning on August 31, 2012. The playing surface is large enough for use in international soccer matches, and it was a venue for the 1994 FIFA World Cup . In five matches, attendance averaged over 60,000 per match. In 1996, Olympic soccer matches in both
5580-406: A reported attendance of 74,635—the largest crowd in stadium history. It was estimated to have brought in $ 51.5 million in revenue to the local economy. WWE returned to Camping World Stadium to host WrestleMania 33 , which took place on April 2, 2017. WWE claimed an attendance record of 75,245, exceeding the total of WrestleMania XXIV. By 2005, Orlando -area government officials and officials from
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5760-446: A score of 37–32 at Spectrum Stadium. UCF finished with a 45–24 loss to Rutgers in the St. Petersburg Bowl , their third bowl appearance in five years. Entering the 2010 season, with the recruitment of Jeffrey Godfrey and return of key seniors, including Bruce Miller , there were high hopes for the Knights. After winning 5 straight games, and posting an 11-game conference winning streak,
5940-524: A score of 61–14 and Memphis by a score of 37–17. With the wins, the Knights secured the C-USA Eastern Division championship and reentered the polls. The Knights would go on to win the 2010 Conference USA championship game , defeating SMU 17–7. Following the win, UCF entered the BCS standings for the first time in program history, ranking No. 25. The Knights ended the 2010 season with
6120-584: A score of 64–12 in Tampa , but went on to have a 10–4 overall record and won the C-USA East again, hosting the Championship game against Tulsa once more. UCF defeated Tulsa in a near-reversal of the 2005 Conference USA Championship Game 44–25, thereby gaining UCF's first ever Conference Championship title and a berth in the 2007 Liberty Bowl . Following UCF's victory, the Knights received 35 votes in
6300-415: A soccer match at the venue. The United States women's national soccer team returned to Camping World Stadium on October 25, 2015. They defeated Brazil again, 3–1. The attendance of 32,869 was the largest attendance for a standalone USWNT friendly in the state of Florida. The Orlando Pride , the expansion National Women's Soccer League team owned by Orlando City SC, played in Camping World Stadium until
6480-461: A successful athletics program would bring the university greater renown, and tasked Dr. Jack O'Leary with the job of creating a new football program at the school. In addition, Colbourn changed the name of the school to the University of Central Florida (prior to this, the college was known as Florida Technological University), to express the university's expanded academic scope. Beginning at
6660-515: A varsity football team in the fall of 1979 as an NCAA Division III program and subsequently completed their ascension to Division I–A, now known as the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), in 1996 , becoming the first program in NCAA history to have played in all four divisions of football (and the only one until James Madison joined FBS in 2022). As a Division I–AA program, the Knights made
6840-482: A volunteer militia was left to defend the settlement. A historical marker indicates that by 1850, the Jernigan homestead (or Fort Gatlin in some sources) served as the nucleus of a village named Jernigan. According to an account written years later by his daughter, at that time, about 80 settlers were forced to shelter for about a year in "a stockade that Aaron Jernigan built on the north side of Lake Conway". One of
7020-457: A wide a range of housing in differing class-levels. Neighborhoods in the western side of town include Apoka , Dr. Phillips , MetroWest , Pine Hills , and Windermere . The north side of Orlando, includes a wide range of older and more established neighborhoods, including Eatonville , Fern Park , Maitland , and Winter Park . Finally, the east side of Orlando includes neighborhoods such as Alafaya , Azalea Park , and Union Park . The east side
7200-462: Is 60.6 °F (15.9 °C). Temperatures dip below the freezing mark on an average of only 1.6 nights per year and the lowest recorded temperature is 18 °F (−8 °C), set on December 28, 1894 . The annual mean minimum is just above 30 °F (−1 °C) putting Orlando in hardiness zone 10a. Because the winter season is dry and freezing temperatures usually occur only after cold fronts (and their accompanying precipitation) have passed, snow
7380-421: Is April 9 to October 14. The area's humidity acts as a buffer, usually preventing actual temperatures from exceeding 100 °F (38 °C), but also pushing the heat index to over 110 °F (43 °C). The city's highest recorded temperature is 103 °F (39 °C), set on September 8, 1921. During these months, strong afternoon thunderstorms occur almost daily. These storms are caused by air masses from
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7560-570: Is a major 11.1-mile (17.9 km) thoroughfare in the southwestern section of Orlando, serving a similar purpose to that of the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas , as the core of the tourism area. The northern part of the strip extends into the city limits of and the remainder of the central and southern portions are all located in unincorporated Orange County . An additional extension is known as International Drive South , partly located in
7740-624: Is a major population center and has a considerable hurricane risk, although it is not as high as in South Florida 's urban corridor or other coastal regions. Since the city is located 42 miles (68 km) inland from the Atlantic and 77 miles (124 km) inland from the Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes usually weaken before arriving. Storm surges are not a concern since the region is 100 feet (30 m) above mean sea level . Despite its location,
7920-760: Is a residential neighborhood that is also the home of The Mall at Millenia , an upscale super-regional mall. The mall's Macy's store was the first in Central Florida , and it was also one of only seven Macy's stores in Florida that predated the company's merger with Burdines . Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus are also regional firsts and these remain their only locations in the Greater Orlando region. The western side of Orlando includes various neighborhoods (within city limits, incorporated municipalities, and unincorporated within Orange County) with
8100-587: Is exceptionally rare. The only accumulation ever to occur in the city proper since record keeping began was in 1948, although some accumulation occurred in surrounding areas in a snow event in January 1977 that reached Miami. Flurries have also been observed in 1989 , 2006, and 2010. The average annual rainfall in Orlando is 51.45 inches (1,307 mm), a majority of which occurs in the period from June to September. October through May are Orlando's dry season. During this period (especially in its later months), often
8280-522: Is now referred to as the "Plaza level". The upper deck, previously numbered the "300" level, is now numbered the "200" level. The reconstruction began immediately following a groundbreaking event held at the stadium on January 29, 2014, and demolition of the entire lower bowl lasted 25 days. The first event at the renovated Camping World Stadium was the 2014 edition of the Florida Classic on November 22, 2014. The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats defeated
8460-573: Is remembered as Orlando's Golden Era, when it became the hub of Florida's citrus industry. The period ended with the Great Freeze of 1894–95 , which forced many owners to give up their independent citrus groves , thus consolidating holdings in the hands of a few "citrus barons", who shifted operations south, primarily around Lake Wales in Polk County . The freeze caused many in Florida, including many Orlandoans, to move elsewhere, mostly to
8640-458: Is said they [Jernigan's militia] are more dreadful than the Indians." In 1859, Jernigan and his sons were accused of committing a murder at the town's post office. They were then transported to Ocala , but escaped. At a meeting in 1857, debate had grown concerning the name of the town. Pioneer William B. Hull recalled how James Speer (a local resident, and prominent figure in the stories behind
8820-551: Is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area , which had a population of 2,509,831 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau . It is the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the Southern United States and the third-largest metropolitan area in Florida behind Miami and Tampa Bay . Orlando had a city population of 307,573 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville , Miami , and Tampa . In July 2023, its population
9000-535: Is the home of the University of Central Florida (UCF). As of fall 2023, the university had a total enrollment of 69,320 students, making it the fourth-largest on-campus student body of any public university in the United States . A list of all major neighborhoods and suburbs: Metro Orlando has a total of 19 completed skyscrapers. The majority are located in downtown Orlando and the rest are located in
9180-465: Is the second-largest convention facility in the United States. Like other major cities in the Sun Belt , Orlando grew rapidly from the 1960s into the first decade of the 21st century. Orlando is home to the University of Central Florida , which became the largest university campus in the United States in terms of enrollment as of 2015. In 2010, Orlando was listed as a "Gamma+" level global city by
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#17327805640179360-730: The 18th-busiest in the world . The two largest and most internationally renowned tourist attractions in the Orlando area are the Walt Disney World Resort, opened by the Walt Disney Company in 1971 and located about 21 miles (34 km) southwest of downtown Orlando in Bay Lake , and the Universal Orlando Resort, opened in 1990 as a major expansion of Universal Studios Florida and the only theme park inside Orlando city limits. With
9540-536: The 2008 NFL draft . He was selected with the first pick in the third round by the Detroit Lions . On March 18, 2008, running back Ereck Plancher collapsed shortly after a conditioning drill, and was then transported to a nearby hospital where he died approximately one hour later. ESPN 's Outside The Lines program on November 2, 2008, interviewed players who were at the training session at which Plancher became ill, and which after he died, and stated that
9720-615: The 2014 Fiesta Bowl . The game was one of the biggest upsets of the BCS era. On January 7, 2014, UCF was ranked No. 10 in the season's final AP Poll, the highest ranking in school history. Blake Bortles would be drafted in the first round at third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 NFL draft . The Knights finished 9–4 in 2014. The Knights kicked off the season in Dublin, Ireland against Penn State , losing to
9900-770: The 2016 Cure Bowl by a score of 31–13. After the 2016 season, Oregon fired Mark Helfrich. Amidst rumors that he might be interested in the Ducks opening, Frost announced he was not interested in Oregon and that he would return as UCF's head coach in 2017. Ironically, the position eventually went to UCF's rival coach, South Florida head coach Willie Taggart . Surprising even himself, Frost and his team went on to an undefeated regular season in 2017, defeating FIU , Maryland , Memphis , Cincinnati , East Carolina , Navy , Austin Peay , SMU , UConn , Temple , and rival USF in
10080-510: The 2017 Knights completed a 13–0 perfect season. The Knights were not selected for the College Football Playoff , instead completing their season with a New Year's Day win in the 2018 Peach Bowl over the No. 7 Auburn Tigers . UCF athletic director Danny White stated that UCF would claim the 2017 national championship, hang a national title banner, and hold a national championship parade and celebration. On January 8,
10260-472: The 2018 Peach Bowl . The program has produced one Consensus All-American , Kevin Smith in 2007, and three Heisman Trophy candidates, Daunte Culpepper ( QB ) in 1998, Kevin Smith ( RB ) in 2007, and McKenzie Milton ( QB ) in 2017 and 2018. The UCF football program can be traced back to a speech given by the university's second president , Dr. Trevor Colbourn , in January 1979. Colbourn believed that
10440-687: The AP Poll , but did not reach the top 25, ranking 27th. The Knights lost the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee by a score of 10–3 to Mississippi State . The Knights went on to finish the year with its first 10 win season in the FBS. In 2007, Kevin Smith set an NCAA record with 450 rushing attempts and rushed for 2,567 yards, placing him 2nd on the NCAA's all-time single season rushing list behind only Oklahoma State 's Barry Sanders . Despite this, he
10620-582: The American Athletic Conference soon thereafter, in all sports beginning in 2013. Following an investigation into recruiting violations in the men's basketball and football programs in 2011, on July 31, 2012, the NCAA announced sanctions – in addition to penalties UCF had previously self-imposed. The NCAA imposed a one-year postseason football ban. The penalty was in addition to a $ 50,000 fine, adding two years to UCF's previously proposed three years' probation, reduction of football scholarships, and tighter limits of football recruiting visiting days. In 2012,
10800-525: The BCS computer rankings, ranked UCF No. 1. All other NCAA-recognized major selectors named Alabama as their 2017 national champion. While it is not historically uncommon for certain polls to pick a champion other than the BCS or CFP winner, 2017 UCF is the only team which actively claims a national championship that was not awarded by the BCS/CFP or the AP Poll since the beginning of the BCS era, which
10980-616: The Boca Raton Bowl . On January 27, 2021, Heupel was hired to coach the Tennessee Volunteers by Tennessee's new athletic director, the same Danny White who had hired Heupel at UCF. On February 15, 2021, new athletic director Terry Mohajir named Gus Malzahn as UCF's new head coach. The two had previously worked together at Arkansas State , and Malzahn made a name for himself with a 68–35 record at Auburn from 2013 to 2020, including three wins over Alabama in
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#173278056401711160-554: The Division III level, O'Leary, then the university's athletic director , held a meeting of prospective players, who paid $ 14 per night to stay in the dorms and brought their own uniforms to the tryouts, in March 1979. This would be the first football tryouts for prospective players, and would serve as the first that many students would hear about the new athletic program. O'Leary had previously served as an assistant coach at Alabama under Paul "Bear" Bryant . He would spearhead
11340-549: The Florida A&;M Rattlers , 18–17 in overtime. Orlando City returned to the renovated Camping World Stadium for the 2015 season , their first season in Major League Soccer , while awaiting construction of their own soccer-specific stadium . In their first match, a 1–1 draw against fellow expansion team New York City FC on March 8, 2015, they drew a sellout crowd of 62,510, the largest attendance for
11520-524: The Florida Supreme Court sided with the University of Central Florida , ruling that sickle-cell disease caused the death and the university didn't owe any money to Plancher's family. After a lackluster 4–8 season in 2008, UCF bounced back with an 8–5 record in 2009, including winning their last six straight C-USA games. Among those wins was their first victory over a nationally ranked team, beating then No. 12 Houston on November 14 by
11700-606: The Globalization and World Cities Research Network . Fort Gatlin, as the Orlando area was once known, was established at what is now just south of the city limits by the 4th U.S. Artillery under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander C. W. Fanning on November 9, 1838, during the construction of a series of fortified encampments across Florida during the Second Seminole War . The fort and surrounding area were named for John S. Gatlin, an Army physician who
11880-618: The Great Recession of 2007–08. In 2010, the natural grass surface was replaced with AstroTurf Gameday Grass 3D after the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl and 2010 Capital One Bowl were marred by poor field conditions that led to two football player injuries. Stadium conditions once again prompted a review of the stadiums condition. Finally, it was announced in May 2013 that the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium would undergo
12060-517: The Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean colliding over Central Florida. They are highlighted by spectacular lightning and can also bring heavy rain (sometimes several inches per hour) and powerful winds as well as rare damaging hail . During the winter, humidity is much lower and temperatures are more moderate, and can fluctuate more readily. The monthly daily average temperature in January
12240-479: The Iron Bowl rivalry, an appearance in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game , and two New Year's Six bowl appearances. His Auburn team lost to UCF in one of those New Year's Six appearances, the 2018 Peach Bowl. Malzahn won in his debut with the Knights, defeating Boise State , 36–31. Following several critical injuries, including to starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel , Malzahn's first season ended with
12420-453: The Köppen climate classification , Orlando has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) like much of the deep Southern United States. The two basic seasons in Orlando are a hot and rainy season, lasting from May until late October (roughly coinciding with the Atlantic hurricane season ), and a warm and dry season from November through April. The area's warm and humid climate is caused primarily by its low elevation, its position relatively close to
12600-422: The Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute , Nemours Children's Hospital , and University of Florida College of Pharmacy , in addition to the Orlando Veterans Administration Medical Center (which began seeing clinical patients in 2015). In the southwestern side of Orlando, is the main tourist strip for the city, along with some residential neighborhoods. International Drive , commonly known as I-Drive ,
12780-459: The Tropic of Cancer , and its location in the center of a peninsula . Many characteristics of its climate are a result of its proximity to the Gulf Stream , which flows around the peninsula of Florida. During the height of Orlando's humid summer season, high temperatures are typically in the low 90s °F (32–34 °C), while low temperatures rarely fall below the low 70s °F (22–24 °C). The average window for 90 °F (32 °C) temperatures
12960-719: The UFL's Florida Tuskers , occupying the stadium for 2 seasons from 2009, before moving to Virginia Beach as the Virginia Destroyers in 2011. The Orlando Fantasy of the Lingerie Football League moved to the stadium shortly after, having previously used the UCF Arena . In 2022, it was announced that Orlando had been chosen to be the home of one of the third incarnation of the XFL ’s eight teams and that
13140-414: The University of Central Florida (UCF) expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the facility and lack of revenue, as while UCF was the primary leasing tenant for the facility, it received minimal revenue from football games. Lack of an agreement to rectify these issues led UCF to consider relocating, or spend considerable expense to upgrade the facility at its own cost. In addition, the stadium's capacity
13320-748: The WFL , USFL , WLAF , XFL , UFL , and most recently the Orlando Guardians of the 2020 XFL . From 2011 to 2013, it was the home of the Orlando City SC , a soccer team in USL Pro , then it was a temporary home for Orlando City of the MLS while Inter&Co Stadium was under construction. From 1979 to 2006, the stadium served as the home of the UCF Knights football team. It was one of
13500-866: The men 's and women 's competitions were held at the stadium. It hosted the USISL A-League Orlando Sundogs in 1997. It also hosted the Major League Soccer All-Star Game in 1998. The stadium was the home of Orlando City SC , a soccer team in the USL Pro League. In 2013, the investment group that owned that club was awarded an expansion team in Major League Soccer . They spent their 2014 season in USL Pro at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista while Camping World Stadium
13680-399: The "Golden" from their name, becoming the "UCF Knights". Fortunes seemed to have changed as the Knights moved into new facilities. After defeating a BCS AQ conference school for just the second time ever, NC State by a score of 25–23, they inaugurated their new stadium by hosting and losing to national power No. 6 Texas by a score of 35–32. The Knights lost to archrival South Florida by
13860-575: The 10 NCAA-recognized major selectors—thus, they were a non-consensus champion. Of note, there are over 25 instances of teams officially claiming a non-consensus national title (which entails winning at least one NCAA-recognized major selector, none of which were the AP Poll, Coaches Poll, NFF/FWAA and, formerly, the UPI). Under George O'Leary's leadership, the Knights won four C-USA Eastern Division Championships ( 2005 , 2007 , 2010 , 2012 ), and two Conference USA Championships ( 2007 , 2010 ). O'Leary also led
14040-605: The 1960s, the base subsequently became home to the 306th Bombardment Wing of the Strategic Air Command , operating B-52 Stratofortress and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, in addition to detachment operations by EC-121 and U-2 aircraft. In 1968, Orlando AFB was transferred to the United States Navy and became Naval Training Center Orlando. In addition to boot camp facilities, the NTC Orlando
14220-552: The 1970s and 1980s, though, turned up no record of Orlando Reeves ever existing. Some versions attempt to account for Reeves having no military records by using the name of other people named Orlando that exist in some written records – Orlando Acosta; however, not much is known about Acosta or whether he even existed. Another version of the story has Orlando Reed, supposedly an Englishman and mail carrier between Fort Gatlin and Fort Mellon , allegedly killed while camping with his friends near Fort Gatlin. A second variation also places
14400-415: The 1990 and 1993 playoffs , and were picked as the preseason No. 1 team to start the 1994 season. Through the completion of the 2023 season, UCF has compiled 293 victories, six division titles, and six conference championships. The Knights have made 15 postseason appearances since joining the FBS, including winning one Bowl Championship Series bowl, the 2014 Fiesta Bowl , and one New Year's Six bowl,
14580-577: The 1990s and in the National Football League as a safety for five years. In 2016, Frost and his explosive, up-tempo offense led the Knights to a 6–7 record. UCF began the Frost era with a 38–0 shutout win over FCS opponent South Carolina State . After losing its next two to Big Ten opponents No. 5 Michigan in a rout and Maryland in double overtime, the Knights defeated FIU and East Carolina . Central Florida then suffered
14760-580: The 2001 season and been named head coach at Notre Dame , but resigned in disgrace five days into his tenure after inconsistencies were found on his resume. The difficult coaching transition for 2004, the Knights' final year in the Mid-American Conference, saw the team hit rock bottom, going 0–11. In 2005 , UCF started their first season as a member of Conference USA . Not expected to improve much over 2004, they surprisingly won their first conference game against Marshall , 23–13, ending
14940-480: The 79 of the high-rises in the Greater Orlando region, 46 are located in downtown. It is also the home to many of the city's cultural venues, such as Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts , Kia Center , and Orlando Museum of Art . Southeast of Downtown is the rapidly growing neighborhood of Lake Nona . Along with being home to Lake Nona Golf & Country Club , it is also the health district for
15120-460: The City of Orlando. This also explains Orlando's relatively low city population when compared to its metropolitan population. The city and county are working together in an effort to "round-out" the city limits with Orlando annexing portions of land already bordering the city limits. At the center of the Greater Orlando region is Downtown Orlando , the historic core and central business district of
15300-615: The College Football Playoff. Without Milton, the Knights were beaten by future Heisman winner Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers in the Fiesta Bowl . In Heupel's second season, UCF lost a regular season game for the first time since 2016, at Pitt , whose fans promptly rushed the field to celebrate. UCF also fell on the road to Cincinnati , whose fans also promptly rushed the field to celebrate. UCF dropped out of
15480-529: The East Division and hosting the first ever C-USA Championship game , which they lost, 44–27, to Tulsa . Shortly thereafter, UCF was invited to play in their first ever bowl game , the Hawaii Bowl , losing to Nevada 49–48 in overtime due to a missed PAT that would have tied the game. In 2005 O'Leary was chosen by SportsIllustrated.com for the coach of the year award and received votes for
15660-554: The Knights earned a 10–4 record, a program best, and a trip to the I–AA playoffs . UCF would make it to the semifinals, and became the first school in history to qualify for the I–AA playoffs in its first season of eligibility. The Knights would finish the 1991 and 1992 with winning seasons as well. In 1992, Dr. John Hitt , UCF's fourth president, announced that the program would make the move to Division I-A in 1996, and he hired Steve Sloan as
15840-403: The Knights finished 10–4 and won their fourth C-USA East Division championship, though they would fall 33–27 in overtime to Tulsa in the league title game . UCF would play in the 2012 Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl and win 38–17 over Ball State as quarterback Blake Bortles would be named the game's MVP after throwing four touchdown passes. On April 19, 2013, UCF won its appeal with the NCAA and
16020-451: The Knights following the 1981 season. During the 1980 season, the Knights earned the only tie in program history, an 11–all game against Miles , and Tim Kiggins became the first Knight to sign a professional contract. After his departure, Jonas remained involved in the program, including doing radio broadcasts of UCF football games and a radio sports talk show. Jonas led the Knights to a 14–12–1 (.518) record in three seasons. Following
16200-444: The Knights posted identical 5–6 records behind Culpepper. In 1997, assistant coach Alan Gooch was named the national assistant coach of the year, due to his work with deaf running back Dwight Collins . In the wake of a federal fraud scandal revolving around improper cellular phone benefits and use, McDowell resigned as head coach on January 20, 1998. Over his 13-year tenure at UCF, McDowell earned an 86–61 (.585) record. After
16380-528: The Knights to The American conference championship in their first year in the league ( 2013 ), earning the conference's automatic berth to a BCS bowl game . In 2014 , the Knights clinched back-to-back conference championships. The Knights won The American conference championship in 2017 under head coach Scott Frost, and again in 2018 under head coach Josh Heupel for the program's second set of back-to-back conference titles. † Co–champion UCF won four division crowns and subsequently made four appearances in
16560-400: The Knights to an 0–8 record to start the 2015 season , O'Leary resigned as head football coach. Quarterbacks coach Danny Barrett was named interim head coach and led the team for the remaining four games of the season. UCF finished the 2015 season at a winless 0–12, its third such campaign in program history. After an extensive coaching search, Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost
16740-586: The Knights went 0–10, and Weir decided not to return for the 1983 season. One bright spot of the season was that Mike Carter became the first Knight to sign with an NFL team, the Denver Broncos . Lou Saban replaced Weir as the Knights head coach in 1983. Saban had previously coached at Miami , Army , Northwestern , and in the AFL and NFL with the Buffalo Bills and Boston Patriots , to name just
16920-627: The Knights were ranked for the first time in school history following their nationally televised 40–33 victory over Houston on the road. For the polls released on November 7, 2010, UCF was ranked in all three major college polls. The Knights were ranked 25 in the AP Poll , 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 25 in the Harris Poll . In their first game as a nationally ranked squad, the Knights fell 31–21 to Southern Miss in Orlando. UCF would bounce back and defeat Tulane by
17100-469: The Knights won 40–38 on a last-second field goal by Javier Beorlegui . After finishing 9–2 in 1998, UCF received a tentative verbal agreement to play in the inaugural Oahu Bowl . That arrangement, however, was contingent on UCLA finishing the season undefeated; the Oahu Bowl was otherwise committed to taking a team from the Pac-10 . On the final day of the regular season, Miami upset UCLA, setting off
17280-552: The Nittany Lions by a score of 26–24. O'Leary's squad dropped to 0–2 after losing to No. 20 Missouri by a score of 38–10. Central Florida then won its next five; defeating FCS foe Bethune–Cookman , Houston , BYU in overtime, Tulane and Temple . The Knights' five-game winning streak was snapped with a 37–29 loss to UConn on November 1. UCF won its next four to close the regular season; topping Tulsa , SMU , archrival South Florida and East Carolina , where
17460-793: The North , California , or the Caribbean . Notable homesteaders in the area included the Curry family. Through their property in east Orlando flowed the Econlockhatchee River , which travelers crossed by fording . This was commemorated by the street's name, Curry Ford Road. Also, just south of the Orlando International Airport in the Boggy Creek area are 150 acres (0.61 km ) of property homesteaded in
17640-662: The Orlando City (now Exploria) Stadium was completed. Camping World Stadium was one of the venues for Copa América Centenario in June 2016. Three group stage matches were held there, Paraguay vs Costa Rica on June 4, Bolivia vs Panama on June 6 and Brazil vs Haiti on June 8. The stadium hosted the Mexico national football team vs. Guatemala "MexTour" on April 27, 2022. The 2022 Florida Cup exhibition soccer match between Arsenal and Chelsea , 4–0, had an attendance of 63,811,
17820-706: The Orlando City Stadium was complete. On April 23, 2016, they broke the record for attendance at an NWSL game, setting at 23,403, when the Pride beat the Houston Dash , 3–1. On November 19, 2015, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL announced that Camping World Stadium would be one of the host venues for the Copa América Centenario soccer tournament in 2016. On April 26, 2016, Florida Citrus Sports announced that they had sold naming rights for
18000-570: The Orlando area is susceptible to sinkholes . Probably the most famous incident involving a sinkhole happened in 1981 in Winter Park, a city immediately north of downtown Orlando, dubbed "The Winter Park Sinkhole ". There are 115 neighborhoods within the city limits and many unincorporated communities. Orlando's city limits resemble a checkerboard, with pockets of unincorporated Orange County surrounded by city limits. Such an arrangement results in some areas being served by both Orange County and
18180-433: The Orlando metropolitan area, which now encompasses Orange, Seminole , Osceola , and Lake Counties. As a result, tourism became the centerpiece of the area's economy. Orlando now has more theme parks and entertainment attractions than anywhere else in the world. Today, the historic core of "Old Orlando" resides in downtown Orlando along Church Street, between Orange Avenue and Garland Avenue. The urban development and
18360-566: The Reeves legend in History of Orlando published in 1949. A memorial beside Lake Eola – originally placed by students of Orlando's Cherokee Junior School in 1939 and updated in 1990 – designates the spot where the city's supposed namesake fell. Conflicting legends exist. One legend has Reeves killed during an extended battle with the Seminoles after being field promoted after his platoon commander fell. An in-depth review of military records in
18540-500: The Top 25 for the first time in two years. UCF finished the season defeating Marshall in the Gasparilla Bowl . In Heupel's third and final season, UCF started the season ranked, but lost three games in the regular season, including their first home loss since 2016 (snapping a 21-game home winning streak) and their first conference loss to Memphis, ever. They posted a winning record for the fourth straight year, but were blown out by BYU in
18720-511: The abrupt departure of Gene McDowell, offensive coordinator Mike Kruczek was named UCF's new head coach on an interim basis. He would receive the position permanently later in 1998. Daunte Culpepper led UCF to its best season ever with a 9–2 record in 1998 (with losses only coming to Purdue and Auburn ). Culpepper finished 6th in the Heisman Trophy voting and set the NCAA record for completion percentage that year (73.4%). Following
18900-446: The addition of contour seating, two escalators, and a new 107-foot (33 m) wide scoreboard/video screen. A new sound system, along with two full-color ribbon displays along the upper decks, were also added. The expansion resulted in the upper deck overhanging Tinker Field's right field area, albeit at a significant height. Camping World Stadium has been home field to several short-lived professional football teams. From 1966 to 1970,
19080-423: The area during the Second Seminole War . Several of the stories relay an oral history of the marker for a person named Orlando, and the double entendre , "Here lies Orlando." One variant includes a man named Orlando who was passing by on his way to Tampa with a herd of oxen , died, and was buried in a marked grave. Through a retelling of history, a marker of some sort was believed to have been found by one of
19260-474: The area's history, a 1998 outbreak that killed 42 people and a 2007 outbreak that killed 21, both happened in February. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 307,573 people, 113,238 households, and 61,667 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 238,300 people, 97,661 households, and 51,716 families residing in the city. In 2014, the city's population
19440-548: The bids were the lack of modern luxury boxes , bench seating, and capacity. The hopes for Camping World Stadium became reality when, on September 29, 2006, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer announced an agreement on a $ 175-million renovation of Camping World Stadium. It is part of the "Triple Crown for Downtown", a $ 1.1-billion plan to redo the Orlando Centroplex with a new $ 480-million arena for the Orlando Magic ,
19620-642: The central business district of downtown have rapidly shaped the downtown skyline during recent history. The present-day historic district is primarily associated with the neighborhoods around Lake Eola but stretches west across the city to Lake Lorna Doone and north into the College Park Neighborhood where you can find century-old oaks line brick streets. These neighborhoods include the "Downtown Business District," "North Quarter," "Parramore," "Callahan," "South Eola Heights, "Lake Eola Heights,"Thornton Park" and "College Park", and contain some of
19800-496: The city does see strong hurricanes. During the notorious 2004 hurricane season , Orlando was hit by three hurricanes that caused significant damage, with Hurricane Charley the worst of these. The city also experienced widespread damage during Hurricane Donna in 1960. Tornadoes are not usually connected with the strong thunderstorms of the humid summer. They are more common during the infrequent cold days of winter, as well as in passing hurricanes. The two worst major outbreaks in
19980-563: The city named after the protagonist in the Shakespeare play As You Like It . In 1975, Judge Donald A. Cheney put forth a new version of the story in an Orlando Sentinel article. Cheney (a local historian and then chairman of the county historical commission ) recounted a story told to him by his father, Judge John Moses Cheney (a major figure in Orlando's history, who arrived in Orlando in 1885). The elder Cheney recounted that another gentleman at that time, James Speer, proposed
20160-401: The city, with Lake Nona Medical City . It features the University of Central Florida 's Health Sciences Campus, which includes the university's College of Medicine , Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences , the University of Central Florida College of Nursing , and the University of Central Florida College of Dental Medicine (along with a teaching hospital ). The medical city also includes
20340-411: The city. It is bordered by Marks Street in the north, Mills Avenue ( SR 15 ) in the east, Orange Blossom Trail ( US 441 ) in the west, and Kaley Avenue in the south. It is home to many of the region's major banks, skyscrapers, government buildings, and cultural and tourist attractions, along with a large residential population. It is mostly composed of high-rise residential towers and office towers. Among
20520-400: The community about the possibility of dismantling the program, and Peterson announced his retirement as the university's athletic director. In addition, due to financial troubles, the team had to postpone plans to move up to Division I-AA . Without a head coach or athletic director, President Colbourn hired Florida State assistant coach Gene McDowell to fill both positions. McDowell took
20700-414: The county's first records, a grand jury 's report, mentions a stockade where it states homesteaders were "driven from their homes and forced to huddle together in hasty defences [sic]." Aaron Jernigan led a local volunteer militia during 1852. A post office opened at Jernigan in 1850. Jernigan appears on an 1855 map of Florida, and by 1856, the area had become the county seat of Orange County. In 1857,
20880-446: The day of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship , Florida Governor Rick Scott proclaimed the team national champions by way of their undefeated season and transitive wins , via Auburn's regular season victories, over both participants in that night's upcoming CFP championship game. On January 9, 2018, the Colley Matrix , an NCAA-recognized National Champion Major Selector, and an algorithm formerly used as part of
21060-590: The decision to construct a new on-campus stadium , which opened for the 2007 season . Orlando officials began exploring stadium refurbishment project in 2004, when the Capital One Bowl bid to become a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game, but was not chosen due to the stadium's aging condition. Camping World Stadium also submitted a bid for the ACC Championship Game , but lost to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium . The key reasons for losing
21240-502: The departure of Don Jonas, Sammy Weir , who was the head coach at Lake Howell High School , became UCF's new head coach and led the Knights in their move up to Division II in 1982. Another change to the university's athletic programs in 1982 was the departure of O'Leary as athletic director, and the hiring of Bill Peterson , who was the Florida State head coach from 1960 to 1970. In their first season playing Division II ball,
21420-427: The effort to raise more than $ 40,000 to start the program, and would complete a deal for the team to play in the Tangerine Bowl . Without a budget to hire a staff, O'Leary reached out to six UCF graduate students as volunteer assistants. From there, O'Leary was able to lure Don Jonas , a former NFL quarterback and Orlando dignitary, to become UCF's first head football coach on a voluntary basis. One day during
21600-546: The exception of the theme parks, most major cultural sites like the Orlando Museum of Art and Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and nightlife, bars and clubs are located in Downtown Orlando. Other attractions like Orlando Eye at ICON Park are located along International Drive . The city is also one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions; Orange County Convention Center
21780-405: The following year and settled near Lake Holden. Mosquito County was renamed Orange County in 1845, with the county seat shortly thereafter relocated to Mellonville, a few miles west of Sanford . By 1856, settlement had begun in earnest in the interior of the county and a more centrally-located Courthouse was sought. The new town of Orlando, laid out in 1857, consisted of four streets surrounding
21960-636: The former Air Force Base airport code (MCO). Perhaps the most critical event for Orlando's economy, though, occurred in 1965 when Walt Disney announced plans to build Walt Disney World . Although Disney had considered the regions of Miami and Tampa for his park, one of the major reasons behind his decision not to locate there was due to hurricanes – Orlando's inland location, although not free from hurricane damage, exposed it to less threat than coastal regions. The vacation resort opened in October 1971, ushering in an explosive population and economic growth for
22140-556: The former McCoy AFB still hosts a Navy Exchange, as well as national guard and reserve units for several branches of service. NTC Orlando was completely closed by the end of 1999 by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission , and converted into the Baldwin Park neighborhood. The Naval Air Warfare Center had moved to Central Florida Research Park near UCF in 1989. A major factor in Orlando's growth occurred in 1962, when
22320-483: The helm in 1985, and hired his eventual successor and former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mike Kruczek as his offensive coordinator . The Knights would finish with a 4–7 mark in McDowell's first year, including a 42–21 loss to UCF's first-ever Division I–A opponent, Louisville . Due to financial hardships, McDowell waived half of his annual salary, and FSU head coach Bobby Bowden donated uniforms and cleats to
22500-559: The introduction of chair-back seats in the lower bowl and Plaza Level. The upper deck continues to have bench seats. Temporary bleachers can be added in the Plaza level in place of the Party Deck to increase the capacity to 65,194. Orlando, Florida Orlando ( / ɔːr ˈ l æ n d oʊ / or- LAN -doh ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida , United States. Part of Central Florida , it
22680-648: The larger Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award . In May 2006, UCF extended O'Leary's contract for 10 years and increased his pay to $ 1 million plus incentives per year after he engineered the fourth-best single-season turnaround in college football history. After an anemic 2006 which saw the Golden Knights go a mere 4–8, the team rebranded in 2007 in preparation for its move to its new on-campus venue, Bright House Networks Stadium (later known as Spectrum Stadium and now as FBC Mortgage Stadium). They dropped
22860-665: The late 19th century by the Ward family. This property is still owned by the Ward family, and can be seen from southbound flights out of Orlando International Airport immediately on the south side of SR 417. Orlando became a popular resort during the years between the Spanish–American War and World War I . In the 1920s, Orlando experienced extensive housing development during the Florida Land Boom , causing land prices to soar. During this period, dozens of neighborhoods in
23040-487: The leg. Milton was out for the season, and never played another down for UCF, transferring to Florida State after the 2020 season and playing his final season of eligibility there in 2021 . Back-up quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. took over and guided the Knights to win that game as well as the Conference championship game a week later against Memphis . The undefeated and 8th-ranked Knights were once again not selected for
23220-513: The name Orlando after the character in As You Like It . According to Cheney, Speer, "was a gentleman of culture and an admirer of William Shakespeare ..." Quoting a letter that Speer wrote, "Orlando was a veritable Forest of Arden , the locale of As You Like It ." Speer's descendants have also confirmed this version of the naming and the legend has continued to grow. This account also has some validity in that, as mentioned above, Speer
23400-421: The naming of Orlando) rose in the heat of the argument and said, "This place is often spoken of as 'Orlando's Grave.' Let's drop the word 'grave' and let the county seat be Orlando." The origin of the name is unknown but at least five stories relate how Orlando got its name. The most common stories are that the name Orlando originated from the tale of a man who died in 1835 during an attack by Native Americans in
23580-479: The new Orlando Jetport, the precursor of the present-day Orlando International Airport, was built from a portion of the McCoy Air Force Base. By 1970, four major airlines ( Delta Air Lines , National Airlines , Eastern Airlines , and Southern Airways ) were providing scheduled flights. McCoy Air Force Base officially closed in 1975, and most of it is now part of the airport. The airport still retains
23760-662: The nine venues used for the 1994 FIFA World Cup , and also hosted 1996 Olympic soccer matches. The stadium has hosted the NFL 's Pro Bowl five times. Construction on the stadium began in 1936 as a project of the Works Progress Administration under President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression . The stadium was built to the immediate east of the baseball park Tinker Field , which opened in 1914. The stadium opened later in 1936 with
23940-504: The north endzone seating bowl, concession areas, club-level seating, and new premium mezzanine clubs on east and west. The project was completed on a fast-track schedule of less than 12 months by Construction Manager Barton Malow. During the work, the City of Orlando and Florida Citrus Sports hosted several events at the stadium. All were held without incident due to specialized safety techniques that separated construction activities, visitors, and staff. Florida Citrus Sports released plans for
24120-418: The northern portion of Osceola County , but is not connected to the main stem of this route. Surrounding cross-roads include Sand Lake Road, Kirkman Road, SR 536 , and Universal Boulevard , which runs parallel to the midsection of International Drive. At its northern end, International Drive is home to Orlando International Premium Outlets and Universal Orlando resort, along with being in close proximity to
24300-419: The oldest homes in Orlando. On June 12, 2016, more than 100 people were shot at Pulse , a gay nightclub in Orlando. Fifty (including the gunman) were killed and 60 were wounded. The gunman, whom the police SWAT team shot to death, was identified as 29-year-old Omar Mir Seddique Mateen , an American security guard. The act of terrorism was both the deadliest mass shooting in modern United States history at
24480-471: The original pioneers, but Speer's family has since claimed that Speer simply used the Orlando Reeves legend to help push his plan for naming the settlement after the Shakespearean character from As You Like It , his favorite play. This has become the most common accepted version of how Orlando got its name. Historians agree that likely no soldier was named Orlando Reeves. Folklore is that Reeves
24660-408: The patrons sitting in those sections. The swaying and shaking was noticeable again about a month later during the 1976 Tangerine Bowl game . The swaying was so pronounced that some fans vowed never to sit in those seats again, while some refused to return to the stadium at all. Before long, engineering evaluations, as well as legal investigations, uncovered numerous missteps, rushing, and cut corners in
24840-399: The place where the previous 1835 ambush that had killed over 100 soldiers had been planned. When the U.S. military abandoned the fort in 1839, the surrounding community was built up by settlers. Prior to being known by its current name, Orlando was once known as Jernigan. This name originates from the first European permanent settlers, Isaac and Aaron Jernigan , cattlemen who moved from
25020-539: The post office was removed from Jernigan, and opened under the name of Orlando at a new location in present-day downtown Orlando. During the American Civil War , the post office closed, but reopened in 1866. The move is believed to have been sparked, in part, by Aaron Jernigan's fall from grace after he was relieved of his militia command by military officials in 1856. His behavior was so notorious that United States Secretary of War Jefferson Davis wrote, "It
25200-543: The program. McDowell would the lead the Knights to their first winning season since 1979, with a 6–5 record in 1986. Also that year, Ted Wilson became the first UCF player to be selected in the 1987 NFL draft , being picked by the Washington Redskins in the 10th round. Following an 8–3 regular season record in 1987, the Knights earned their first trip to the Division II playoffs, where they earned
25380-417: The renovation on January 23, 2024. Prior to the 2014 renovation, the stadium had 65,000 permanent seats. The lower bowl lacked permanent seats in the north end zone, though temporary bleachers could be erected there if necessary. The temporary bleachers were last used for the 2005 Capital One Bowl, which had an attendance of 70,229. Following the renovation, the seating capacity was reduced to 60,219 due to
25560-599: The school hung a national championship banner in Spectrum Stadium and gave out national champion rings. The claim sparked considerable controversy and debate over whether the College Football Playoff should be expanded. On December 5, 2017, Missouri offensive coordinator Josh Heupel was named UCF's head football coach. Heupel arrived in Orlando with some impressive credentials, overseeing explosive offenses during his time as offensive coordinator at Missouri and his alma mater Oklahoma . UCF signed Heupel to
25740-487: The school's 17-game losing streak, then the nation's longest such streak. UCF fans celebrated by storming the field and tearing down the goal posts. Students came back to the campus and celebrated further by jumping into UCF's Reflection Pond (a practice normally reserved for Spirit Splash ). UCF then went on to win eight out of the remaining nine games on their schedule, finishing 7–1 in C-USA games and 8–5 overall, winning
25920-550: The season 7–5 overall, completing their 14th winning season in the past 17 years. The excitement, however, would be short-lived. After signing a three-year contract extension at the beginning of the 2003 season , Kruczek was fired following a 3–7 start. Kruczek was replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach and former player Alan Gooch who finished out the dismal 3–9 season with losses to Mid-American Conference rivals Marshall and Miami (OH) . The Marshall game marked UCF's first nationally televised home football game as it
26100-643: The season ranked No. 20 with a 7–4 record. During the team's final season in Division I-AA, the Knights were reinvigorated by freshman sensation Daunte Culpepper . The quarterback would lead the Knights to a 6–5 record, and their tenth straight winning season in 1995. On September 1, 1996, UCF officially made its foray into Division I-A . At that time, the Knights became the first football program to play in four different NCAA divisions (III, II, I-AA and I-A). In their first two seasons in Division I-A,
26280-659: The season, Culpepper was drafted with the 11th pick in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings , marking the highest ever draft pick of a UCF player. The Knights proved to be a scary team on the road against heavily favored opponents, with close losses including a 10–6 loss at Auburn in 1998 , a 24–23 loss at Georgia in 1999 , and a 21–17 loss at Georgia Tech in 2000 . Kruczek's biggest victory would come in 2000 against Alabama at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama , when
26460-548: The session was longer and far more rigorous than O'Leary and other UCF Athletics officials have admitted to publicly. They also alleged that O'Leary and other coaches had initially warned players off from providing assistance to Plancher when he became visibly distressed. After a 14-day trial in 2011, a jury found the UCF Athletics Association guilty of negligence in the death of Plancher. The jury awarded each of his parents $ 5 million. Upon appeal , however,
26640-407: The shooting. The city offered to buy it for $ 2.25 million, but the club's owner declined to sell. The geography of Orlando is mostly wetlands , consisting of many lakes and swamps. The terrain is generally flat, making the land fairly low and wet. The area is dotted with hundreds of lakes, the largest of which is Lake Apopka . Central Florida's bedrock is mostly limestone and very porous;
26820-574: The sport of American football . The Knights compete in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and are a member of the Big 12 Conference . Their head coach is Gus Malzahn . The Knights play their home games at the 48,000-seat FBC Mortgage Stadium , which is located on UCF's main campus in Orlando, Florida , United States. UCF first fielded
27000-552: The stadium to Camping World . Camping World also became the title sponsor of the stadium's college football kickoff game through at least 2019, and the annual December bowl game held at the stadium was known as the Camping World Bowl from 2017 through 2019. These naming changes did not affect the Citrus Bowl or the Florida Classic. In 2021, Camping World Stadium renovations included modernizing and improving
27180-782: The stadium was home to the Orlando Panthers of the Continental Football League . In 1974, the Florida Blazers of the World Football League played their only season in existence at the Tangerine Bowl. The USFL's Orlando Renegades played one season in 1985. The Orlando Thunder of the WLAF called the Citrus Bowl home in their two-season existence during the early 1990s, while the XFL 's Orlando Rage played there in 2001 as well as
27360-428: The stadium's design. While it was believed that the upper deck was structurally sound and met building codes, it nevertheless was deemed a failure. Additional problems included inadequate access to restrooms in the upper deck, gaps between the sections which required obstructive fences, and the fact that the upper deck was built at such an angle that it had poor sight lines. Meanwhile, unsightly I-beams installed to hold up
27540-464: The stadium. Camping World Stadium is the current home venue of the Citrus Bowl and the Pop-Tarts Bowl . It is also the regular host of other college football games including the Florida Classic between Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman , the MEAC/SWAC Challenge , and the Camping World Kickoff . The stadium was built for football and in the past, it has served as the home of numerous minor/alternate-league football clubs, including teams from
27720-439: The state of Georgia and acquired land 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of Fort Gatlin along the west end of Lake Holden in July 1843 by the terms of the Armed Occupation Act . Aaron Jernigan became Orange County's first state representative in 1845, but his pleas for additional military protection went unanswered. Fort Gatlin was briefly reoccupied by the military for a few weeks during October and November 1849, and subsequently
27900-495: The story in 1835 during the Second Seminole War. This name is taken from a South Carolinian cattle rancher named Orlando Savage Rees. Rees owned a Volusia County sugar mill and plantation , as well as several large estates in Florida and Mississippi . Rees' sugar farms in the area were burned out in the Seminole attacks of 1835 (the year Orlando Reeves supposedly died). Subsequently, Rees led an expedition to recover stolen slaves and cattle. In 1837, Rees also attempted to stop
28080-410: The team would play its home games at Camping World Stadium. The Orlando Guardians played in the 2023 XFL season before folding after the XFL's merger with the USFL . The stadium hosted the NFL 's all-star game, the Pro Bowl , from 2017 through 2020 . In 2024, the event returned for a fifth time under the new title Pro Bowl Games . It was the first time since the NFL transitioned the event to
28260-412: The time and one of the deadliest mass shootings perpetrated by a single person in recorded world history. Mateen pledged allegiance to the Islamic State during his unsuccessful negotiations with police. After the shooting, the city held numerous vigils. In November 2016, Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer announced the city's intention to acquire the Pulse Nightclub to build a permanent memorial for the 49 victims of
28440-440: The title in a 62–55 double overtime thriller, securing UCF's third conference championship win. Just hours after winning the AAC, sources confirmed that Frost would be taking a seven-year, $ 35 million deal to become Nebraska's new head coach. Frost and his staff returned for one last game in the 2018 Peach Bowl . The No. 12 ranked Knights faced No. 7 ranked Auburn, and defeated them 34–27 to close out their undefeated season with
28620-402: The tourist district southwest of downtown. Skyscrapers built in downtown Orlando have not exceeded 441 ft (134 m), since 1988, when the SunTrust Center was completed. The main reason for this is the Orlando Executive Airport , just under 2 miles (3.2 km) from the city center, which does not allow buildings to exceed a certain height without approval from the FAA. According to
28800-421: The university's new athletic director. Earning their eighth winning season in 1993, the Knights would again make the playoffs. During the season, the team won their first game over a Division I–A team, a 38–16 victory at Louisiana Tech . After another impressive season, UCF was selected as the preseason No. 1 to start the 1994 season. The 1994 season would prove disappointing however, as the Knights would finish
28980-484: The upcoming Epic Universe theme park (set to open in 2025). Further south on International Drive, it features the Madame Tussauds wax museum, the Orange County Convention Center , Pointe Orlando entertainment complex, SeaWorld Orlando (along with Aquatica , SeaWorld's water park), Fun Spot America , ICON Park (featuring its famous ferris wheel, Orlando Eye ), the World's Largest Entertainment McDonald's , and other tourist ventures. The Millennia neighborhood
29160-428: The upper deck now blocked seats in the lower deck that were previously unobstructed. The maligned stadium's reputation was heavily tarnished after the upper deck scandal, criticized by public officials, media, and fans. Further complicating the situation was UCF 's pending move to the stadium for 1979 . The city finally received a settlement of $ 900,500 from the stadium's engineers, architects, and designers, money that
29340-403: The usual 12. The breakout season for Frost and his team made him one of the most sought-after coaches on the market, drawing interest from Florida and his alma mater, Nebraska . Frost passed on the Florida job but avoided questions about returning to Nebraska. In the 2017 American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game , Frost's team went on to play Memphis for the second time and won
29520-457: The vicinity of downtown were constructed. The boom ended when several hurricanes hit Florida in the late 1920s, along with the Great Depression . During World War II , a number of Army personnel were stationed at the Orlando Army Air Base and nearby Pinecastle Army Air Field . Some of these servicemen stayed in Orlando to settle and raise families. In 1956, the aerospace and defense company Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin ) established
29700-401: Was 320,742 inhabitants. It is the state's most populous inland city. Orlando is one of the most-visited cities in the world primarily due to tourism, major events, and convention traffic. It is the third-most visited city in the U.S. after New York City and Miami , with over 2.9 million visitors as of 2022. Orlando International Airport is the 7th-busiest airport in the United States and
29880-476: Was acting as a sentinel for a company of soldiers that had set up camp for the night on the banks of Sandy Beach Lake . Several different lakes are mentioned in the various versions, as no soldiers were in what is now downtown during 1835. The legend grew throughout the early 1900s, particularly with local historian Olive Brumbaugh (or Kena Fries ) retelling in various writings and on local radio station WDBO in 1929. Another historian, Eldon H. Gore, promoted
30060-443: Was aired on ESPN2 . Kruczek ended his six-year stewardship of UCF with a 36–30 (.545) record. An increased travel burden, lack of competitiveness, and lack of natural rivals within the midwest -based MAC saw UCF begin to explore the possibility of a different conference affiliation after just a couple years in the conference. Furthermore, the UCF athletic department was interested in an all-sports conference membership rather than
30240-414: Was an international friendly between the women's teams of the United States and Brazil . The U.S. won the match, 4–1, before a crowd of 20,274. Orlando City , now playing in Major League Soccer , returned to Camping World Stadium for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The Orlando Pride , the National Women's Soccer League 2016 expansion team owned by Orlando City SC, played in Camping World Stadium while
30420-462: Was being renovated. During the 2013 season, Fifth Third Bank owned naming rights to the field for Orlando City matches. Its name during those matches was Fifth Third Bank Field at the Citrus Bowl. Orlando City played their final USL Pro match at Camping World Stadium on September 6, 2013. They won the USL Pro Championship over Charlotte Eagles , 7–4, before a crowd of 20,886. The last soccer event held at Camping World Stadium before its renovation
30600-416: Was criticized by national media, fans, and even head coach Scott Frost; however, 2017 UCF is also the only team to ever finish a season ranked #1 by an NCAA-recognized major selector and be left out of the CFP, a unique circumstance and a reason for the recognized claim. 2017 Alabama won the CFP and 9 of the 10 NCAA-recognized major selectors—thus, they were the consensus national champions. 2017 UCF won 1 of
30780-433: Was eligible for postseason play in 2013. The appeal would prove crucial, as in 2013 , O'Leary led the Knights to their first twelve-win season (12–1), first perfect conference record (8–0), first win against a Big Ten opponent ( Penn State ), first win against a Top–10 team (No. 8 Louisville ), third conference title, and the program's first appearance and victory in a BCS bowl game, defeating No. 6 Baylor 52–42 in
30960-405: Was home of one of two Navy Nuclear Power Schools, and home of the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division . When McCoy AFB closed in 1976, its runways and territory to its south and east were imparted to the city to become Orlando International Airport , while a small portion to the northwest was transferred to the Navy as McCoy NTC Annex. That closed in 1995, and became a housing, though
31140-437: Was instrumental in changing the name of the settlement from Jernigan to Orlando, though he may have used the Orlando Reeves legend in lieu of his true intent to use the Shakespearean character. According to yet another version of the story, Orlando may have been the name of one of his employees. One of downtown Orlando 's major streets is named Rosalind Avenue; Rosalind is the heroine of As You Like It , but this could also be
31320-411: Was killed in Dade's Massacre on December 28, 1835. The site of construction for Fort Gatlin, a defensible position with fresh water between three small lakes, was likely chosen because the location was on a main trail and is less than 250 yards from a nearby Council Oak tree, where Native Americans had traditionally met. King Phillip and Coacoochee frequented this area and the tree was alleged to be
31500-479: Was named as UCF's new head coach on December 1, 2015. Serving under head coach Mark Helfrich , Frost had overseen one of college football's quickest and most explosive offenses at Oregon, won multiple Pac-12 conference championships, coached quarterback Marcus Mariota into a Heisman Trophy winner in 2014 and sent many players into the National Football League . All this after a successful collegiate playing career at quarterback for Stanford and Nebraska in
31680-441: Was not selected even as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award . He also was the only running back in the 2007 season to rush for more than 100 yards against the Texas Longhorns. He was a fan favorite, especially with student section at Bright House Networks Stadium . Smith originally stated that he would return for his senior season at UCF, however, he later changed his mind, announcing on January 6, 2008, that he would declare for
31860-484: Was seen as too large for UCF, leaving the stadium an appearance of being empty even with attendance of as much as 30,000–40,000 people per game. UCF's all-time attendance record was 51,978 for the 2005 C-USA Championship Game versus Tulsa . Furthermore, the stadium was located over 10 miles (16 km) from the university's main campus in East Orlando, with travel times of up to a half-hour due to traffic. In 2005, UCF officials led by university president John Hitt made
32040-437: Was soon appropriated for new improvements. The infamous steel east upper deck was dismantled in May 1980. After various new improvements, and a $ 30 million renovation that added new concrete upper decks to both sides, a capacity of 65,438 was established in 1989. In 1983, the Florida Department of Citrus was added as a title sponsor for the facility, at a price of $ 250,000. From 1999 to 2002, key stadium improvements included
32220-406: Was spread out, with 12.0% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 36.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males. UCF Knights football The UCF Knights football team represents the University of Central Florida in
32400-562: Was the namesake of the city. F. K. Bull of South Carolina (Rees' great-grandson) told an Orlando reporter of a story in 1955; years later, Charles M. Bull Jr., of Orlando (Rees' great-great-grandson) offered local historians similar information. Unlike Orlando Reeves, who cannot be traced to any historical record, the record is considerable that Orlando Rees did exist and was in Florida during that time. For example, in 1832, John James Audubon met with Rees in his large estate at Spring Garden, about 45 minutes from Orlando. The final variation has
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