ORLANDO — UCF will host its 10th annual Space Game at 7:30 p.m. on October 30, 2026, against Baylor at the Acrisure Bounce House in Orlando. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

UCF launched the Space Game tradition in 2017 to honor its founding mission of supporting the U.S. space program at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The university designs special uniforms for the event inspired by aspects of space exploration. As of November 2025, UCF has posted an 8-1 record in Space Games.

The Knights' only loss in the series came in the 2025 edition, when Houston defeated UCF 30-27 on November 7, 2025, after Katrell Webb intercepted a pass in the end zone with 11 seconds remaining. Prior to that, UCF defeated Arizona 56-12 in the 2024 Space Game on November 2, 2024, as Dylan Rizk threw three touchdown passes in his first career start and RJ Harvey moved into second place on UCF’s all-time rushing list.

UCF’s Space Game victories include a 45-3 win over No. 15 Oklahoma State in 2023, a 70-13 rout of Temple in 2022, and a 24-7 decision over Memphis in 2021. The inaugural Space Game occurred on October 14, 2017, when UCF defeated East Carolina 63-21 under head coach Scott Frost. Additional wins followed against Temple in 2018 (52-40), Houston in 2019 (44-29), and Tulane in 2020 (51-34).

UCF and Baylor have met twice since UCF joined the Big 12 in 2023, with Baylor winning both matchups. Most recently, Baylor defeated UCF 30-3 in Waco, Texas, in November 2025. UCF’s sole victory in the series occurred on New Year’s Day 2014 in the Fiesta Bowl.

The 2025 Space Game theme was “hyperspace,” reflecting UCF’s October 2024 partnership with the U.S. Air Force to launch the Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion, known as the HyperSpace Center. Located in the Central Florida Research Park adjacent to UCF’s main campus, the center aims to advance hypersonic travel technology at speeds up to 13,000 miles per hour to support national defense and space exploration.

The Space Game also nods to UCF’s historical ties to aerospace and citrus. The Citronaut—a hybrid of an astronaut and an orange—appeared on the cover of Florida Technological University’s 1968-69 student handbook, illustrated by Norman Van Meter, brother-in-law of then-UCF President Charles Millican. Though students chose the Knights of Pegasus as the official mascot in 1970, the Citronaut has since gained a cult following and serves as a popular secondary brand for UCF athletics. UCF rebranded as the Golden Knights in 1993 and shortened the name to Knights in 2007. In fall 2026, UCF will play two Big 12 home games on Friday nights, with the Space Game against Baylor scheduled for Friday, October 30.