Are fans more excited about UCF Football and it’s trajectory?

The boos rained down from the stands as Gus Malzahn walked off the Bounce House field on November 29, 2024, after a 28-14 loss to Utah, cementing a 4-8 season. Twenty-four hours later, Gus was gone, trading his black-and-gold visor of responsibilities for the promise of a garnet-and-gold safety net at Florida State.

Seven days later, Scott Frost was announced as UCF Football’s Head Coach… again. His hiring quickly swung the vibes pendulum from despair to optimism, largely due to the wild success during his first tenure in Orlando. In the announcement of his hire, Frost said, “The foundation we built here has only grown stronger, and I am thrilled to continue shaping this program’s legacy.”

In the 18 months since that statement, many things have continued to change and evolve in college athletics and in the Knights football program. But how has Frost done in reshaping and building the program? The Sons of UCF convened a panel of local media and content creators to get their thoughts on whether UCF is better, worse, or the same in several key areas of the program in the 18 months since Frost’s hire.

The panel of respondents includes: Christian Simmons (Pegasus Podcast), Andrew Cherico (Knights 247, Sons of UCF), Brian Peterson (Sons of UCF), Austin Heffernan (Space Knights), Dali Drama (Knights 247, Sons of UCF), Jeff Allen (JAS, Sons of UCF), and Adam Eaton (Sons of UCF).

In the final installment of our four-part series, we examine the excitement of the fan base and the trajectory of the program

Overall excitement in the program, Better, Worse, or the Same?

Christian: WORSE – This also isn’t really on Frost, but there was some genuine buzziness around the fanbase following his return that simply couldn’t sustain following another bad season in the Big 12. This staff did what it could with the hand it was dealt. 2025 was never going to be a fun year. But even the addition of a star QB through the portal can’t fully reignite a fanbase that hasn’t seen a winning season since 2022. It’s time to prove it on the field before any real excitement returns.

Andrew: WORSE – Excitement was at its peak when Scott Frost was announced as UCF’s head coach once again. Many believed his return would help establish the Knights as a consistent force in the Big 12. However, after an underwhelming season, much of that excitement has cooled. Outside of the controversy surrounding Alonza Barnett III’s absence from spring camp, there wasn’t much buzz coming out of the spring. The optimism is still there, but it feels more cautious than it did a year ago.

Brian: BETTER – There’s definitely a renewed energy around the program. Frost’s return alone reignited a lot of fan engagement, and that hasn’t completely faded. The fan base feels more aligned with the direction of the program, and there’s a sense of belief again, even if results haven’t fully matched expectations yet. Nationally, the intrigue is also higher. Not overwhelming, but UCF is more watchable and relevant than it was 18 months ago. The excitement feels like it’s coming back a little, even if it’s the cautiously optimistic kind where people are still side-eyeing the schedule.

Austin: SAME – Just not much excitement. Yes, UCF sold out some games last year, but UCF was a very fun brand nationally from 2017-2019. The spark isn’t there right now. And that is mostly not Frost’s fault at this point. It was exciting when Frost first came back in late 2024, but that excitement has completely worn off.

Dali: SAME – There’s some cautious optimism, but another losing season would really hurt the fanbase and slow our momentum. The Bounce House can be an exciting place for big games, and Frost’s return got people interested again. After finishing 5-7, expectations are lower, but the new transfers and Barnett have people talking. Nationally, UCF is known for being fast and different, but we’re not a must-watch team every week.

Jeff: SAME – Need a winning season to raise profile, and the base is getting restless.

Adam: SAME – The hiring of Frost brought this program out of the malaise of the broken-down Gus Bus, and for a while, the strategy of nostalgia and good vibes created some solid energy. But then the Knights only won five games, lost several in spectacular or head-scratching fashion, and featured an inept offense along the way. A low-key spring camp, highlighted by the need for an APB for AB3, sucked even more energy from the fan base. It appears that as we head into the summer months, apathy has crept back into Knight Nation, leveling the excitement.

Is the trajectory for the program Better, Worse, or the Same?

Christian: BETTER – Before we knew Gus was moving on, things were beyond bleak in Orlando. The program had no roadmap to success, the QB position was an unmitigated disaster, and fans seemed ready to embrace a level of apathy that we haven’t seen since 2015. Now, things have stabilized significantly. The program has a real general manager and a consistent recruiting/portal philosophy that it’s sticking to. The QB room has been impressively rebuilt ahead of schedule. The roster is (seemingly) in good shape. Now it’s time to see some results on the field.

Andrew: BETTER – I’ve always been on the hopeful side when it comes to new coaches. I believe they deserve time and patience because they’re hired with the expectation that they’ll have a runway to implement their vision and build a program the right way. In UCF’s case, Scott Frost inherited a difficult situation and was forced to piece together a makeshift roster during his first season back in Orlando. While the results weren’t always pretty, the Knights are now in a position where they’re recruiting and adding transfer talent with a longer-term vision in mind rather than simply trying to fill immediate roster holes.

Brian: BETTER – For the first time in a while, the program feels like it’s building toward something instead of recovering from something. Recruiting is improving (kinda), the roster is stabilizing (sorta), and the Big 12 transition no longer feels like we’re trying to swim in jeans. The arrow is pointing up. Cautiously, but up. And for UCF fans, cautious optimism is basically euphoria.

Austin: BETTER – That’s solely because you can smell what Frost is cooking. And he’s cooking up a real culture that will pay off in the long run. Gus let some really bad habits seep in, and Frost has had to work his tail off to help get that funk out of the program. I witnessed this firsthand at a Shareholder practice last offseason. The breakdown at the end of practice was Frost just picking apart little things he noticed. One example was players taunting their scrimmage opponents after a big play instead of celebrating with teammates.

Dali: BETTER – Rebuilding with a glimmer of hope. Frost’s second stint mirrors his first (initial transition struggles followed by potential leap). Heavy portal use aims for quicker fixes, and familiarity with the system in Year 2 should help. Long-term: Depends on QB development, OL defensive improvements, reducing turnover, and paying producers.

Jeff: BETTER – The talent is being upgraded, and the culture is improved. Next step is more Ws.

Adam: SAME – Here’s what we know so far: Frost and his staff have a plan they are trying to execute. They brought in a high-priced QB, and added some exciting weapons to bring the offense some firepower. What we don’t yet know is whether Frost and Co. are accurate in their appraisal of portal additions and, more importantly, whether they spent their money on the right players. If they did, perhaps they will hop on the rocket ship. However, if we are being totally honest, we still need to see if Frost can consistently win as a head coach and lead a winning program. Prognostications teeter between bleak and blech, which I suspect is perfectly fine with the low-profile Frost. Maybe the Knights have ‘em right where they want ‘em, but if not, the trajectory arrow will quickly begin to point directly south.

This is the final installment of our four-part series examining the first 18 months of Scott Frost’s second tenure at UCF. A special thanks to our contributing panel: Christian Simmons, Andrew Cherico, Brian Peterson, Austin Heffernan, Dali Drama, and Jeff Allen.