UCF Space Game Uniforms to Hit College Football 25
Here’s a hot take: the Space Game is the most underrated tradition in college football. Since 2017, UCF has dedicated a home game to honoring the legacy of NASA, the Kennedy Space Center, and UCF’s own Florida Space Institute. It is surrounded by evolving traditions such as an annual custom uniform, including unique colorways and branding that pay homage to space exploration and the university’s rich history (chartered initially as Florida Technical University).
Other milestones have been associated with the game in years past; in 2020, a Space X launch was visible from the stadium just hours before the opening kick, the coolest addition to any tailgate I can think of. While fans love the novelty of the space game, they love UCF’s performance in the Space Games even more. The Knights have never lost a Space Game, nor has it ever really been close: the closest margin of victory was 12 points when UCF topped the Temple Owls 52-40 in an absolute shootout.
Space Games have not just been against cupcake opponents; last year, fifteenth-ranked Oklahoma State had the unfortunate scheduling nightmare of the Space Game; the Cowboys lost 45-15 to unranked UCF. With heavy mythos now attached to UCF's annual tradition, the eighth installment of the Space Game on November 2nd, aptly monikered as "Mission VIII," has already sold out. The Knights' Mission VIII opponent will be newly minted Big 12 program University of Arizona and the jerseys appear to be the most ambitious yet.
The 2024 jerseys will feature a constellation cuff different on each shoulder: one for the Pegasus constellation and one for the Orion constellation, both with symbolic meaning to the university. In addition, the helmets will be painted to represent lunar dust and proudly display the university motto, “Reach for the Stars.” There is a lot more detail in what appears to be the most intricate Space Game uniforms yet, for those interested in all the detail and thought behind the outfits more information can be found here.
This news is undoubtedly exciting for UCF fans, but now all fans of college football can also join in on the excitement of the Space Game as the jerseys will be available in EA Sports College Football 25. Yesterday, UCF Football announced on social media that the jerseys would be available in-game sometime in October. The post showed members of the EA Sports team diligently inputting every unique detail of the jersey into the game.
This is the first time the Space Game will be available to the College Football Franchise. The game’s predecessor, “EA Sports NCAA Football,” met an untimely demise due to legal complications, with its last edition coming for the 2014 football season. Thanks to NIL policy changes by the NCAA, the re-imagined game was launched for the first time in over a decade this year.
With the Space Game starting in 2017, three years after the end of the NCAA Football series, this is the first time college football fans can enjoy the unique tradition in video game form. Now, fans across the sport will have at least a week to suit up as UCF in-game to try on the jerseys, only furthering the legacy and anticipation of the annual tradition.