College Football in Orlando
By Kate Cohen
March 1, 2025
Orlando may not have its own NFL team, but it's still a great city to catch an exciting football game.
Collegiate football is the name of the game in Orlando, particularly at our resident college, University of Central Florida.
The City Beautiful also hosts a variety of college Bowl Games that draw thousands of visitors from around the world every year.
Wondering how you can find yourself cheering in the crowds?
Here’s how you can catch college football in Orlando.
Key Takeaways
UCF Knights Football
The UCF Knights are Orlando’s home college football team.
The University of Central Florida has over 68,000 students enrolled and a huge and enthusiastic athletics following.
The success of the UCF athletics department led them to join the Big 12 Conference in 2023, alongside schools like Texas Tech University, Baylor University, and University of Cincinatti.
Since being inducted into the conference, UCF has continued to prove season after season that they’re a football force to be reckoned with.
UCF home games are played at FBC Mortgage Stadium, located on the university’s main campus.
With a capacity of over 45,000, each game is electric and bursting with excitement and school pride.
As of 2025, over 50 UCF football players have been drafted to the NFL.
Most recently, in 2025, running back RJ Harvey was drafted to the Denver Broncos as a second-round pick, and cornerback Mac McWilliams was drafted to the Philadelphia Eagles as a fifth-round pick.
Fall 2025 UCF Knights Football Season
Ready to cheer on the Knights? Here’s their 2025 fall football season.
- Thu., Aug. 28 – vs. Jacksonville State
- Sat., Sept 6 – vs. North Caroline A&T
- Sat., Sept. 20 – vs. North Carolina
- Sat., Sept. 27 - @ Kansas State
- Sat., Oct. 4 – vs. Kansas
- Sat., Oct. 11 - @ Cincinnati
- Sat., Oct. 18 – vs. West Virginia
- Sat., Nov. 1 - @ Baylor
- Fri., Nov. 7 – vs. Houston
- Sat., Nov. 15 - @ Texas Tech
- Sat., Nov. 22 – vs. Oklahoma State
- Sat., Nov. 29 - @ BYU
College Bowl Games
Just outside of downtown Orlando is Camping World Stadium, a large outdoor stadium that hosts epic concerts, sporting events, and celebrations.
It’s also the host of two exciting college football bowl games every winter: The Pop-Tarts Bowl and the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
Pop-Tarts Bowl
In 2024, the Pop-Tarts Bowl produced some of the most humorous, viral, and share-worthy college football content of the season.
Held in late December, the Iowa State Cyclones took on the Miami Hurricanes in a game that ended in a 42 – 41 score, with the Cyclones taking home the win.
Prior to the big game, the stadium hosted events like the Pop-Tarts Bowl pep rally featuring appearances from participating teams’ band, cheerleaders, and head coach.
The Fan Fest is the official pregame tailgate party held on Tinker Field just outside the stadium. This free celebration features interactive games, live entertainment, inflatables, face painters, and more.
While the championship title is an incredible honor, the winning team of the Pop-Tarts bowl also gets to celebrate their win by eating an edible version of the Pop-Tarts mascot.
In a grand show of victory, the Pop-Tarts mascot was lowered into a larger-than life toaster, emerging in an edible form to be consumed by the winners.
You can expect more exciting football and humorous antics at the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando later this year.
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Several days after the Pop-Tarts Bowl, the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl rings in the new year at Camping World Stadium.
This remarkable competition is the seventh-oldest collegiate bowl game in the country, first premiering as the Tangerine Bowl in 1947.
In 2024, the South Carolina Gamecocks faced off against the Illinois Fighting Illini in an exciting game that led to a victory for Illinois.
The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl hosts its own pep rally and tailgate, including Pregame Hospitality with all-inclusive food and beverages in a private VIP area for $100 per ticket.
The game is typically held on New Year’s Day unless the holiday falls on a Sunday (hence why in 2024, the game took place on Sat., Dec. 31).
Cheer on Your Team from a Rosen Inn
Whether you’re coming to Orlando to cheer on the UCF Knights or support another team of your choice, you’ll always win big by staying at a Rosen Inn.
Our hotels make getting to the UCF campus and Camping World Stadium a breeze, meaning you can make it to the game well before kickoff.
Our spacious rooms, affordable rates, and exciting amenities make our hotels the perfect place to rest your head and get ready for the big game.
