Spectrum Stadium

Spectrum Stadium is located on the northeastern edge of UCF's 1,415-acre (573 ha) main campus, which is approximately 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Downtown Orlando and 55 miles (89 km) southwest of Daytona Beach.[14] The stadium is a part of the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village and is bordered by McCulloch Road on the north side, Knights Plaza on the west side, and Orion Boulevard on the southern and eastern sides.

To the west in Knights Plaza is the Addition Financial Arena, The Venue, John Euliano Park, and the UCF Track and Soccer Complex. Also located in Knights Plaza are The Towers residence halls, housing 2,000 UCF students, including student-athletes.[15]

From 1979 to 2006, the Knights played their home games at the Citrus Bowl in downtown Orlando. Located about 15 miles (24 km) from UCF's main campus, the stadium is also the home of the Citrus Bowl game, and numerous neutral site games. By the 2000s, the stadium had fallen into a dilapidated state. School officials were dissatisfied with the condition of the facility and lack of revenue generated from games. The stadium's capacity (65,000) was considered too large for the Knights, and the location off-campus was considered a significant factor in the inability to sustain a sizeable student section. When the university approached the city about renovations and new revenue-sharing measures, they were met with resistance.[16][17][18] While the city had expressed interest in renovating the Citrus Bowl with or without UCF's support, funding was seriously in doubt. The city was in the planning stages for a new arena, new performing arts center, and "creative village", with stadium renovations seemingly taking less priority.[19][20]

In early 2005, the university abandoned the efforts to renovate the Citrus Bowl, and conducted a feasibility study to construct an on-campus stadium.[21] Along with playing in a modern facility, and generating revenue, additional motivations included drawing more students to the games, a more intimate setting, and establishing game-day traditions on campus. With UCF's main campus one of the largest in the nation, building an on-campus stadium was also seen as a way to grow the university. In December 2005, the UCF Board of Trustees approved the construction of the new on-campus stadium.[22] The facility, initially known as UCF Stadium, was hoped to be ready for the 2006 season. However, construction was delayed due to concerns from local residents regarding potentially falling property values and noise levels from the stadium.

Construction broke ground on March 22, 2006. Two months later, it was announced that the Texas Longhorns would be the first opponent for the UCF Knights in the new stadium. The game, the first of three scheduled meetings between the schools,[23] was held September 15, 2007. A sellout crowd of 45,622 saw the Knights put a scare into the Longhorns before falling 35–32.[24][25]

Stadium details

During construction, the stadium's naming rights were sold to cable provider Bright House Networks, naming the facility Bright House Networks Stadium. In 2016, Bright House Networks was acquired by Charter Communications; in accordance with Charter's trade name for its cable services, the facility was renamed Spectrum Stadium in April 2017.[28]

At their spring game in 2018, UCF unveiled signage on Roth Tower to commemorate its conference championships, New Year's Six/BCS bowl wins, and their "National Championship" for the 2017 season.[29]

The short-lived Alliance of American Football (AAF) included the Orlando Apollos as one of its franchises with the Apollos playing at Spectrum Stadium during its inaugural 2019 season.[30] The AAF folded in April 2019 with its first season incomplete; the University of Central Florida had failed to invoice the AAF for the lease of its stadium facilities or expenses for staff, leading media to speculate that UCF had lost more than $1 million of revenue from the deal.[31]

Panoramic view of Spectrum Stadium during its inaugural game in September 2007

Knights Plaza, part of the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village.

The highest attendance for games played at Spectrum Stadium against the Knights have included the South Florida Bulls, the Miami Hurricanes, and the South Carolina Gamecocks.

The stadium is also known as "The Bounce House"[40][41][42][43] because the stadium vibrates and shakes when fans jump in unison, most notably when Zombie Nation's song "Kernkraft 400" is played.[44] While many fans like this feature, some are uneasy with the bouncing. Stadium officials claimed the stadium was structurally sound, and an independent contractor confirmed that the bouncing will not damage the stadium and shorten its expected 50–year useful life. Still, a project was begun prior to the 2008 season to reinforce the stadium superstructure and mitigate the bouncing effect.[45]

While the bouncing has been greatly reduced by the stadium reinforcements, it is still noticeable - sometimes enough to shake TV cameras during televised games. For the 2010 Conference USA Football Championship Game, ESPN set up a camera position outside of the stadium to eliminate camera bounce caused by fans.[46]

On January 28, 2020, witness at the stadium reported minor shaking and swaying from the 2020 Caribbean earthquake.[47]

• UCF Knights
• Greater Orlando
• History of the University of Central Florida
• List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums

Notes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spectrum Stadium.

• Official website