UCF football is one of two programs in NCAA history to have played in all four divisions. They actually were the first and only program to do it until 2022 when James Madison completed the feat.
The University fielded its first varsity team back in 1979, almost 16 years after the school opened. When they first started the team, they were put into the NCAA Division III as a program and Dr. Jack O'Leary was tasked with putting the team together as the athletic director.
UCF played their first-ever football game in Division III on September 22, 1979, against St. Leo University where they won 21-0 to secure their first win in program history. The Knights finished their inaugural season 6-2 giving them their first winning season in program history.
After just three seasons, with a new head coach in tow, UCF was making their move to Division II, this time without the O'Leary who brought life to the football program. In their first season in Division II, UCF went 0-10, a very different result from their time in Division III. It wasn't till 1983 that the Knights won their first game in Division II. There were a lot of struggles for the Knights in Division II, including accruing a 7-25 record in three seasons.
Rough times brought on a lot of questions about UCF and its football program, so much so that there was talk about dismantling the program for good. The team's abysmal record and athletic financial problems also delayed the team's move to Division I-AA, the Division just below FBS.
Without an athletic director or a head coach, UCF was left reeling looking for the right fit. Former Florida State assistant Gene McDowell took both jobs in 1885 and the Knights finished that following season 4-7 including a loss to UCF's first-ever Division I-A opponent, Louisville.
UCF had not had a winning season since their first one in program history in 1979. It wasn't until McDowell led the Knights to a 6-5 record in 1896 and then built upon that foundation finishing with an 8-3 record in 1986 making the Division II playoffs for the first time ever.
The Knights had found their footing in Division II, and for the second straight season, they found themselves in the playoffs, this time playing the reigning Division II National Champions Troy. The infamous "Noise Penalty" Game where UCF fans were so loud that Troy's quarterback was unable to call plays. When he then went to complain about the noise, the refs called a delay of game penalty. UCF went on to win the game and they were then ranked No. 1 in Division II.
Finally, in 1990, UCF made the move to Division I-AA and had a stellar first season finishing the year 10-4 overall. The Knights were in the Division I-AA playoffs, the first team in history to do so in their first season in Division I-AA. After three straight winning seasons, President John Hitt announced in 1992 that UCF would make the jump to Division I in 1996.
On September 1, 1996, UCF officially made the move to Division I and was the first team to play in all four divisions. The impressive part was how fast the Knights made their move, they did so just 19 years after their first-ever football season.
When UCF joined Division I, they joined as an independent team and remained that way till 2002 when they chose to join the Mid-Atlantic Conference or the MAC. UCF remained in the MAC for only three seasons before they made the move to Conference USA.
After some time in Conference USA, UCF wanted to make a move to a bigger conference, so they chose the Big East Conference which was rebranded into the American Athletic Conference. After some troubles caused by USF, UCF made the move to the AAC in 2013 where they won the Fiesta Bowl in their first season over Baylor.
After 10 seasons in the AAC, quite a few big seasons, including an undefeated one in 2017 where they were crowned National Champions, UCF was invited to join the big dogs in the Big 12, a Power-5 conference.
After 45 seasons, UCF made the move to a bigger conference to give them an opportunity to truly compete for the National Championship year in and year out.
Now in the Big 12, UCF is becoming a force to be reckoned with in many sports. Their climb to the top was a short and rough one, but impressive nonetheless.