The Charge

The Charge • May 5 2026

WATCH: How a UCF student began his draglesque journey, made debut at Extravaganza Knight

With the song "Made You Look" by Meghan Trainor blaring on the speakers, Jay Ayuk made his draglesque debut, blending the art of drag and burlesque.On Jan. 15 at Extravaganza Knight, a collaboration between Color Me Queer and Lavender Council celebrating the LGBTQ+ community through performance, Jay Ayuk, junior event management major, had spent months helping plan the event. Somewhere along the way, his plans shifted. 
"Something within me was telling me I want to perform," Ayuk said. "...

The Charge • April 29 2026

'The light in the match': How sports announcer Jeff Sharon energizes game-day experiences

When UCF public address announcer Jeff Sharon was a child, his mom found him watching sporting events with the volume turned down, calling games as if he were already a broadcaster.Years later, that same voice fills both Addition Financial Arena and Acrisure Bounce House.
Sharon’s voice is heard throughout both venues during live play and production elements, making it a consistent part of the game-day environment.“He’s kind of like the light in the match,” said Alex Cesarano, associate...

The Charge • April 14 2026

Fulks declares for NBA draft after record-breaking season

Former UCF fifth-year guard Themus Fulks announced via Instagram on Monday that he has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft following a historic season with the Knights.Fulks started in all 33 games, averaging 32.8 minutes and 14 points per game while leading the offense at point guard. His performance earned him All-Big 12 Third Team honors and a spot on the All-Newcomer Team.
He set UCF’s single-season assist record with 222, finishing 11th nationally in total assists and 10th in assists pe...

The Charge • April 10 2026

TRACKER: Men's basketball team loses players as transfer portal opens

UCF forward Jordan Burks enters transfer portalUCF junior forward Jordan Burks has entered the transfer portal after starting all 33 games for the Knights last season.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 13.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from 3-point range. He also shot a team-leading 78.2 percent from the free-throw line.Burks scored a career-high 24 points in a 97-84 win over then-No. 19 BYU on Feb. 24, adding two steals, a bloc...

The Charge • April 2 2026

Dawkins named Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year

UCF men’s basketball head coach Johnny Dawkins was named the 2026 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year on Thursday, marking the first time a Knights head coach has received the award.The Jim Phelan Award has been presented to the best head coach in Division I college basketball since 2003.
Dawkins led the Knights to a program-best 9-9 Big 12 record and a second straight 20-win season in just their third season in the conference.UCF earned multiple marquee victories over ranked opponents...

The Charge • March 16 2026

Men's basketball charges on to NCAA tournament as No. 10 seed

The UCF men’s basketball team erupted in cheer after being announced the No. 10 seed in the East region during its NCAA tournament selection show watch party at Addition Financial Arena Sunday.The Knights will face the No. 7-seeded UCLA Bruins in Philadelphia on Friday after punching their ticket to the tournament for the first time since 2019.
A 66-65 overtime win over Cincinnati sent the team to the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals in Kansas City, where it later fell to top-seeded Arizo...

The Charge • March 13 2026

No.1 Arizona routs UCF, ending Knights’ Big 12 tournament run

UCF’s brief Big 12 tournament run ended Thursday afternoon as top-seeded Arizona notched an 81-59 win at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.The Knights entered the matchup as 16.5-point underdogs just 24 hours after rallying from a 12-point deficit to defeat Cincinnati 66-65 in overtime and advance to the quarterfinals.
The contest marked the second meeting between the teams this season after Arizona defeated UCF 84-77 on Jan. 17 at Addition Financial Arena.The Wildcats asserte...

The Charge • March 12 2026

Men's basketball narrowly escapes Cincinnati, reaches Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals

UCF men's basketball rallied to overcome Cincinnati 66-65 in overtime at the T-Mobile Center Wednesday afternoon, earning the Knights a spot in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals.The comeback snapped UCF’s three-game losing streak and kept its NCAA tournament hopes alive after the skid dropped the team's regular-season record to 20-10 overall and 9-9 in Big 12 play.
UCF entered the game reeling from its regular-season finale against West Virginia University on Friday, leaving the Knight...

The Charge • March 8 2026

UCF secures first-round bye in Big 12 tournament despite 3-game skid

The Knights’ seeding in the Big 12 tournament was locked up on Saturday, securing a first-round bye despite the men's basketball team’s Friday night loss to West Virginia at Hope Coliseum in Morgantown.A 73-63 home win by TCU over Cincinnati on Saturday locked UCF into the No. 8 seed in the conference standings and solidified their spot in the tournament bracket, sending the Knights to Kansas City with a 20-10 overall record and a 9-9 mark in Big 12 play. 
The result ensured UCF would av...

The Charge • March 6 2026

Big 12 embraces the future with LED court for basketball tournaments

Chris Thornton, chief executive of ASB GlassFloor America, uses a tablet to draw up a play on the GlassFloor at ASB's Orlando facility. Thornton emphasized the number of possibilities the court brings to the table.

The Charge • February 23 2026

Fulks sinks go-ahead free throws to secure 73-71 win over Utah

UCF men’s basketball eked out a 73-71 win against the University of Utah in a Saturday night thriller at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City.

The Knights, who tallied their 19th win after the matchup, entered the game with a 7-6 conference record and a 3-0 all-time record against the Utes (10-17, 2-12 Big 12), who currently hold the last-place rank out of 16 Big 12 teams.

The Charge • February 26 2026

Fulks sets UCF single-season assists record in win over No. 19 BYU

Fifth-year guard Themus Fulks etched his name into the record books Tuesday night, setting UCF’s single-season assists record in the Knights’ dominant 97-84 victory over No. 19 BYU at the Marriott Center.His 184th assist of the season pushed him past Sinua Phillips’ long-standing mark of 183 — a record that stood for 34 years.Phillips originally set the program record during the 1991-92 season, serving as UCF’s primary point guard during the program’s early Division I era. He established himself...

The Charge • February 18 2026

GALLERY: Men’s basketball breaks losing streak with 82-71 win over TCU

The UCF men’s basketball team got back to its winning ways Tuesday evening, defeating Texas Christian University 82-71.The Knights came off a three-game losing streak ahead of the matchup against the Horned Frogs (16-10, 6-7 Big 12). Opposite of UCF, TCU was on a three-game win streak heading into the game.UCF got out in front in the first half behind junior forward Jordan Burks, who scored 16 of his career-high 23 points before the break, helping build a 42-28 halftime lead for the Knights (18-...

The Charge • March 1 2026

Knights suffer 1-point loss to Baylor, following 'petty' foul call in final seconds

Senior guard Riley Kugel made his return to the lineup Saturday night, scoring a team-high 26 points in UCF’s 87-86 loss to Baylor University at a packed-out Addition Financial Arena.The Knights had a chance to tack another win on their record after a successful two-game road trip out west that saw them improve to 9-6 in Big 12 play.
Instead, a last-second foul call on Kugel at the 3-point line gave the Bears a one-point edge that secured them a win.Senior forward Jamichael Stillwell was...

The Charge • March 2 2026

GALLERY: Baylor squeezes out 1-point win over men's basketball

UCF men’s basketball succumbed 87-86 to Baylor University at Addition Financial Arena Saturday night.The Knights hoped to continue their momentum from a successful two-game road trip and add a tenth conference win to their record (20-8, 9-7 Big 12) heading into the matchup against the Bears (15-14, 5-11 Big 12). Senior guard Riley Kugel returned to the lineup and led UCF with 26 points, fueling the Knights’ offense throughout the night.The game remained competitive early before Baylor had a late...

The Charge • February 15 2026

West Virginia overcomes 14-point deficit to hand men's basketball 3rd straight loss

The UCF men’s basketball team suffered its third consecutive loss Saturday evening after West Virginia rallied to overcome a 14-point deficit, leaving the final score 74-67.The Knights came off an underwhelming road trip that saw them drop two straight games in blowout fashion — dipping their conference record to 6-5 — ahead of the matchup against the Mountaineers (16-9, 7-5 Big 12). Saturday's home game marked UCF's sixth conference loss, giving the Knights a .500 Big 12 record.
Senior...

The Charge • February 13 2026

Men's basketball looks to rebound against West Virginia following road trip slump

The UCF men’s basketball team will face West Virginia at Addition Financial Arena at 6 p.m. on Saturday, its first home game since suffering consecutive road losses to then-No. 8 Houston — now No. 3 — and Cincinnati.Head coach Johnny Dawkins said during Wednesday’s press conference that the recent bye week was crucial in allowing the team to settle and heal following its underwhelming road outings.
“It's good to have this opportunity to get back and have a bye week to just settle in,” Da...

The Charge • February 3 2026

Former UCF football head coach Gus Malzahn announces retirement

Former UCF football head coach Gus Malzahn announced his retirement in a social media post on X from coaching on Monday after a brief stint with Florida State University, ending a 35-year career.After being fired by Auburn in 2020, Malzahn accepted the head coaching position at UCF in 2021, where he stayed for the next four years.
"It's exciting to be head of a program where the future is extremely bright,” Malzahn said after being hired by UCF in February 2021. “I will be hitting the gr...

The Charge • January 26 2026

Stillwell returns to lineup, UCF ends two-game skid with 95-86 win at Colorado

The UCF men’s basketball team took down the University of Colorado 95-86 on the road Saturday afternoon, rebounding after suffering consecutive losses.The Knights (15-4, 4-3 Big 12) saw senior forward Jamichael Stillwell, who missed Tuesday's game against Iowa State with an ankle injury, return against the Buffaloes (12-8, 2-5 Big 12), adding much-needed support to UCF’s frontcourt.
UCF got off to a rocky start in the opening minutes, falling behind 7-0 as senior guard Riley Kugel got in...

The Charge • January 22 2026

UCF held to season-low in points, falls 87-57 against No. 9 Iowa State

The UCF men’s basketball team fell 87-57 to No. 9 Iowa State University on the road Tuesday evening, losing two consecutive games for the first time this season.Senior guard Riley Kugel scored the game's first points, sinking a 25-foot 3-pointer to give the Knights what would be their only lead of the game.
The Cyclones’ stingy defense gave the Knights (14-4, 3-3 Big 12) trouble early, forcing 13 turnovers in the first half, the most Iowa State (17-2, 4-2 Big 12) has forced in any half t...

The Charge • April 25 2025

UCF Ph.D. candidate's work in receiving the Order of Pegasus

Growing up surrounded by wetlands near the Virginia Beach area, Tiffany Dawson developed a deep love for marine biology and a lifelong passion for ecological conservation.Dawson, a UCF integrative and conservation biology Ph.D. candidate, was recently inducted into UCF’s Order of Pegasus, the most prestigious award a student can receive at the school, according to UCF's website.
As a member of UCF’s marine turtle research group, Dawson was recognized by the school for her research on the...

The Charge • January 28 2026

UCF stuns Arizona State in the game’s final minute with narrow 79-76 win

The UCF men’s basketball team stunned Arizona State University 79-76 Tuesday evening at Addition Financial Arena in the second-ever matchup between the two schools.The Knights (16-4, 5-3 Big 12) took the lead early, going up 9-2 before surrendering a 10-2 Sun Devils (11-10, 2-6 Big 12) scoring run.
UCF took an 18-14 lead before ASU took full control of the game. The Knights didn't reclaim the lead until there was less than a minute on the clock in the second half.The Sun Devils’ physical...

The Charge • February 3 2026

UCF men's basketball left unranked for 4th straight week despite key upsets

The UCF men’s basketball team remains unranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll as of Feb. 2, despite Saturday’s court-storming home win against then-No. 11 Texas Tech.The Knights (17-4, 6-3 Big 12) currently sit in sixth place in the Big 12 conference standings and are the only unranked team among the top seven.Despite home wins against then-No. 17 Kansas (16-5, 6-2 Big 12) and current No. 13 Texas Tech (16-5, 6-2 Big 12), along with a road victory against SEC-leading Texas A&M (17-4, 7-1 SE...

The Charge • March 29 2025

UCF mental health professionals weigh in on potential national antidepressant investigation

UCF mental health professionals discussed how Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plan to investigate antidepressants may lead to more problems in the ongoing mental health crisis in the country.During his confirmation hearing on Jan. 29, Kennedy stated his intention to investigate the use of antidepressants in the country, particularly Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, as part of his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign.
“I know people, including membe...