Schedule in flux after FIU game is off

UCF is eager to play football in the fall, but the Knights are struggling to hold on to teams who want to play them.

UCF’s nonconference schedule took another hit Thursday when FIU announced it was delaying the start of all fall sports until Sept. 16, four days after the Panthers were scheduled to face the Knights on Sept. 12.

“Based on input from our FIU health care experts, the informed science surrounding COVID-19 and the current circumstances in our South Florida community, FIU is postponing all intercollegiate competitions through Sept. 16,” FIU announced with a statement released Thursday. “We are making this decision in an abundance of caution.”

A UCF athletics spokesman confirmed the Knights were informed by the Panthers they could not play as scheduled on Sept. 12. It’s unclear whether the teams will be able to reschedule their game for another date later in the season.

UCF was scheduled to kick off the season at home against North Carolina, but the game was canceled when the ACC shifted to playing one nonconference game that had to be played in its teams’ home state. The Knights pushed to have their home-game contract honored and it’s unclear whether they will be paid to break the contract or reschedule the matchup with UNC for another year.

The Knights also were scheduled to host Florida A&M, but the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference postponed fall sports indefinitely. FAMU is leaving the MEAC after the 2020-21 school year, so it is exploring trying to play football as an independent in 2020.

It’s unclear whether that plan will be resolved in time to play UCF on Nov. 7.

UCF’s sole remaining nonconference game is at Georgia Tech on Sept. 19. The Knights are slated to play an eight-game American Athletic Conference regular-season schedule.

UCF has developed several models in case it can’t replace some of its nonconference games.

“It’s a tricky proposition because what you schedule this year could have an impact on another year,” athletics director Danny White said Aug. 5.

“It’s hard to set up a home-and-home, for example, when the home game is this year in front of a reduced capacity crowd, a game that we really can’t monetize. And then you have a road game in the future that is an outlier.”

The NCAA canceled fall championships Thursday after more than 50% of teams suspended play.

The decision impacts men’s and women’s cross country, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s water polo.