UCF marketing campaign draws attention
Thirty-one billboards across the state deliver simple message: The future of college football is in Orlando.
If you’ve traveled the roadways in the state of Florida lately, chances are you’ve probably seen one.
There’s one on Interstate 95 by Pompano Beach in South Florida. There’s a pair located on Interstate 275 near Tampa. There’s another one on Interstate 95 near Jacksonville.
Billboards have been springing up all over the Sunshine State with a simple message: The future of college football is in Orlando.
UCF football’s new marketing campaign has caught the attention of many here in the Sunshine State. They’re hard to miss with locations in every major Florida city, including numerous signs in Orlando. They’ll be popping up near Gainesville and Tallahassee next week.
There are 10 located around Atlanta as well.
Each of the 31 billboards contains a similar message, with only the distance to the UCF campus changed.
It’s a theme first introduced by new coach Gus Malzahn.
“I truly believe this is a program of the future in college football,” Malzahn said during his introduction Feb. 15. “The reason I believe that is the foundation has been built with the players before and with the coaches who have been there before, and I think it’s in great shape.”
While the billboards are sure to create a sense of pride among the fans in Knight Nation, their intent is clearly meant to catch the eye of potential recruits.
“We’re going to recruit Florida like nobody else,” Malzahn said. “We’re going to recruit like our hair is on fire.”
The approach is already paying off according to the coaching staff.
“Our social media team is doing a great job of putting out different video and graphics,” cornerbacks coach Addison Williams said. “With the players seeing that, [we’re] backing up exactly what we’re telling them on the phone or on FaceTime or Zoom about us being the future of college football.”
Added special teams coach Brian Blackmon: “The energy is being felt around the state. … I think there is so much to sell about this place. Not just the amazing atmosphere that gets created in the Bounce House on game days, but all the other intangibles that we’re looking at.”
Malzahn and his coaching staff have extended more than 100 scholarship offers to high school recruits over the first month, and those numbers will only continue to climb.
“We have a lot to sell here,” defensive coor
dinator Travis Williams said. “The great weather, the great people and being able to play great football and be able to win championships and get a great education.
“We’re in Orlando; people come here for vacation. We actually stay here.
“We’re going to work our tail off to recruit the state of Florida. We’re going to be in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina [too].”
LOCATIONS BILLBOARDS
OF South Florida, I-95, Pompano Beach
South Florida, Palmetto Expressway, Hialeah
South Florida, Florida Turnpike, Dade into Broward County
Tampa, I-275 W, into downtown
Tampa, 1-275 E, into downtown Jacksonville, I-95 S Gainesville, I-75 S (Live on March 15)
Tallahassee, I-10 E (Live on March 15) Orlando (12 locations) Atlanta (10 locations)