13-0 Knights get parade at Disney
UCF will hold a parade Sunday at Disney World to celebrate going undefeated and winning the Peach Bowl, feats the Knights say make them national champions.
The parade is set for 4:30 p.m. at Magic Kingdom and will feature the UCF football team, cheerleaders and marching band.
No. 12 UCF earned a 34-27 win over No. 7 Auburn in the Peach Bowl on Monday, completing the first undefeated season in school history. The Knights went 13-0, won the American Athletic Conference title and posted the highest graduation rate among all Football Bowl Subdivision public schools.
The Knights knocked off the Tigers, who previously earned wins over Georgia and Alabama — the two teams set to face off Monday in the College Football Playoff national-title game.
UCF athletics director Danny White has led the charge arguing the Knights deserve to be considered national champions after becoming the only undefeated FBS team.
White promised fans they would get a chance to buy national-championship Tshirts and announced on Twitter he already informed Scott Frost’s coaching staff they would be paid bonuses for winning the national championship.
UCF officials confirmed it will distribute $300,000 to Frost’s nine on-field assistant coaches and another $25,000 for Frost to distribute to support staff as a reward for winning a national title.
Frost led UCF through the regular season and bowl win, but he has accepted the Nebraska head coaching job and is taking all his staff with him. New UCF coach Josh Heupel observed bowl practices and the bowl win, joining White in congratulating the Knights for winning a national title.
UCF plans to accept national-championship trophies promised by Orlando Sentinel columnist and radio host Mike Bianchi and ESPN radio host Dan Le Batard and to hoist a national-championship banner at Spectrum Stadium.