Walt Disney World now an official sponsor of UCF Athletics

[tribbleorlfl]

Walt Disney World Resort Sponsors the UCF Knights - UCF Athletics

With a new sponsorship agreement, Walt Disney World Resort hopes to spread some extra magic to Orlando's hometown college football team, the UCF Knights. Beginning

ucfknights.com

As a long-time Orlando resident, AP and UCF alumni and season ticket holder, I've been waiting for WDW to finally step up and support the program in its own backyard besides throwing a couple parades.

What I find interesting is the mention of "shared marketing opportunities." I'm expecting a ticket booth at Spectrum stadium similar to the one at Amway for the Magic, but could WDW offer UCF tickets as part of a vacation package? Perhaps offer a larger line of Mickey/UCF dual-branded merch actually in the parks (UCF bookstores has had a few items for a couple years like Lanyards and shirts)? Put pressure on ESPN to feature UCF on TV more (game times and College Game day)?

Pretty exciting!

 

[easyrowrdw]

Goooooo Knights!!!!!

The National Champion Knights.

 

[larryz]

The National Champion Knights.

Yeah, the almost undefeated Knights...

Kungaloosh, Knights!

 

[MisterPenguin]

Synergy

 

[DisneyCane]

Walt Disney World Resort Sponsors the UCF Knights - UCF Athletics

With a new sponsorship agreement, Walt Disney World Resort hopes to spread some extra magic to Orlando's hometown college football team, the UCF Knights. Beginning

ucfknights.com

As a long-time Orlando resident, AP and UCF alumni and season ticket holder, I've been waiting for WDW to finally step up and support the program in its own backyard besides throwing a couple parades.

What I find interesting is the mention of "shared marketing opportunities." I'm expecting a ticket booth at Spectrum stadium similar to the one at Amway for the Magic, but could WDW offer UCF tickets as part of a vacation package? Perhaps offer a larger line of Mickey/UCF dual-branded merch actually in the parks (UCF bookstores has had a few items for a couple years like Lanyards and shirts)? Put pressure on ESPN to feature UCF on TV more (game times and College Game day)?

Pretty exciting!

For Gameday, UCF would have to host a highly ranked team. They don't go to Alabama for Gameday when Alabama hosts Vanderbilt.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Misread the thread title and thought it said “UFC Athletics”

That would be weird for Disney.

 

[Creathir]

Good to see they can spend the extra money on sponsoring a sports team.

Not like they had to lay people off today... oh wait...

 

[DisneyCane]

Good to see they can spend the extra money on sponsoring a sports team.

Not like they had to lay people off today... oh wait...

Marketing and payroll expenses are separate entities. If you cut marketing it can lead to even more layoffs.

 

[tribbleorlfl]

For Gameday, UCF would have to host a highly ranked team. They don't go to Alabama for Gameday when Alabama hosts Vanderbilt.

There are tons of instances of College Gameday going for a game where one team was ranked while the other wasn't or both were ranked low. There are even a few where both were unranked.

UCF has been on twice, once at South Carolina (neither ranked), and when we (#11) hosted Cincinnati last year (#19)

College GameDay (football TV program) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[EOD K9]

The National Champion Knights.

You mean National Champions like this?

 

[easyrowrdw]

You mean National Champions like this?
View attachment 410279

Haha That was a different year, but yeah, something like that. They were the only undefeated team and beat the team that beat the supposed national champions. They weren't allowed to play for that trophy though, so we'll never know what would've happened. But they get the vote in my book.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

Join a power 5 conference, then we'll talk.

 

[Tom P.]

Wake me when they start sponsoring Marshall University.

GO HERD!

 

[Piebald]

Join a power 5 conference, then we'll talk.

Its that easy? Why hasnt anyone told them yet!!

 

[noodles]

One more reason to stop giving Disney my dollars.
Southern Miss to the Top!

 

[Horizons '83]

Ah UCF. The team that claims championships without playing in a championship

 

[Creathir]

Marketing and payroll expenses are separate entities. If you cut marketing it can lead to even more layoffs.

Obviously.
But it still looks ridiculous.

 

[easyrowrdw]

Wake me when they start sponsoring Marshall University.

GO HERD!

I feel like these guys need to jump on that.

 

[GlacierGlacier]

Goooooo Knights!!!!!

Charge On

 

[tribbleorlfl]

Good to see they can spend the extra money on sponsoring a sports team.

Not like they had to lay people off today... oh wait...

FWIW, the buzz going around some of the UCF boards I'm on is there was no financial component to this deal. Purely a reciprocal marketing agreement; Disney gets signage in Spectrum Stadium, UCF gets free admission for student athletes once a year.