UCF's strength of schedule -- or lack thereof -- has been one of the primary reasons that the Knights were never seriously considered for spots in the last two editions of the College Football Playoff, despite unblemished records in both seasons. Knights athletic director Danny White isn't interested in beefing it up with a traditional in-state power.
White was on WFTV in Orlando on Thursday, and said that his program is moving on from negotiations with Florida for a football series.
White and Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin were on two different pages from the get-go, and neither would budge. Stricklin was offering a 2-for-1 deal with UCF that would give the Gators two home games with a third being in Orlando. White said that his program didn't need to do 2-for-1 deals with FBS programs, and held firm on his desire for a straight home-and-home series with the Gators.
"I think financially, and competitively, it doesn't really make sense for us to play each other," White said on WFTV. "We're going to move on."
The Knights went 12-0 and won the AAC in 2017, but finished ranked No. 12 in the final CFP rankings. Instead of a berth in the CFP, they beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl to finish 13-0. The Knights had a home game vs. Georgia Tech canceled due to Hurricane Irma, and finished the regular season having played just one team ranked in the final CFP Top 25 (Memphis, twice).
They ran the table again in 2018 and repeated as AAC champs, but finished No. 8 and didn't play a single team ranked in the final CFP Top 25. They had a road game vs. North Carolina canceled due to Hurricane Florence. The Knights will play LSU in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1.