The UCF 2020 opener has been set – the team will host the North Carolina Tar Heels on September 4 in a season that will see the Knights try to regain dominance of the Group of 5 conferences 

The time of the game has yet to be determined but it will be televised by ESPN.

After going 7-6 in 2019, 4-4 in the Atlantic Coastal Conference play, with a victory in the Military Bowl against Temple, the Tar Heels have quickly become a program on the rise following Mack Brown’s first season back as their head coach. North Carolina went 2-10 the previous season. 

The match-up will also be between two quarterbacks that stood out in 2019 as a true freshman. North Carolina’s Sam Howell threw 3,641 yards and 38 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. UCF’s Dillon Gabriel became the full-time starter in the team’s dominating victory over the Stanford Cardinal and finished the season with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He led the Knights to a 10-3 season and a victory in the Gasparilla Bowl. 

UCF will be missing two of their main contributors on offense from the 2019 season with running back Adrian Killins graduating and wide receiver Gabriel Davis opting to enter the NFL Draft. 

The Knights and Tar Heels will play again in 2025 and 2027.  UCF’s other 2020 non-conference opponents include a home game against Florida International and a visit to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech.