UCF To Wear “Space U” Uniforms Against Temple

The UCF football program will again honour the university’s ties to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station by wearing space-themed uniforms during tonight’s game against Temple (7 p.m. ET on ESPN).

MISSION VI: Into the Darkness pic.twitter.com/bqNZkYlCs5
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The all-black uniforms prominently display a Canaveral blue “Space U” wordmark above Canaveral blue numbers in a custom font. The inline of each digit shows the transit method for detecting an exoplanet, which involves observing a star to see if it dims on a repeated basis to reveal a planet.

The numbers are outlined in a reflective gray material, while the sleeve stripes are a nod to the Spitzer Space Telescope and the two exoplanets (1.01 and 1.02) that UCF has discovered. The pants, meanwhile, have a pattern based on the transit method and solar panels on the telescope.

That pattern fades from blue to dark gray, representing the light emitted from planets as they move closer. This shift can also be seen on the UCF logo on the black helmet, which the Knights claim is the darkest black they’ve ever used and emphasizes the vastness of space.

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This is the sixth time that UCF has worn a space-themed uniform, which is communicated with a patch on the jersey’s left shoulder. Each player’s helmet also features a decal from previous “missions” they were part of, with four players wearing all six decals.

That includes offensive lineman Samuel Jackson, defensive tackles Austin Camden and Anthony Montalvo and long snapper Alex Ward. They are all sixth-year seniors after taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted to all student-athletes amid the pandemic.

This year’s mission patch, which can be seen on the back of the helmet and right hip of the pants, features the Spitzer Space Telescope, transit method line, an exoplanet and six Polaris stars, representing the six space games the Knights have played. They are undefeated in such contests.