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UCF Football: Best rivalry in the country vs. UConn is renewed

By Griffin McVeigh

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 26: Members of the UCF Knights pose for a picture in the fourth quarter against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field on October 26, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The UCF Knights defeated the Temple Owls 63-21. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 26: Members of the UCF Knights pose for a picture in the fourth quarter against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field on October 26, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The UCF Knights defeated the Temple Owls 63-21. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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It was announced Monday afternoon that UCF football has scheduled a home game in the 2021 season against the Huskies. Civil conFLiCT gets to live on.

Even though UConn is leaving the American Conference, their ‘Civil conFLiCT’ rivalry with UCF will not be going away. It was announced Monday afternoon that the Knights have scheduled a home game in the 2021 season against the Huskies.

It may seem like UConn is just trying to fill their schedule as a newly independent team starting in the 2020 season, but this game means more. A rivalry that is not really a rivalry has turned into almost a joke. Thankfully, a series that we thought was going to be leaving our hearts forever, gets to live on for at least one more season.

The American Athletic Conference was created in 2012 and began with 12 different teams. Central Florida and Connecticut were put into the ‘American East’ division.

Before we knew it, a rivalry was brewing between the two schools when they first met in 2013. At least there was a rivalry brewing for one school. UConn head coach Bob Diaco went out of his way to make it very clear that he wanted there to be a rivalry between the two schools. Named “Civil conFLiCT”, Diaco thought the war between the north and the south would cause tension between the two schools. He even said, “I’ll make a trophy.”

Well, in 2014, that is exactly what he did, buying a trophy with both a Husky and a Knight on it, thinking it would spark a new hatred for each other.

It did quite the opposite, as UCF head coach/athletic director George O’Leary refused to even acknowledge a rivalry between the two schools, let alone a trophy. Diaco, on the other hand, was ready to play for the trophy in 2015, beating the Knights 40-13 in Orlando. The following year, UCF got their revenge, winning 40-13 in East Hartford. The only issue was that they decided to just leave the field after the game, not even looking towards the trophy at all.

Since that point, the entire trophy or rivalry has gone away. Diaco was fired from UConn at the end of the 2016 season and not a soul between the two programs has cared about this ‘rivalry’ since. Luckily, fans have kept it going, mentioning it every year they have played.

Thankfully, we will get at least one more matchup between the two in 2021. UConn will travel to Orlando for what could possibly be the final time in this storied series. UCF leads it all time 5-2-0 and more than likely will add their sixth win two seasons from now. It would be fun if the two schools decided to not only treat it as a rivalry but actually play for the trophy.

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While it probably will not happen, the fans will hype this game up. It should have the same feeling Texas and Texas A&M had when they met for the final time in 2011. Mark your calendars for 2021 and make sure to tune in to the end of a historic rivalry.

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