UCF football’s stadium receives unique new official name

UCF football has risen to the top of the sport in the past few years. Entering 2020, their home will have one of the most interesting names of any venue.

Down in Orlando sits one of the largest colleges by enrollment in the United States: the University of Central Florida. The university’s crown jewel is undoubtedly the football program, which has quickly become one of the most consistent in the country.

Things haven’t always been so bright for UCF football, though. There were some rough seasons, and the Knights didn’t even have a stadium to truly call their own. This would change in 2007 with the opening of the on-campus Bright House Networks Stadium (later renamed Spectrum Stadium).

While there were still some rough seasons, there were also many bright spots that would take place at the venue during the George O’Leary era. However, it would be the Scott Frost era that would usher in Spectrum Stadium’s status of being an electric venue.

As the Knights rose to power, their stadium also gained quite the reputation. Despite only holding 45,000 fans, it was loud, very loud. Perhaps it’s most unique characteristic is the shaking of the bleachers. As Zombie Nation’s stadium rave “Kernkraft 400” blares throughout the stadium, the students jump up and down. This movement causes the stadium to shake, leading to the venue being dubbed as the “Bounce House”.

Despite critique from fans and haters alike, the Knights have embraced this quirk as a part of the program’s polarizing identity. The nickname has become synonymous with the stadium, and the Knights recently took it a step further.

Spectrum’s 2019 withdrawal from naming rights to the stadium created a vacancy that has been now been filled. On Wednesday, UCF Football announced on Twitter that the stadium’s new name will be Bounce House, even trademarking the term. This is no joke, as the team’s home games on their schedule list Bounce House as the location.

Just taking a look at the comments, you can easily tell that many aren’t taking kind to this new name. For perpetual UCF haters, this is just more material for them to throw at Knights fans. However, insults are nothing new for UCF, especially following the 2017 National Championship claim.

Not many could have predicted the Knights’ rise to the top. That’s the thing, though: this is an unpredictable program. Whether it be claiming a championship, a feisty social media presence, or even naming their stadium something you can find at child’s birthday party, you just never know what the UCF Knights will be up to next.