Defeating Houston isn’t the only mission for the UCF football team Friday.
The Knights debuted their “Mission IX” space uniforms for the Big 12 game against the Cougars. The largely black jerseys had the words “Space U” written along the side of the pants and featured a glowing effect:
UCF’s official website explained the jerseys and the annual Space Game are part of a tribute to the university’s “long-standing history of supporting the space industry.”
In fact, UCF’s HyperSpace Center partnered with the U.S. Air Force and is a leader in hypersonics and space propulsion research. A delta-shaped patch on the jersey pays homage to future hypersonic vehicles, while the sleeves and numbers provide a “visualization of HyperSpace travel.”
The website also explained that 29 percent of Kennedy Space Center employees are UCF alumni and that UCF faculty and students have worked on more than 700 NASA projects since the school was founded in 1963.
While the jerseys turned heads, this is also an important game for the Knights.
They are 4-4 on the season and need to win at least two of the final four contests to become bowl eligible. They didn’t make a bowl game last year, which snapped a streak of eight straight bowl appearances during a stretch that included a Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl berth.
Big 12 play has been a problem for UCF this season, as it started 3-0 in nonconference play but entered Friday’s contest with a 1-4 record in the league. It does have a 45-13 victory over West Virginia but is coming off a blowout 30-3 loss to Baylor.
As for Houston, it is looking to bounce back from a home loss to West Virginia and get back into the Big 12 race at 4-2 in league play.