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Opinion: National Media Isn’t Giving UCF Enough Love

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Joe Tillery | Last updated Feb 2, 2026 1:32 PM ET

For those wondering about which teams in the Big 12 are going to make noise in the Big Dance this year, don’t forget about considering the UCF Knights in the upper echelon of the league.

With an overall record of 17-4 and a conference record of 6-3, the Knights are right up there with BYU, Texas Tech, and Kansas, but just behind Arizona, Houston, and Iowa State.

Now, if you aren’t a Big 12 fan or just a casual sports enjoyer, you might ask the question, ‘Why aren’t they ranked like the rest of the top dogs in the league?’ and honestly, you’re right for asking. Johnny Dawkins’ Knights have been ranked as high as No. 25 this season, and after a massive upset win over No. 11 Texas Tech, they absolutely should be ranked yet again.

Take a look at the top of the standings right now in league play. You’ll see the usual suspects: No. 1 Arizona, No. 8 Houston, No. 7 Iowa State, No. 11 Kansas, No. 13 Texas Tech, unranked UCF, and No. 16 BYU.

The national media isn’t talking about UCF enough pic.twitter.com/MF49cRMuIm
— Coyote Raider (@CoyoteRaider) February 1, 2026

Long story short, the national media needs to quit playing around when it comes to UCF. The Knights have an incredible resume and have looked every bit of a Top 25 team throughout the entirety of the season. They currently sit at No. 37 in the NET Rankings and No. 45 in KenPom. What? The biggest knock against them is that they are 4-4 in Quad 1 games, but are undefeated in every other game. Those four losses have come to three teams ranked inside the Top 25 (No. 1 Arizona, No. 8 Iowa State, No. 18 Vanderbilt), and a streaky Oklahoma State team on the road.

The AP Poll dropped on February 2nd at noon, and the UCF Knights somehow still aren’t there. Something has gone terribly wrong in the voting process, and experts everywhere should go back to the drawing board.

This article first appeared on Heartland College Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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