ORLANDO –  The 2026 Bethune-Cookman football season is officially underway as the Wildcats are set to take on the UCF Knights at the Acrisure Bounce House. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can catch the home radio call free on 1380 WELE Daytona Beach on YouTube.com/CatEyeNetwork, or at BCUAthletics.com/Radio.

B-CU heads into the new season looking to build off of a 6-6 campaign in 2025. The Wildcats increased their win total by four games over the year prior and capped it off with a comeback victory at the Florida Blue Florida Classic.

Bethune-Cookman was chosen to finish third in the SWAC's Eastern Division in the SWAC Preseason Poll. Alabama State has been tabbed the favorite to represent the East in the SWAC title game. Five Wildcats were named to All-SWAC Preseason Teams - OL Christian Loving, LB Stephen Sparrow, LS Cole Hash, DB Naim Lassiter, DL Isaiah Washburn, and DL Malik Stinnett.



Thursday, September 2
Opponent:  UCF ( In 2024: 5-7, 2-7 BIG12 )
Time: 7 p.m. EST
Location: Orlando, FL | Acrisure Bounce House
Watch: https://plus.espn.com/
Listen: https://wele1380thecat.com/ / Youtube.com/CatEyeNetwork / BCUAthletics.com/Radio
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=673339
Tickets: https://fiutickets.com/tickets/events/football-home-game-1733184000000-55155



The Central Florida Golden Knights are coming off a season in which they finished 5-7, including a 2-7 mark in the Big12. The Knights performed well at home, finishing 5-2 at the Acrisure Bounce House. They faced just one FCS opponent last season, earning a 68-7 victory over North Carolina A&T. UCF is 30-1 all-time against the FCS since joining the FBS in 1996.

UCF will feature a new-look offense led by transfer quarterback Alonza Barnett III, who earned Sun Belt Player of the Year honors at James Madison in 2025. Barnett threw for 2,806 yards and 23 touchdowns while adding 589 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. The Knights also return their top three pass catchers from a year ago, including tight end Dylan Wade, who recorded 523 receiving yards and a team-best five touchdowns in 2025.

Defensively, UCF's secondary will provide plenty of experience, with four starters returning from a unit that ranked third in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally in passing defense last season. The Knights allowed just 185.1 passing yards per game in 2025, their third-lowest mark in program FBS history.

SUNSHINE STATE OF MIND
The Wildcats open the 2026 season in the state of Florida for the third straight sea
son after road tripping to FIU and Miami a season ago, and USF in 2023. B-CU has 
faced a road game against an in-state, non-conference opponent in eight straight 
seasons dating back to 2017.

NEW CATS ON CAMPUS
B-CU added five new assistant coaches to the staff following the 2025 season. Billy Parker joins the Cats from Texas Southern as Cornerbacks Coach. Dillon Sharpe and Kenny Strong will take over analyst duties for defense and offense, respectively. Randall Moore and Whitney Jacobs arrive on campus from Southern, with Moore serving as Director of Football Strength and Conditioning, while Jacobs serves as Assistant S&T Coach as well as Director of Football Operations. Additionally, two former Wildcats return to the staff as Brandon Woods takes over Co-Special Teams Coordinator Duties as well as Tight Ends, while Myron Dillard serves as Academic Coordinator.

OFFENSE ON THE RISE
In the first three seasons under 
Coach Woodie, the Wildcats have 
seen their offensive numbers 
improve across the board. B-CU's 
National FCS Rank in the following 
categories:
                          2023      2024      2025
Total Off.            117       112            30
Rushing Off.       82        107            37
Passing Off.       116        85             27
Passing Eff.       117        74             25
Scoring Off.       98          98             37
First Downs       99          92             19

WATCH THIS
Two Wildcats were named to pre season award watch lists ahead of the season. Kicker Aiden Lanier was named to the Fred Mitchell Award Preseason Watch List, recognizing the nation's most outstanding non-FBS collegiate place-kicker for excellence on the field and in the community.




B-CU and UCF will meet for the 18th time, with the Knights holding a 12-5 advantage in the all-time series. UCF has won the last eight meetings, including a 63-14 victory in the most recent matchup in 2021.


Follow Bethune-Cookman Football on Twitter and Instagram (@BCUGridiron) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUathletics), Instagram (@BCUathletics) and www.bcuathletics.com.