Photo Courtesy of UCF Athletics

The time has finally come.

The UCF Knights (8-4) have officially been granted the opportunity to face in-state foe, the University of Florida (6-6), in a matchup that has been in the making for several years.

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The game will take place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL on Dec. 23 with kickoff set for 7 p.m.

Florida is coming off a disappointing season where head coach Dan Mullen was fired prior to the team’s season finale vs. other in-state rival Florida State.

This past offseason, the two programs agreed to a future 2-for-1 series that is set to begin in 2024 in Gainesville.

Anticipation for a matchup between UCF and Florida began in 2018, when UF Director of Athletic Scott Stricklin expressed interest in a 2-for-1 series against the Knights.

Former UCF Director of Athletics Danny White would only agree to a home-and-home vs. the Gators, so an agreement was never reached between the two teams.

This will be the fifth consecutive season the Knights will be participating in a bowl game with their most recent coming in an underwhelming 49-23 loss to BYU in 2020’s Boca Raton Bowl.