College Football 2023

[WestCoastBias]

1 hour ago, MJWalker45 said:

Especially since they're a Big XII team now, they'll be claiming it as one of theirs. 

 

The UCF fanbase will fit right in with the rest of the annoying Big XII fanbases

[aawagner011]

Thankfully the CFP is expanding so we no longer have to debate whether going undefeated in the AAC and beating an Auburn team that finished with four losses justifies a national championship. With twelve teams, if you’re undefeated, you’ll be invited and it can be played out on the field.

[McCall]

If UCF had changed to "Citronauts" going into the Big XII, Big XII fans, and power 5 conference fans nationwide, would never take them seriously and look at them as nothing more than a  low-level FBS playing Power 5 "seat filler". This would be like an MiLB team with a non-cartoony name being promoted to MLB... and then changing their name to something whacky and cartoony.

[oldschoolvikings]

6 hours ago, McCall said:

If UCF had changed to "Citronauts" going into the Big XII, Big XII fans, and power 5 conference fans nationwide, would never take them seriously and look at them as nothing more than a  low-level FBS playing Power 5 "seat filler". This would be like an MiLB team with a non-cartoony name being promoted to MLB... and then changing their name to something whacky and cartoony.

Except for the fact that you’re totally used to it, is  Citronauts whackier than Cornhuskers?

[TrueYankee26]

At least Nebraska did not keep their old name, "Bugeaters".

 

Imagine walking to someone and saying I'm a proud Bugeater lmao

[HOOVER]

20 hours ago, McCall said:

If UCF had changed to "Citronauts" going into the Big XII, Big XII fans, and power 5 conference fans nationwide, would never take them seriously and look at them as nothing more than a  low-level FBS playing Power 5 "seat filler". This would be like an MiLB team with a non-cartoony name being promoted to MLB... and then changing their name to something whacky and cartoony.

It doesn’t matter what opposing fans think about it; what matters is whether the brand sells.  And Citronauts is a far better brand than Golden Knights, as far as how it can be marketed & sold on a national level.

 

It’s not like the UCF Golden Knights are some longstanding athletics icon with tremendous tradition & history; and they’re what, maybe the 5th most popular college in Florida?  
 

If you want to establish the university as a national powerhouse, you’re already competing with 3-4 major in-state institutions, with Florida, Florida State, and Miami being household names, so if they want to be in contention with, or bigger than, those names, they need to do more.

 

Golden Knights, wearing Black & Vegas Gold, is not going to create the excitement and interest locally and nationally like a change to the Citronaut brand, with “Space U” and Neon Blue, would.  It’s a completely unique identity that they can own and can help them truly establish themselves and grow even larger than they’ve become in the last decade or so.

 

That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.

[HOOVER]

Additionally, as most here know, Citronaut was their first mascot and used for just a year, but it was created to combine what Central Florida was known for:  citrus and the space program.  FTU was founded literally to support NASA.  
 

So, it makes way more sense for that to be the school’s identity, rather than Golden Knights, which has no relevance to Central FL history or culture, yesterday or today.  

[tBBP]

It would also make just as much and even more sense for them to keep the nickname the guy who started up the program, Jack O'Leary, coined for them, along with the colors, and started them playing under back in 1979. I know "Citronauts" sounds cool and allows for some cool space-themed accoutrements and all, but that nickname wasn't even popular back when it originally rolled out way back then. And actually, if we're gonna talk about keeping something, how about this: the Knights were originally, after Citronauts, "Knights of the Pegasus". How many remember the Pegasus winged-horse logo they used to have? If one wanted to roll "space" into their identity, there's a nice baked-in way to do it.

 

(And one more thing: the Knights haven't been "Golden" since 2007.)

[CaliforniaGlowin]

9 hours ago, tBBP said:

 but that nickname wasn't even popular back when it originally rolled out way back then.

That's because it didn't look as cool as it does now!!!  

[oldschoolvikings]

9 hours ago, CaliforniaGlowin said:

That's because it didn't look as cool as it does now!!!  

 

That's completely untrue...

 

 

[ManillaToad]

On 5/26/2023 at 9:50 PM, oldschoolvikings said:

Except for the fact that you’re totally used to it, is  Citronauts whackier than Cornhuskers?

 

Yes since a cornhusker is an actual thing

[HOOVER]

On 5/27/2023 at 12:56 PM, tBBP said:

It would also make just as much and even more sense for them to keep the nickname the guy who started up the program, Jack O'Leary, coined for them, along with the colors, and started them playing under back in 1979. I know "Citronauts" sounds cool and allows for some cool space-themed accoutrements and all, but that nickname wasn't even popular back when it originally rolled out way back then. And actually, if we're gonna talk about keeping something, how about this: the Knights were originally, after Citronauts, "Knights of the Pegasus". How many remember the Pegasus winged-horse logo they used to have? If one wanted to roll "space" into their identity, there's a nice baked-in way to do it.

 

(And one more thing: the Knights haven't been "Golden" since 2007.)

The name not being popular is a dubious position to take when it was only used for 2-3 years before the change was made after students rebelled via the student newspaper.   
 

Their enrollment their first year was like 1,900 students.  2,000 students, give or take, in 1970 should not have led a decision on the identity of a university.  Regardless, it's been 50+ years, and it matters differently now than it did then.

The university was founded to support space science and its slogan is "Reach For The Stars".  It makes no sense that they are the Knights.  

It's not just about "sounds cool".  It's about the entire reason why the university was created in the first place and what makes it unique.  Using the best name & colors to promote the institution so that it grows & remains viable just makes too much sense.

Yes, I get that most university identities aren't tied to their founding or mission; Penn State wasn't founded to study mountain lions nor was Florida to study alligators.  But that's what makes UCF's opportunity so unique:  they actually CAN build an identity that's not just "cool" or whatever the student body voted for, but it's actually their real identity.  That's what would make the brand impact so powerful.

With the world on the precipice of space tourism, amongst other things space-related that will have worldwide impact (warfare, technology disclosure), they could stand out from the crowd by embracing "Space U".

Or, they can go on being medievel knights in armor.  Maybe they can start offering a Jousting major.

It would just be better business for them to evolve into the Citronauts and it makes sense from a brand story perspective, way more than Knights does.

I'm stopping now; I'm just beating a dead pegasus.

[McCall]

On 5/28/2023 at 5:05 PM, HOOVER said:

The name not being popular is a dubious position to take when it was only used for 2-3 years before the change was made after students rebelled via the student newspaper.   
 

Their enrollment their first year was like 1,900 students.  2,000 students, give or take, in 1970 should not have led a decision on the identity of a university.  Regardless, it's been 50+ years, and it matters differently now than it did then.

The university was founded to support space science and its slogan is "Reach For The Stars".  It makes no sense that they are the Knights.  

It's not just about "sounds cool".  It's about the entire reason why the university was created in the first place and what makes it unique.  Using the best name & colors to promote the institution so that it grows & remains viable just makes too much sense.

Yes, I get that most university identities aren't tied to their founding or mission; Penn State wasn't founded to study mountain lions nor was Florida to study alligators.  But that's what makes UCF's opportunity so unique:  they actually CAN build an identity that's not just "cool" or whatever the student body voted for, but it's actually their real identity.  That's what would make the brand impact so powerful.

With the world on the precipice of space tourism, amongst other things space-related that will have worldwide impact (warfare, technology disclosure), they could stand out from the crowd by embracing "Space U".

Or, they can go on being medievel knights in armor.  Maybe they can start offering a Jousting major.

It would just be better business for them to evolve into the Citronauts and it makes sense from a brand story perspective, way more than Knights does.

I'm stopping now; I'm just beating a dead pegasus.

Medieval knights or fruit people in space.

[j'villejags]

11 hours ago, McCall said:

Medieval knights or fruit people in space.

Space Knights

[FamousAtticus]

1 hour ago, j'villejags said:

Space Knights

CitroKnights

[MJWalker45]

1 hour ago, j'villejags said:

Space Knights

Rom? It could work!

[CaliforniaGlowin]

1 hour ago, FamousAtticus said:

CitroKnights

Black and copper with a space blue accent.   I'm with it.  Good compromise.

[kb105]

Speaking of Orlando based rebrands,  the Cheez-It Bowl has been re-sponsored to the Pop Tart Bowl, making the two Citrus Bowl based games being the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and the now dubbed Pop Tart Bowl, to the acclaim of 4 year olds everywhere.

 

[j'villejags]

38 minutes ago, kb105 said:

Speaking of Orlando based rebrands,  the Cheez-It Bowl has been re-sponsored to the Pop Tart Bowl, making the two Citrus Bowl based games being the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and the now dubbed Pop Tart Bowl, to the acclaim of 4 year olds everywhere.

 

Does that mean it’s the end of the road for the “I WOKE UP FEELING THE CHEESIEST, COACH!” commercial?

[kb105]

11 minutes ago, j'villejags said:

Does that mean it’s the end of the road for the “I WOKE UP FEELING THE CHEESIEST, COACH!” commercial?

Cheez-It still sponsors the Citrus Bowl, just last year they sponsored both bowl games played at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. My guess is Kellogs just wanted to use different brands instead of using the same for the same city.