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UCF football players skipped the alma mater after a loss to Arizona State.
The UCF football team was beaten by two touchdowns at home by Big 12 rival Arizona State. Players did not stay on for the alma mater after the loss.
It’s sparked a culture debate amongst fans of the program. Are team members truly loyal to the Knights or has NIL ruined college pride?
It’s an interesting topic given the everchanging landscape of college football. Gone are the days of the fifth-year senior that patiently waited his opportunity to play. The transfer portal has become a revolving door. The roster is new each year. It’s made it more difficult for fanbases to truly connect.
UCF football is struggling.
Head coach Scott Frost returned to Orlando last season to lead the Knights to a 5-7 campaign. It appeared he was ready to best that total in 2026 after getting off to a 3-1 start.
Since, UCF is 2-4 with each loss coming by double digits. Outside of an upset of second-ranked BYU in late October, it’s been bad.
The Knights escaped with a one-point win over cellar dweller Kansas. That victory was sandwiched between a blowout loss to Baylor and Saturday’s 26-13 loss to the Sun Devils.
The UCF offense struggled in its latest outing, managing just 54 rushing yards while losing the turnover battle. The Knights were just 2-11 on third and fourth downs. They couldn’t sustain drives.
As a result, they scored just two touchdowns, one of which came in garbage time with the team trailing 26-7 in the fourth quarter. It was ugly.
Poor offensive play, however, was not the only topic of discussion after the final whistle. A refusal to stay on the field for the alma mater was a point of contention.
Is there a culture issue?
Not a single UCF player stayed for the alma mater. #Culture https://t.co/i9vRoUCCU9
— Tyler (@tb6___) November 15, 2026
No players stayed for the playing of the alma mater after the loss. It raised questions amongst the fanbase.
Do players want to be at the university or are they simply there for a paycheck? Is there loyalty and a desire to represent the brand, or are players already jockeying for their next NIL deal at another program?
These are questions not restricted to UCF football. Every coach in America is navigating the issue. It’s difficult to instill culture when the roster is new each season.
The Knights saw 34 players leave the program last offseason via the portal. They were replaced by 32 new faces. The year prior, there were 41 newcomers.
At times, the sport feels transactional. College football was once about school pride. Now, it seems money motivated.
As for the alma mater, it seems this is a frequent occurrence at UCF. The optics are poor in the eyes of some fans.
I want the UCF people at the game to pay attention to how much of the team skips the alma mater. Culture
— Tyler (@tb6___) November 15, 2026
Are the two things related? I can’t say for sure, but I see it as somewhat a reflection of college football as a whole. Players used to take pride in signing the alma mater. Now, it’s an afterthought which is sad for the fans of an older generation.