As UCF wrapped up its second season in the Big 12 and like many teams adjusting to a new conference, there have been a fair share of challenges and adjustments.
The men’s basketball program, in particular, has had a tough time establishing a consistent presence in a competitive landscape. Despite moments of brilliance, including defeating three ranked teams during their inaugural season — a first for the program — the Knights have also faced significant hurdles.
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In both of their first two seasons, the Knights struggled to exceed seven conference wins, ultimately leading to an absence from the NCAA tournament. Instead, the team was forced to settle for a shot in the NIT and Crown tournament, leaving fans yearning for more.
Athletics director Terry Mohajir has seen plenty of positives from the program.
“Men’s basketball is its best since I’ve been here,” Mohajir stated during last week’s Big 12 spring meetings in Orlando. “Remember, we’ve only been to five NCAA tournaments in the history of the school and our basketball program is better now than when I got here in February 2021. There’s no doubt in my mind.”
Since Mohajir’s arrival, UCF has maintained a winning record during each of the four seasons, first competing in the American Athletic Conference and then in the Big 12. The Knights secured back-to-back NIT bids in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and they also reached the championship game of the newly established Crown tournament last season.
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However, it has been six seasons since UCF last secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament. A task made significantly more challenging with the transition to the Big 12, a more competitive basketball conference.
“We knew we had some work to do on men’s basketball. Not only is it the best basketball conference in the country, but our basketball team is more competitive than it’s ever been,” said Mohajir.
Mohajir admits the program was under-resourced when he arrived in 2021, making it one of his priorities when the school moved to the Big 12. Yet, it’s been challenging.
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The average Big 12 basketball program spends approximately $11 million for its operating budgets, according to the latest figures from the Equity on Athletics database. The top program, Kansas, spends more than $16 million, while UCF’s budget is more than $7 million.
That doesn’t include money invested in an institution’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) program or collective or what the investments will be under the impending revenue-sharing model.
“It’s comparable. Is it the best? No. Is it the worst? No,” said Mohajir. “We have the resources now to be highly competitive in the Big 12.”
Another challenge facing Mohajir was competing for a smaller share of the conference’s revenue. Cincinnati, BYU, Houston and UCF all received a half share — approximately $18 million — in their first two seasons in the Big 12. Now, they’ll receive a full share starting in 2025-26.
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The Knights also continue to be impacted by roster retention, with the program forced to add more than 10 players per season. This offseason, the team underwent a massive rebuild, with 14 newcomers joining the roster mainly through the transfer market.
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It’s also Johnny Dawkins’ 10th season at UCF, marking a milestone for the 61-year-old coach.
Only Kirk Speraw (17 years) and Torchy Clark (14) have coached more seasons with the Knights’ program and only Clark (75.5%) has a better winning percentage than Dawkins (58.3%).
“This is a big year for Johnny as well and I’m excited that he’s here,” Mohajir said. “I talk to Johnny a lot about personnel issues, coaching issues, who he’s hired, rev-share, scholarships. I love basketball and basketball is a huge part of this conference, and it’s going to continue to get better. We need to resource it as much as we can.”
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That said, Mohajir has big expectations for the Knights this upcoming season.
“We want to get to the NCAA tournament. That’s my expectation. I’d like to be there. To be in the NCAA tournament. It’s time,” he stated.
With Dawkins entering the final guaranteed year of his contract (the school has an optional year for 2026-27), the pressure to win appears to be even greater. Although, Mohajir isn’t willing to address job security heading into this fall.
“Why don’t we just help him try to win as much as he possibly can? We’ll evaluate after the year,” Mohajir said when pressed about Dawkins’ future. “Everything’s year-to-year nowadays … so we’ll see.”
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com. Sign up for the Sentinel’s Knights Weekly newsletter for a roundup of all our UCF coverage.
