UCF’s message to South Florida: The War on I-4 can return — in Orlando
The War on I-4 has been dormant since 2022, but South Florida’s new athletics CEO is making it clear he wants the rivalry with UCF back on the football schedule.
UCF’s response, at least for now, is just as clear.
The Knights are open to playing the Bulls again. But only in Orlando.
UCF athletics director Terry Mohajir told Athlon Sports that he has offered South Florida a future game at the Acrisure Bounce House and is waiting for an answer from South Florida athletics CEO Rob Higgins.
“I’ve had discussions with both Rob Higgins and former AD Michael Kelly about different options for playing each other,” Mohajir said in a statement to Athlon Sports. “The biggest challenge for us is trying to maintain as many home games in our stadium as possible. Our home schedule is extremely important to our fans, campus atmosphere and overall financial model. Big 12 scheduling requirements also require us to play a Power 4 non-conference opponent, so we must schedule within those parameters. Therefore, based on our nine-game conference schedule, we need to play Power 4 home-and-home games.”
“That said, I’ve offered a future game at our stadium to Rob and am awaiting a response.”
UCF is not currently in position to schedule a traditional home-and-home series with South Florida, a member of the so-called Group of Five. The Knights play nine Big 12 games each season, and the conference also requires members to play at least one Power Four non-conference opponent annually.
That leaves UCF with limited flexibility.
There’s no room for a road game against a Group of Five opponent, even one with the history and proximity of South Florida.
Higgins pushing for rivalry’s return
Higgins, who took over as South Florida’s athletics CEO after a long tenure leading the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, has been publicly campaigning for a revival of the rivalry.
During a recent Florida Board of Governors Task Force on Intercollegiate Athletics meeting, Higgins appeared to make a clear reference to the War on I-4 when discussing ways for state schools to generate revenue through rivalry games.
“Is there any chance we can codify prominent state rivalries for increased revenue to our schools?” Higgins said. “College conferences right now, on the football side of things, have increased the number of games, which can put those rivalries in jeopardy.”
“Those rivalries are huge not only for our university, but also for potential revenue. We’re all in on making sure that we save as much money as we possibly can and be the ultimate stewards of our universities’ resources. But we need to continue to keep our eye on revenue generation and protecting those rivalries — and/or reinstating them.”
“Maybe creating a promotable series that a major global brand would be interested in helping sponsor to help generate revenue could be a potential thought.”
Higgins later reiterated his position in a one-on-one interview with Athlon Sports when asked specifically about future UCF-South Florida games.
“As I brought up in the task force for the state university system, I think rivalries are really important to the fabric of college football, and I think college football is really important to the fabric of the Sunshine State,” Higgins told Athlon Sports. “I really believe that the state’s best rivalries should be taking place. I think UCF has a clear understanding of where we stand on it and how interested we are in renewing the rivalry, and I will do anything and everything we possibly can to be able to make that happen on an annual basis.”
Two programs on different trajectories
The War on I-4 ended after the 2022 season, when UCF left the American Athletic Conference for the Big 12.
South Florida remained in the American, leaving the two programs on different levels of the college football structure. UCF is now in a Power Four conference, while the Bulls remain in the Group of Five.
UCF leads the all-time football series, 8-6, and has won the last six meetings. South Florida won the first four games in the series, when the Bulls were in the Big East and UCF was still in Conference USA.
But once the programs were on equal footing as members of the American, the series tilted heavily toward UCF. The Knights went 8-2 against the Bulls during their shared time in the league.
The Bulls are currently building a $348.5 million on-campus stadium, scheduled to open in 2027 with a capacity of 35,000. After years as a tenant at Raymond James Stadium, South Florida often used the NFL capacity as a draw to bring in bigger-name opponents, including 2-for-1 arrangements that sent the Bulls on the road twice in exchange for one game in Tampa. Examples included Alabama, Florida, Miami and Louisville.
But in the current college football landscape, Power Four programs have increasingly moved away from playing road games at Group of Five schools, making future scheduling difficult.
It’s no surprise Higgins is looking for compelling future home games, but UCF has little incentive to provide one.
However, Mohajir’s offer is on the table: If South Florida wants to renew the rivalry with UCF, the first move may have to be a trip to Orlando.
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