Kevin Smith, who rushed for the most yards in UCF football history, will be the grand marshal of the Homecoming parade at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29.
Smith played from 2005 to 2007, rushing for 2,448 yards and 30 touchdowns in his final season with the Knights, before he was drafted by the Detroit Lions.
A week of traditional Homecoming events, including Comedy Knight and Spirit Splash, has led up to the Homecoming parade and football game on Saturday. The Knights will kick off against the Memphis Tigers at 4 p.m. at Bright House Networks Stadium.
On Saturday, the campus will open for game day activities at 8 a.m. Staging for the 11 a.m. parade will be held along Central Florida Boulevard, and the parade will travel clockwise along Gemini Boulevard, Greek Park Drive and Gemini Boulevard North before ending in front of the UCF Arena.
To accommodate student float building, parking lot B5 will be closed Friday, Oct. 28, and will remain closed on Saturday until all of the Homecoming floats have been taken apart after the parade. Central Florida Boulevard will be closed from 6 a.m. Saturday through the end of the parade. Campus entrances at University, Centaurus and North Gemini boulevards will be closed during the times when the parade is passing through those areas.
To learn more about Homecoming events, go to www.ucfhc.com. For information on game day traffic and parking, go to http://www.ucfgameday.com.
Homecoming events kicked off Saturday, Oct. 22, with a free child-friendly carnival benefiting the families of Children’s Miracle Network. Carnival rides and arts and crafts booths hosted by student teams were set up on Memory Mall on UCF’s main campus. Monday’s activities included a Harry Potter movie night.
Check out more events during Homecoming week, Black & Gold Revolution:
-UCF alumni who have “reached for the stars” will be celebrated at the annual Black & Gold Gala, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, at the UCF Arena. The evening includes a cocktail reception, dinner and silent auction to benefit the UCF Alumni Trust Scholarship Fund. The cost is $70 per person, and corporate table sponsorships are available. To purchase tickets, go to www.ucfknightsnetwork.com/homecoming.
-The UCF volleyball team will face Houston at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, at the Venue.
-UCF’s Young Alumni Chapter invites UCF graduates to downtown Orlando for the Black & Gold Takeover party. The festivities begin at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, at Wall Street Plaza. Admission is free. RSVP at www.ucfknightsnetwork.com/homecoming.
-The UCF Alumni Association will host its game day tailgate from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, inside the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center. The event is free for alumni and their guests of all ages. Alumni keycards must be shown at the door.