When UCF left the ConFLiCT Trophy on the sideline after their decisive 24-16 victory at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in 2016, most thought the rivalry was over, dead. Even its founder, Bob Diaco, gave up on his own creation and left it on the stoop (Or threw it into the ocean. We’re not quite sure).
But that was just another chapter in America’s the American’s most bitter rivalry.
We picked it up and we’re making it bigger and better. Why limit the hatred to just one day a year? We’re bringing it to EVERY sport, from football to basketball to softball, and everything in between.
Since The American changed its name from the Big East before the 2013-14 season, UConn and UCF have faced off every season in football, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball. The Huskies hold a 42-34-1 advantage in that time span.
Here’s how every single game in the series went down.
The ConFLiCT is a lot like presidential elections. There’s safe sports, namely basketball for UConn and softball and volleyball for UCF. But there’s also swing sports: football, soccer and baseball. These are the sports that typically win it for one side.
Since baseball and softball play three times a year compared to football, which only plays once, we decided to weigh each sport differently in the standings.
Each sport is worth a total number of points. If either team sweeps, they get the full allotment of points. But if they play each other twice and split, they also split the points. Postseason meetings are worth the full amount points of the sport on top of any points earned in the regular season.
Football is worth nine points — the most of any sport to honor Diaco’s legacy. Men’s and women’s basketball are worth six points. Men’s and women’s soccer, baseball and softball are worth three points and volleyball is worth two points—not because it is lesser than the other four but the teams play each other twice so it’s easier to split the points.
Here’s what the all-time standings look like:
All-Time ConFLiCT Standings
| Year | UConn | UCF |
|---|---|---|
| Year | UConn | UCF |
| 13-14 | 20 points | 24 points |
| 14-15 | 32 points | 6 points |
| 15-16 | 31 points | 7 points |
| 16-17 | 23 points | 18 points |
| 17-18 | 13 points | 25 points |
UConn currently leads 3-2, so this is a big season. The winner in football has won the whole thing in all but one year, 2016-17, when the Huskies fell at Pratt & Whitney Stadium but still earned a hard-fought, five point victory for the year. From an overall points perspective, UConn leads 117 to 80.
This season, the first game of the ConFLiCT kicks off where it began — on the gridiron. The Huskies and Knights open the season with each other at PAWSARF on Aug. 30 in the first chapter of the rivalry with new UCF coach Josh Heupel.
One month later, UConn women’s soccer will host the Knights at Morrone Stadium and the Huskies’ men’s soccer team will return the trip to Orlando on Oct. 10 in a game broadcast on ESPNU. Two days later, volleyball squares off for the first time at UCF with the game in Storrs coming on Nov. 1.
It’s going to be a long battle to earn this year’s ConFLiCT Trophy (currently missing) with likely over 15 meetings between the two schools. Make sure you’re geared up for the action with all our new ConFLiCT merchandise.