UCF seemingly adopts 'the most Florida' tradition involving... palm fronds?
Photo: Dani Medina
ORLANDO, Fla. - Fear the Fronds.
It's a new slogan UCF men's basketball fans have adopted in the past several days. And it all started when the Knights hosted their inaugural Big 12 home game last week.
The Knightmare, what the student section at UCF basketball games is colloquially known as, is always armed with distractions like signs, flags and cardboard cut-outs of players to try and stop the opposing team from making their free throws. Last Wednesday when No. 3 Kansas rolled into town, however, UCF Athletics implemented a whole new distraction – palm fronds.
"The most Florida free throw distraction you've ever seen," UCF Athletics posted on Instagram during the game, which ended with a Knights victory of 65-60.
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UCF fans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, hoping for some answers as to how the fronds came about. UCF Athletics Chief Brand Officer Jimmy Skiles explained it in the best way he could.
"The legend will go… The night before UCF basketball's inaugural Big 12 home game vs. No. 3 Kansas in 2024 there was a HUGE storm that left down palm fronds across campus. Students picked them up and carried them in the game to distract Jayhawk free throw shooters in the second half. IT WORKED as Kansas went 6-11 from the line missing 5 free throws and the Knights holding on for a 5-point victory," Skiles said.
The "legend" was punctuated with a palm tree emoji and a witty warning: "Believe how you see fit."
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Fans replied, saying they hope to see the fronds at all UCF sporting events from now on.
And that dream is already coming true, as the tradition carried on into Saturday's matchup against No. 18 BYU. More and more fans brought their own palm fronds to cheer for the Knights.
One man was even seen delivering fronds from his pickup truck to students waiting in line to enter the arena.
Fans of all ages at UCF Athletics' second pre-game block party of the season were also scattered around Knights Plaza with palm fronds.
UCF Athletics' social media accounts even added a palm tree emoji to their names to honor the tradition, and Kingdom NIL, the official collective for UCF student-athletes, is even offering "Fear the Fronds" shirts for a $29 donation for the rest of the season.
The fronds weren't enough, however, to distract the Cougars who ultimately held the Knights to a 63-58 loss.
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UCF (10-5, 1-2 Big 12) is slated for two consecutive away games this week, at Texas on Wednesday and at No. 5 Houston on Saturday. Knights fans will have more opportunities to wave palm fronds at Additional Financial Arena when UCF hosts West Virginia on Tuesday, Jan. 23.