NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference will welcome UCF as an affiliate member for men’s soccer in the fall of 2023, the league announced on Tuesday. 
 
UCF will join the nine teams slated to begin competition this fall—core members Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Marshall and Old Dominion and affiliate members Kentucky, South Carolina and West Virginia.
 
“We are thrilled to add UCF to what is certain to become one of the nation’s premier men’s soccer conferences,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “We look forward to a bright future for men’s soccer in the Sun Belt.”
 
The Knights boast nine NCAA Tournament appearances all-time—including three of the last four seasons (2018, 2019, 2020). UCF also claims four conference titles over the past five years, with three regular-season crowns (2018, 2019, 2020) and one tournament (2020) championship.

"I'm very excited to be partnering with Commissioner Keith Gill and Deputy Commissioner Kathy Keene. They are great people and I'm excited to work with them again," said UCF Athletics Director Terry Mohajir. "We believe that the move to the Sun Belt positions our men's soccer program for great success in the coming years. Coach Calabrese has shown that his teams can compete with the best of the best in The American, and we can't wait to see the program continue to grow and compete in the very strong Sun Belt Conference."
 
With the addition of the Black and Gold, the Sun Belt Conference will boast some of the sport’s most accomplished programs. The nine teams set to begin competition this fall have combined for more than 100 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances, including a national championship for Marshall (2020) and a national runner-up finish for South Carolina (1993).