UCF is getting a new $90 million tower for FBC Mortgage Stadium

Trent Wood
·2 min read
Central Florida students cheer in the stands during the first half of an NCAA football game against Baylor on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla.
Central Florida students cheer in the stands during the first half of an NCAA football game against Baylor on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. | Phelan M. Ebenhack, AP
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FBC Mortgage Stadium, home of the UCF Knights, is going to get a new addition. An expensive one.

On Tuesday, the Orange County Board of County Commission voted unanimously to approve a $90 million tower addition for the stadium, to be paid for by excess revenues from the Tourist Development Tax over 10 years.

“This is my home, and I feel good about the decisions made that will translate to investments in our community,” Mayor Jerry L. Demings said in a statement. “It’s an affirmation that this Board of County Commission also believes in our community.”

Completed in 2007, FBC Mortgage Stadium provided an on-campus stadium for the Knights, who previously played 28 seasons off-campus at the Florida Citrus Bowl, now known as Camping World Stadium.

With capacity of 45,301, FBC Mortgage Stadium cost $73.9 million to construct — when adjusted for inflation.

Other renovations to the stadium since it opened include:

  • Addition of a 10,000-square-foot, Florida-themed social area and lounge located between the 30-yard lines called the Carl Black and Gold Cabana. Constructed in 2015, the section was expanded prior to the 2017 season with 2,921 chair-back seats and features an open-air sun deck.

  • Eight field-level cabanas were added at the south end zone with access to the enclosed air conditioned J and J Rosengren Lounge in 2017, while the concourse between sections 108-113 was converted into the Stadium Club, which provides access to dedicated food and drink options, as well as plenty of other amenities.

  • The video board was upgraded to a 114-by-36-foot LED display in 2016. Per UCF, it features a Daktronics 15MM HD pixel layout and variable content zoning, “allowing it to show one large image or be divided into multiple windows to show any variety of live video, instant replays, statistics, scoring, graphics, animations and sponsorship messages.”

  • A ribbon display was added to the south end zone in 2017 and measures seven feet high by 199 feet wide.