NCAAF teams
Darren Rovell, ESPN Senior Writer 6y

Fans buy billboard ad, ask Alabama if it wants to play UCF

College Football, UCF Knights, Alabama Crimson Tide

UCF fans bought a billboard advertisement in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, congratulating the University of Alabama for winning the national championship on Monday and asking if the Crimson Tide would like to play their team.

Thirty-seven fans of the team raised $1,665 on a GoFundMe page to pay for a digital billboard ad that reads, "Congratulations Alabama. How about a home & home series with UCF?"

"We felt like this year's team could run with anyone in the country, and the Peach Bowl win [over Auburn] proved that," said Sean Barakett, who added that he contributed $100 toward the campaign. "All we needed was a chance to play harder opponents."

UCF finished its season 12-0 but was ranked 12th in the final College Football Playoff rankings.

Barakett said the original idea was to put a billboard in Atlanta, where the national championship game was held Monday. The group, however, missed deadlines, so the fans changed the ad and the made arrangements to put the sign near the University of Alabama.

Some on social media made fun of the sign, but UCF is actually 1-0 against the Crimson Tide, having beaten them 40-38 in Tuscaloosa in 2000.

UCF athletic director Danny White proclaimed the team "national champions," and the team had a parade at Disney World. Florida Gov. Rick Scott also proclaimed the team champs, saying that they would be recognized as such, at least within the state of Florida.

UCF coach Scott Frost left the school to coach at Nebraska, where he finished out his college career.

^ Back to Top ^