The Success of UCF's Charge On Tour
Once UCF announced the Charge On tour around the state, I immediately signed up. Sure this was not a unique event, UCF has been doing football bar crawls for years. This is not necessarily a new tradition. What is new however is the fact that these events would now hit the road. Now the events that some of us could not attend because we did not live in Orlando were now coming to our backyard. But the tour also presented another opportunity one with a more profound impact. Here was a chance to meet the men that brought hope back to UCF. This was a chance to meet in person the people we have all heard about. A chance to say thank you to these men that have rebuilt the brand. Thus the ChargeOn tour meant much more than just a bar crawl. This tour went beyond that.
Of course the brilliance of the tour is that these events helped market UCF. To show that despite an 0-12 season and another non post season for the basketball team that fans still cared about the university. Wanted to show that despite often being mocked that the UCF fans did have passion. Despite the fact that the Big12 probably won't expand, this was a chance to show that UCF did have a great and was an attractive candidate. Oh how the fans responded.Fans young and old went to the events. Current students, children whose parents went to UCF, and alumni all packed into the bars. The sight of all these generations of fans at the event was goosebump inducing. Yes, some fans that always want to complain(hi dungeon commenters) will say that only between 75-100 fans would show up to these events in each city. But these same people do not realize that this is good attendance for an event held in the middle of the work week. The numbers would probably be better if it was held on the weekend, but that is just revisionist.
It is not just about the number of fans that showed up. Rather it is the diversity of the fans that showed up. It was a mixture of recent alumni to older alumni and current students. All came from different walks of life. A mixture of those that participated in Greek life to those that spent their free time writing a sports blog. There were the TekPartners and people still trying to find themselves. There was a misnomer that only the diehard fans would come out to the event. This could not be further from the truth. All from the most diehard to the most casual of UCF fans came out to support their school. One has to wonder would the same would have happened if George O'Leary and Mr Personality Todd Stansbury were still in charge? I really doubt that. You see O'Leary and Stansbury had become stale and alienated the younger alumni. While White, Frost, and Dawkins have embraced fans young and old. The chargeon tour embodied this.
Broward County was the last stop on the ChargeOn Tour. The past recaps, snapchats, and word of mouth had already spoiled the event a bit. Had talked about what the coaches had talked about, etc. Yet going in it still took one's breath away. Especially when it came to meeting then men that had rebuilt UCF's image. Here was Scott Frost, the man who has already changed UCF football in so many ways only a few feet away from the fans. The man that is UCF football's savior drinking beer and just interacting with the fans. It was just a cool moment. Then there was Johnny Dawkins. Yes, I in particular have been critical of the Dawkins hiring. Had ripped it as a retread miss of a hire. Yet here he was, Johnny Fucking Dawkins, in front of UCF fans. The Duke legend who had won championships with Coach K was now shaking hands and taking pictures. He had an air about him. It was here that I finally got it. Why Danny White had hired Dawkins. If Dawkins could turn a critic into a pile of mush in mere seconds by his aurora imagine what he is going to do with recruiting.
Danny White stood a few feet away from me. I was terrified to approach him. Here was the man that I have written so much about. Had heaped so much praise upon and have looked up to. I was finally going to meet him. What would I say? What could I possibly say to the man that has done so much for my alma mater. What could I say to the man that made me like so many others feel pride in UCF again? Then it popped into my head and with the help of some liquid courage, I approached. "Mr. White, I want to say thank you.", I do not know if he had heard that before, but he lit up. And he listened as I talked for a few moments about I wanted to thank him for everything he had done for my university. How he had brought hope back. He thanked me for the kind words and took a picture. Hopefully he passed the message into both Dawkins and Frost.
The ChargeOn tour was an overwhelming success. The tour showed that UCF fans were passionate about their university. That the new era has already succeeded and that everything else this year is gravy. It also allowed an opportunity for fans to say thank you to all those that have made this possible.
PS: Yes, I was the one to win the free tickets/other perks to homecoming.
