ORLANDO - The 10,000-square foot weight room. The 5,000-square foot training room. The 4,000-square foot locker room. The theater-style meeting room. The lighted practice fields. The $7-million price tag.
The gleaming new Wayne Densch Sports Center is the final, albeit biggest, piece of Central Florida's football puzzle.
"When I took over in 1998, two things had to happen," coach Mike Kruczek said. "First, you cannot exist as an independent. The second thing is we had to get an athletic facility for recruiting prospects and for training, which is just now happening.
"With this new building, I think you'll see greater success on a weekly basis. This building will allow us to make the play that will win the game that we didn't get accomplished (in the past.)"
It all rides on fifth-year senior quarterback Ryan Schneider, around whom the offense revolves and who could rewrite All-American Daunte Culpepper's passing records. "I don't think Ryan feels a lot of pressure," Kruczek said. "I go back to his freshman year, playing beyond his years of experience. He was very cool and calm. He's that way. I've had to jump him pretty hard at times in football games. Sometimes, my expectations exceed his.
"But he's been remarkably successful. He's the quarterback of this I-A program for three consecutive winning seasons. He's obviously going to make great improvements from last year."
Schneider holds the records for season touchdown passes (31), yards in a game (441) and yards in a season (3,770). At 9,027 yards, he can pass Culpepper's record of 11,412. And with 16 touchdowns, he eclipses Culpepper's record of 84.
Schneider's 2002 average of 306.8 yards per game was fifth-best in the country, and his 2002 pass efficiency rating of 151.62 is the best among returners.
His backfield is solid. Returning tailback Alex Haynes is the first 1,000-yard rusher in seven years, rushing for 456 yards in the past three games.
Fullbacks Andreal Curry and former Hernando High standout Dee Brown carried the load when Haynes was hurt last season. Holes must be plugged on the offensive line, where three starters were lost, and at wideout, where 1,000-yard receivers Doug Gabriel and Jimmy Fryzel lined up.
Diminutive 5-foot-9, 165-pound junior Tavaris Capers looks to be the new go-to receiver, and 6-5, 210-pound sophomore Brandon Marshall and 6-6, 245-pound Darcy Johnson provide big targets.
On defense, seven starters return from the third-ranked unit in the MAC. Junior strong safety Atari Bigby headlines a swift group.
Stanford Rhule, 2002's leading tackler, returns at weakside linebacker. And Chad Mascoe is back in the middle. Injuries led to a disappointing season for Mascoe, a junior college star, last season. The interior line will be strong with Larry Brown back at the nose and DeMarcus Johnson at tackle. But the team must replace end Elton Patterson.
In its second MAC season, UCF's profile has never been higher. Plus, South Florida agreed in May to start a series in 2005, giving UCF the rival it has long needed, and needled, to stir fan interest.
And the new facility? Icing on the cake.
"For many years, we had to sell an architectural rendering. We had to put it up on an easel and say, "This is what's going to take place in X amount of years,"' Kruczek said. "(The facility has) already had a dramatic impact on our recruiting class of 2003, and obviously, down the road, it's going to have an even bigger impact. It was critical to our success."
