Photos by Chris Green, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
FBC Mortgage Stadium 4465 Knights Victory Way Orlando, FL 32816
Year Opened: 2007 Capacity: 45,000
The Cure Bowl Finds a New Home
Having played several years at Exploria Stadium, and Camping World Stadium before that, the Cure Bowl moved in 2023 to a new home at UCF’s FBC Mortgage Stadium. Home to UCF football, this facility already features everything needed for college football game day experiences. Aside from this, the Cure Bowl continues to be the only bowl game each year to raise money for charity, donating profits to cancer research.
Food & Beverage 5
After having average food options for many years, UCF invested in local businesses and upgraded their options. By far the star of the concessions at FBC Mortgage Stadium is Four Rivers BBQ; this central Florida BBQ restaurant has become a local favorite, and can now be found at the Cure Bowl as well.
Other popular options at the stadium are the Knights Dog (featuring an all-beef hot dog topped with shredded pork, queso blanco, onions, and salsa), nachos ($7), chicken Caesar wraps ($10), and pretzels ($7). Drink options include souvenir sodas ($10 with $5 refills), Truly VodKA Sodas ($9), beer ($9-$10), BodyArmor Water ($7), and bottled water and soft drinks ($4-$5.50). Standard stadium fare is also easy to find, as are other local favorites like Kelly’s Ice Cream.
Atmosphere 3
The facilities at FBC Mortgage Stadium are immaculate as well, with restrooms constantly restocked with paper towels and soap. The pre-game tailgating is incredibly vast, covering nearly every open lot and green space on campus for hours before the game even starts, reaching from the lots at the stadium itself across campus to the far corners of the academic buildings. The fans are also sport-knowledgeable and know their favorite players well.
During night games, the new LED lighting adds to the look of the field, adding colored hues during performances and flashing on and off whenever a team scores. While known for its party atmosphere during UCF football home games, during the Cure Bowl the facility doesn’t feature some of the more well-known items such as Lights Up, Lights Down, or fans bouncing up and down to the tune of dance music to make the “Bounce House” shake.
Neighborhood 4
FBC Mortgage Stadium is located on the campus of UCF; both the immediate area around the stadium and the campus itself are chock full of places to find food and shopping. Just outside the stadium’s main gate are Addition Financial Arena and UCF’s baseball stadium; here you can also find the UCF campus bookstore and associated Starbucks, as well as Burger U, the campus bar and burger/wings joint frequented by fans and students. Outside of campus, you can find Blaze Pizza, Tijuana Flats, and countless more restaurants.
For somewhere to stay, the closest options are Hilton Garden Inn and DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando East. Fans in the area are also less than an hour from Cocoa Beach and Kennedy Space Center to the east, while to the west they can find downtown Orlando and Lake Eola Park.
Fans 3
The atmosphere at the Cure Bowl is different from most, as all those in attendance are helping to contribute to a worthy cause. The crowd is smaller than some of those at bigger bowls – this is partially a result of the Cure Bowl tie-ins, which usually result in smaller schools from mid-level conferences being invited, with App State and Miami (OH) highlighting the most recent match-up.
Fans nonetheless can get a taste of the pageantry of bowl games; there is also plenty of beautiful scenery with downtown Orlando just to the east.
Access 3
The biggest difficulty of game day at FBC Mortgage Stadium is the parking and traffic in and around the stadium. Being that the stadium is located on campus, the roads in and out of the facility are small and get clogged quickly. Parking lots and garages fill up fast, so getting to the stadium early helps avoid a longer walk from across campus. Thankfully, with the Cure Bowl happening in December, many students are finished for the semester by the time the game rolls around, and a smaller crowd than UCF home games usually have means fewer people to contend with.
Thankfully, the school has done a great job of managing the traffic flow in and out of campus. Additionally, new updates to FBC Mortgage Stadium’s ingress and egress mean no longer having to enter a gate and navigate the entire concourse to find your seat.
Return on Investment 5
Tickets to the Cure Bowl are affordable compared to most games, starting at $35 for the lower half of the stadium that is open, and with the money going back to a worthy cause, it’s hard to argue why someone would want to attend this game. Getting the experience of a college bowl game is always enjoyable for sports fans in general, and getting to watch one in Florida in the winter makes it even better. Orlando is blessed with great weather, never too cold or too hot in December, meaning you will be comfortable no matter where you are from.
Extras 2
The Cure Bowl organizes a survivor’s march to the stadium featuring cancer survivors and bands from each of the participating schools, starting at Burger U and ending at the stadium gates.
Outside the main entrance to FBC Mortgage Stadium stands a statue of former head coach George O’Leary; this is a popular photo spot for fans.
Final Thoughts
The new home for the Cure Bowl certainly has notoriety in college sports, thanks to UCF football’s ascent over the past decade. Tickets are inexpensive and access is easier, with much more parking and tailgating options than the game’s previous home at Exploria Stadium. If you want to go to a great game with great ticket prices and a charitable benefactor, the Cure Bowl is perfect for you.