Impact Update for Thursday, September 18 | | |
"I'm not going to put any more on this week than I'm going to on Kansas State the week after that, or Kansas two weeks after that. We’ve got to go out and earn this one, and our focus is primarily on this one. They're going to be hungry and coming in here. I know our team's hungry."
-Scott Frost
UCF Football Head Coach
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Quote of the Day
"In the end, it's the effort that matters. The rest is beyond your control."
-Maria Sharapova
Russian Tennis Player
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Across the Board (Of Directors)
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Around The Horn
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UCF Football is set to host Bill Belichick and the UNC Tar Heels this Saturday, Sept. 20 at 3:00pm in the Acrisure Bounce House. The Knights (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) are fresh off a bye week following a dominant performance against North Carolina A&T two weeks ago where they won 68-7 and chalked up 560 yards of total offense. This matchup marks the first encounter between the two programs as UCF aims to improve its record to 3-0 for the third year in a row.
- Summer Yates' hat trick led the Orlando Pride to a 5-0 victory over Chorrillo FC in their Concacaf W Champions Cup group stage match on Tuesday night in Panama City, Panama. The victory marks Orlando Pride's first win in a competitive match outside of the United States. The Pride (8-5-7, 29 points) will now return home for a NWSL matchup with the North Carolina Courage this Friday, Sept. 19 at Inter&Co Stadium.
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Orlando City SC (13-7-9, 48 points) earned a point on the road after a 1-1 draw against D.C. United on Saturday night. The Lions, currently sixth in the Eastern Conference, return home this Saturday, Sept. 20 at 7:30pm to host a key matchup against fourth-placed Nashville SC with just five regular season games remaining. The top four teams in each conference earn homefield advantage in the Round One Best-of-3 Series in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
- Only two days remaining! The Orlando Valkyries are offering a new four-match flex plan for the upcoming volleyball season. Plans start as low as $51 for the flex package, and includes a ticket to Opening Night as well as your choice of three regular season games. BONUS: If you purchase any ticket package before this Friday, Sept. 19, you will receive an exclusive invite to the Team Kickoff Party with Orlando Valkyries players and coaches.
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All tickets and upgraded offerings for the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard are now available for purchase. The PGA Tour signature event will be held from March 4-8, 2026 at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, featuring the world's best golfers competing for the coveted trophy and red cardigan sweater. Guests can save 10% on all ticket purchases when using a Mastercard at checkout.
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Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner was named to the EuroBasket All-Tournament team for his performance throughout the overseas tournament. Along with fellow Magic forward Tristan da Silva, Wagner helped Germany lift the EuroBasket trophy for the second time in history, and first since 1993. Wagner and da Silva will have about two weeks off until the Magic open training camp Sept. 30 at the AdventHealth Training Center.
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The MLF Suzuki Marine Stage 2 at Harris Chain of Lakes will air live this Saturday, Sept. 20 and next Saturday, Sept. 27 beginning at 7:00am on the Discover Channel. The 2025 MLF Bass Pro Tour features a field of the top professional anglers in the world competing across seven regular-season tournaments around the country, fishing for millions of dollars and valuable points to qualify for the Bass Pro Tour Championship.
- The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, have announced the signing of defenseman J.C. Brassard to a contract for the 2025-26 season. Brassard, 29, returned to the ECHL last season to play with the Allen Americans after a three-year tenure overseas. The Scituate, Massachusetts native led the Americans in points (23) and assists (18) among defensemen and finished third on the team with 135 shots on goal.
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Single game tickets to the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers NHL preseason game at the Kia Center are on sale. The Lightning, NHL affiliate of the Orlando Solar Bears, will face the reigning champions on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7:30pm. Don't miss your chance to witness professional hockey right here in Orlando, visit the Solar Bears' website to purchase your tickets today.
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The 2025 Celebrating Women in Sports Silent Auction is STILL LIVE!
Support sports tourism in Central Florida and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission by bidding on 100+ items including autographed sports memorabilia, exclusive sport experiences, hotel stays, concerts, restaurant packages, entertainment, travel, fishing charters, health & wellness items, and more!
Don't wait - the auction ends this Friday, September 19 at 9:00pm EST
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Around Town
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Full Sail University has announced that 69 of its graduates were credited on 46 winning projects at the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards Show. The annual ceremony, hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, was held on Sunday, Sept. 14, and broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+. This year, alumni were credited on winning projects including The Pitt on HBO Max, Andor on Disney+, Bridgerton on Netflix, and more.
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GT USA, the developer who paid $165 million a year ago for prime acreage in Lake County's Wellness Way, is planning to create a resort district just minutes from Walt Disney World with 1,200 hotel rooms and up to 1,000 vacation homes. The company submitted its zoning application on Friday, Sept. 12 for the Panther Run master-planned community, which would sprawl over nearly 2,400 acres between U.S. 27 and the Orange County line and could be open to its first residents in two or three years.
- The SoDo Main Street District has been awarded funding from the federal Community Development Block Grant program, administered locally by the City of Orlando, to launch a series of beautification projects just south of downtown. The grant will fund large-scale murals, banners, and other improvements aimed at boosting neighborhood pride and showcasing SoDo’s creative culture. The murals are expected to be complete by the end of September, with community events planned around their unveiling.
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WWE presented ten Full Sail University students with scholarships as part of its ongoing relationship with Full Sail University. The announcement was in celebration of the long-awaited return of NXT for one night to its birthplace, Full Sail University, with the live broadcast production of Homecoming having aired on Tuesday, Sept. 16. Since the beginning of the partnership, WWE has now granted more than $500,000 in scholarship funds to Full Sail students, which are applied toward the recipients’ areas of study within the university.
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SeaWorld Orlando has announced plans to open a new suspended dark ride in 2026. The new attraction will be called SEAQuest: Legends of the Deep, a "submersible adventure through dazzling undersea ecosystems," according to the theme park's website. A specific opening date and location within the park are not indicated, but SeaWorld's annual passholders will have early access to the attraction next year.
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Orange County is moving forward with its $560 million expansion of the Orange County Convention Center, one of the largest economic engines in Central Florida, according to Orlando Business Journal. The expansion will add 44,000 square feet of meeting space and a 100,000-square-foot flexible ballroom to the North-South Building, with construction expected to begin in March 2026 and wrap up in late 2029. The county aims to complete 100% of construction design documents by November.
- Local commuter train SunRail has announced the expansion of its weekly schedule next month to include two new, late-night trips. Officials expect the move to attract 2,000 additional riders and $10,000 in revenue each month. The change is designed to serve both commuters and leisure travelers without raising operating costs, with officials citing the new plan repurposes trains that would otherwise head back to the Sanford hub unused.
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The U.S. Women's National Team is coming back to Orlando! On Friday, Nov. 28, the four-time World Cup champions will face Italy in an international friendly match presented by The Home Depot at Inter&Co Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:00pm and will be broadcast on TNT, Max, Universo, Peacock, and Westwood One Sports.
As a valued member of our Greater Orlando sports community, we're excited to offer you exclusive early access to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public. Click the button below and enter code O2GOSP to secure your tickets today!
| | Visit Orlando's Magical Dining, presented by Orlando Health, is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025 with a record-breaking 160 restaurants in the program which will run now through Tuesday, Sept. 30. The extensive list includes 24 newcomers and 15 Michelin Guide-recognized options, each offering three-course prix fixe menus priced at $40 and $60. A portion of every meal sold will benefit the REED Charitable Foundation, a local nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development and literacy. | | |
All Around
- The City of Orlando is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a month-long art exhibition featuring works by 32 local visual artists, reflecting this year’s theme, “Collective Heritage: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future.” Festivities will continue with a community celebration hosted by Mayor Buddy Dyer and Commissioner Tony Ortiz on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Guests can enjoy traditional Hispanic cuisine, live Latin music, and folk-dance performances.
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Volcano Bay Nights, an evening attraction held at the Universal Orlando water park, will feature Scooby-Doo and his gang this year. The events will be held Friday evenings between Sept. 5 and Oct. 31. Among the entertainment options will be a DJ-driven Beach Bash on the attraction’s Waturi Beach, where Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred and Velma will make appearances along with the Mystery Machine van. The limited-capacity event will take place from 7:00-11:00pm each night, although ticketholders will be able to enter the water park as early as 4:00pm.
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Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween continues at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and runs on select nights through Friday, Oct. 31. The evenings are filled with returning favorites such as Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, a fireworks and lasers presentation, and park-wide trick-or-treating. Ticket prices vary with dates and range between $119 and $229 per night, and ticket holders can get entry to Magic Kingdom at 4:00pm.
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SeaWorld Orlando is again selling its Fun Card pass, a ticket that allows entry to the theme park for the rest of 2025 and all of 2026. The price for the 2026 Fun Card is $143.99. The offer “ends soon,” the SeaWorld website warns, but no end date is currently posted. There is also a Fun Card that includes Aquatica, SeaWorld’s water park, which is selling for $199.99. Both varieties of passes come with block-out dates, generally around holidays and other busy times at the attractions.
- A new wax figure of actress & singer Selena Gomez has been added to the star-studded lineup at Madame Tussauds Orlando, an attraction inside ICON Park on International Drive. The figure is outfitted in a red beaded floral gown worn to the MTV Video Music Awards in 2023. Visit the ICON Park website to learn more and purchase your attraction tickets ahead of time.
- Join the Downtown Arts District and CityArts this week from Sept. 18–20 for the second annual Orlando Mural Festival, presented in collaboration with the Downtown Development Board. Attendees can watch muralists create 8x8 and 20x13 walls, enjoy live music, browse food trucks and art vendors, and join a panel discussion to hear the artists share the stories behind their work. Admission is FREE! Learn more about the event here.
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Fun Spot America is offering a deal on two levels of passes that are valid from now through the end of 2026. The tickets — good at Fun Spot locations in Orlando, Kissimmee and near Atlanta — must be purchased by Friday, Oct. 31. They include unlimited access to the parks’ rides, including roller coasters, and their Go-Kart courses.
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Florida residents can save up to $65 on select multi-day tickets at Universal Orlando theme parks when buying online. Click here for current offers.
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Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.
| | 7th Annual Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon | | Congratulations to our 2025 honorees Carrie Allen (Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride), Shannon Clark (Florida Citrus Sports), Chrissy Elliott (Florida Citrus Sports), Heather Fagan (City of Orlando), and Sherry Wheelock (Special Olympics Florida)! | | |
GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel, along with his wife Sarah Grafton and Board Chairman Caesar Lopez (Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride), pictured on stage with the 2025 Celebrating Women in Sports award recipients, featured speaker Misty-May Treanor, and fireside chat moderator Madison Fitzpatrick. Special thank you to our presenting sponsor, Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute!
Check back next week for a photo album containing all pictures from the event!
| | GO Sports Executive VP Brent Nelson traveled to Indianapolis for the NCAA Host Symposium, pictured with GO Sports board member Rich Ensor (Boardwalk Sports) and Ryan Ritchie (Discover Lake County, Florida). | | GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel joined by UCF VP & Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir at the Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. | | GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel visited iHeart Radio to promote the Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon, pictured with members of "Monsters in the Morning" on Real Radio 104.1. | | GO Sports Executive VP Michael Kalinich and VP Lindsey McBride attended lunch and took a tour of the Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando Sunset Walk, pictured with members of the hotel sales team. | | While doing promotion for the Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon, GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel took a picture with Marc Daniels, host of FM 96.9 The Game's "Beat of Sports." | | GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and his wife Sarah Grafton attended a fundraising kick-off for Runway to Hope. | | GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel connected with iHeart Radio to highlight the Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon, pictured with Chad and Leslye from Magic 107.7. | | GO Sports Coordinator Jordan Henderson attended the Valencia College Foundation Red, Black and Boundless Gala, pictured with GO Sports board member Willie Johnson (VyStar Credit Union). | | GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel stopped by iHeart Radio to share details about the Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon, pictured with members of "Johnny's House" on XL 106.7. | | GO Sports Associate VP Chase DeMayo and his wife Sarah DeMayo attended the Camaraderie Foundation's American Patriot Gala at Westgate Lakes Resort. | | Corporate Partner Spotlight. | | |
GO Sports is proud to welcome our newest corporate partner, Embassy Suites Orlando Sunset Walk! For more information, click the logo above.
Thank you for supporting sports tourism in Greater Orlando!
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