Earning your degree is just one, albeit important, part of the college experience. Just as significant are the connections you make, the communities you join and the experiences that shape your time as a Knight.

This guide is a resource to help you develop a sense of belonging, find community and build lifelong friendships while studying at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý.

Three women and one man stand in Reflecting pond each holding a rubber duck designed with a cowboy hat
Every year, students vie for special-edition rubber ducks at the Homecoming Week tradition, Spirit Splash.

Marquee Events

Whether you’re studying at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Downtown, the , Rosen College of Hospitality Management or the main campus,  you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Some signature events have become beloved ÐÔÊӽ紫ý traditions with not-to-be-missed programming:

  • Pegasus Palooza, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s annual welcome week, greets new and returning students to campus with a variety of events including notable headliners at Comedy Knight and Concert Knight.
  • ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Homecoming Week, featuring Spirit Splash, kicks off Monday, Oct. 19, and concludes with the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý football team’s matchup against BYU on Saturday, Oct. 24.
  • Space Game, a football game unlike any other in the nation, pays tribute to our ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s roots as America’s Space University. This year’s matchup against Baylor on Friday, Oct. 30, marks 10 years of the Space Game.
  • , held each spring at  Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, showcases the artistic talents of ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s faculty and students in performances, exhibitions, presentations and interactive experiences.
  • Gather Luncheon, a community-building event in the spring hosted by Wellness & Health Promotion Services and Dining Services,  brings hundreds of students together  for a free, three-course meal.
The ÐÔÊӽ紫ý flag football team bested the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Gators to win the Fiesta Bowl Classic championship on live, national television in April 2026. (Photo by Patty Kennedy / Fiesta Sports Foundation)

Recreation, Intramurals and Sports Clubs

In addition to its fitness and recreation facilities, the Recreation and Wellness Center has longstanding intramural and sports club programs that allow students to form friendships and win championships, sometimes on the brightest of stages.

The RWC’s intramural sports program welcomes all ÐÔÊӽ紫ý students, especially those who are new to Orlando and haven’t met enough peers to form their own team. Thanks to its free agency feature, individuals ca be matched up with others or be paired with an established team.

The sports club includes 45 different sports, encompassing everything from judo to lacrosse to wakeboarding and have produced some of ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s most notable alumni. Gold medalist Phil Dalhausser ’02, who played club volleyball while pursuing his business degree, and bronze medalist Kristen Thomas ’16, who began her rugby career as a theatre studies major at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý, both went on to represent Team USA at multiple Summer Olympic Games.

For more information, visit .

Group photo of 70 men and women with the center holding a black flag with the words Hack@ÐÔÊӽ紫ý in gold lettering
The Collegiate Cyber Defense Club is a renowned and highly accomplished defensive and offensive cybersecurity student organization that has seen alums go on to work at some of the world’s largest companies, including Google, IBM, Microsoft, Amazon and more. (Photo courtesy of Hack@ÐÔÊӽ紫ý)

Registered Student Organizations

ÐÔÊӽ紫ý offers more than 650 registered student organizations spanning academic, professional, cultural and spiritual, social and recreational, and sports interests.

KnightConnect is ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s official involvement platform where students can explore these organizations or even create a new one. Each organization has its own page with meeting times, contact information, and ways to get involved.

Visit the  to find the organization right for you.

Two Asian women stand in front of display board on top of a table with a table cloth that reads Delta Phi Lambda on concourse of football stadium
The Elite Epsilon Chapter of Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. was established at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý in 2005.

Greek Life

The fraternity and sorority experience has long been a part of campus life. Since the 1970s, fraternities and sororities have been providing spaces of belonging for students to grow together during their collegiate years.

Currently our ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Greek community is comprised of 46 organizations, which all share the values of scholarship, leadership, service and brotherhood/sisterhood.

For more information visit .

Wide photo of crowd in stands waving palm fronds in arena at basketball game
ÐÔÊӽ紫ý students wave palm fronds as a distraction tactic during opponent free throws. (Photo by Brooke Morris ’22, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Athletics)

ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Athletics – Knightmare Society and Marching Knights

ÐÔÊӽ紫ý is a member of one of the premiere conferences in the nation, the Big 12. From Fear the Fronds to Zombie Nation, the student section’s energy is an integral part of the game day atmosphere and gives the Knights a distinct home field (and court) advantage.

All full-time ÐÔÊӽ紫ý-enrolled students (except ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Online) are eligible for free tickets to home sporting events. Please note: all seating is first-come, first-served and admission is not guaranteed. For more information, especially for football and men’s basketball student tickets, please visit .

The  is an organization built and run by ÐÔÊӽ紫ý students and supported by ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Athletics. Joining the official group has its perks, including football tickets automatically loaded to members’ Ticketmaster accounts, a dedicated fast pass entrance at all ÐÔÊӽ紫ý men’s basketball games, and first access to post-season student ticket claims.

Students can also contribute to game-day experiences by joining , a more than 390-member marching band student organization that performs at pregame shows, halftime shows, pep rallies and other fan-fest events. By creating the soundtrack for these dynamic events, the Marching Knights serve as one of the most vibrant and visible forces for school spirit.

A man and woman stand on one side of a lab bench with large machine with wires placed atop as another man in collar shirt on the opposite side of bench points at the structure.
Knights work alongside expert faculty on research — like Professor Kareem Ahmed (right) at the HyperSpace Center — that is shaping our future and society. (Photo by Kadeem Stewart ’17)

Engage in Research

Undergraduate research provides opportunities to build a learning community with faculty and fellow students while engaging in meaningful work that develops solutions for challenges facing our communities, industries and the world.

In addition to forging connections with peers and mentors, this practical experience allows students to build their professional resumes before they graduate.

, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s annual university-wide celebration of research and creative scholarship showcases graduate and undergraduate research. The week is scheduled for March 29 through April 2, 2027, featuring presentations, exhibitions and other events showcasing student research.

For more information on how to get involved with undergraduate research, visit .

A man and woman wearing sweat shirts and tan pans walk under a roller coaster at night on a lit sidewalk
Every spring semester, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý students enjoy free, exclusive access to Universal Islands of Adventure as part of Universal Knights. (Photo by Kadeem Stewart ’17)

Explore Orlando

ÐÔÊӽ紫ý students live in one of the most vibrant destinations in the world, Orlando. Whatever your interest, Orlando likely has it: theme parks, elite sporting events, electric festivals, Michelin-rated restaurants, nearby coastlines and natural springs.

Orlando is what you make it, and there are ways to experience it all on a student budget.

The  offers discounted tickets to various attractions, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and Kennedy Space Center. Every spring semester, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý students enjoy free, exclusive access to Universal Islands of Adventure as part of Universal Knights.

 gives Knights of all experience levels opportunities to go on hiking and camping trips at nearby springs, learn to surf, paddle through bioluminescent waters and more.

Several cultural museums in the area offer free entry, including the  on the main campus, Rollins Museum of Art and Mead Garden in nearby Winter Park, and the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central ÐÔÊӽ紫ý in Maitland. The acclaimed Orlando Museum of Art offers free entry on the third Thursday of each month as part of its Access for All initiative.

Held annually at the start of the fall semester, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining offers a chance to sample some the area’s exceptional restaurants at a fraction of the normal cost. Savor three-course, prix-fixe dinners  — including at Aurora at the on-campus The Celeste Hotel — for just $40 or $60 per person from Aug. 14 – Sept. 30, 2026.