Doug and Jessica Richards

Our 20 years of love and laughter doesn’t happen without UCF and the 2002 Atlantic Sun Men’s Basketball Championship.
Jessica and I were both interning for the UCF Athletics Communications Office but had never met before working at the basketball championship, which was hosted on campus at the old arena. The Knights lost in the semifinals, and FAU eventually took the championship title, but I was the real winner at the event.
During a postgame press conference, I was introduced to Jessica. We shared a love of sports, and so much more. We were – and still are – a perfect match. We’ve been married for 16 years and have two wonderful kids, and a great dog.
I worked for UCF Athletics for nine years and the university remains an important part of our lives. Our children have grown up attending basketball and football games, and Jessica received her master’s degree from UCF in 2020. We are proud to be part of the UCF community and will always be grateful for the opportunities that the school has provided for us, none more important than connecting us during a basketball tournament on March 1, 2002.