Even with college football turning faster than a second-half two-minute drill, some things never change. Scott Frost just reminded everyone why heart matters in this game. Bothered by the seismic shifts of the NIL era since, Frost leaned on something timeless this week. Football is also about family and he showed why with a simple and generous act.

According to UCF Knights, Scott Frost delayed Monday morning practice so his coaches and staff could “spend time with their children on their first day of school.” In an age where locker rooms are billeted by gyms and offices, pushing back kickoff to cherish those moment speaks volumes. It’s the kind of quietly bold move that tells you he’s building a culture, not just playbooks.

Scott Frost didn’t stop there. When pressed on the state of college football, he said on The Jim Rome Show: “You know, where college football is, I’m not shy of saying it, right now it’s off the rails and out of control… Unfortunately, right now, whoever has the richest boosters is getting really good players.” He spoke plainly. Football goes hand in hand with big business. And yet, scheduling an entire day around a kid’s first-day-of-school jitters? That’s authenticity.

Now, beyond the kindness, there’s craft. Frost’s return to UCF ushers in the revenue-sharing era, where NIL dollars and “collective” operations aren’t optional. He called it tougher, yet more vital, to “build a team” now. That delayed practice wasn’t just a gesture. It was a strategy. Culture drives performance. Family builds buy-in. And his season opener against Jacksonville State on August 28 will need both. It’s his first chance to measure if that culture translates into cohesion.

Scott Frost is a “changed” man, per Knights

The social media feeds lit up fast. One fan wrote, “I hope we’re all looking at him like this at the end of the season.” Referring to the picture of his daughter admirably looking at her dad. UCF fans are yearning for their culture to turn into wins. This gesture pitches that emotion. Another said simply, “Leader energy.” There’s truth in that tag. It’s rare to see coaching statements matched by actions, especially early in fall camp.

“That’s my coach.” No qualifiers, no hashtags. Just ownership. When fans say that, it moves past fandom. It becomes belief. Frost just scored a leadership TD off the field. Another suggested, “Loving the new Scott Frost”, change is not always good but looks like for Scott Frost and UCF fans it was.

One voice summed it up best: “I love it. Moves like this change the culture, and culture drives performance.” Exactly. In college football’s modern whirlwind, Frost held tight to a moment that mattered, and in doing so, he was able to gain the goodwill of his fans and peers.