The next three months of football at the University of Central Florida begins tonight amid predictions the Knights could field their best team ever. Gene McDowell, former Florida State assistant coach, presides over this would-be athletic gold-mine. He is both head football coach and athletic director at UCF and is personally responsible for the school's semi-plunge into the big-time _ starting with this year's switch from Division II to Division I-AA status. UCF is already halfway into a 10-year plan that would result in its being recognized as a Division I-A football program. "So far, after five years, the plan has come into fruition," McDowell said. "You move up gradually." The long-range goal, McDowell said, calls for UCF to apply for I-A status in 1995 or 1996. The Knights compete at the Division I level in every sport except football. And the story is unfolding just as McDowell planned it. He knows the Knights will not go into retreat against Division I-AA competition. After all, when playing as a Division II entry the last five years under McDowell, UCF faced a predominantly I-AA schedule. Last year alone, UCF upset Eastern Kentucky and Liberty University, both ranked among the top 10 teams in I-AA. This year, UCF plays nine I-AA opponents. Only tonight's season opener against Troy (Ala.) State at the Citrus Bowl and the team's homecoming game against Slippery Rock feature Division II competition. "The only thing that's different is actually moving up from Division II to I-AA," McDowell said. "We've been playing a I-AA schedule all along." In a way, the whole thing is a setup for UCF. The Knights return 20 starters from last year's 7-3 club, including all 11 regulars on offense. UCF's offense consistently ranked among the leaders in Division II. "We play an exciting style," said McDowell, who has a 32-24 record and one playoff appearance in five seasons at UCF. "We throw the football and throw it well." The actual games, however, are only part of UCF's overall equation. McDowell's ultimate goal is to win the I-AA national championship. But sometimes the games people play take place off the field. For better or worse, McDowell has seen the future of college football. He knows it makes dollars and sense to have a competitive, marketable team. With the forming of super conferences to capitalize on increasing television revenues, it simply doesn't pay not to join the mainstream. As a Division II program, Central Florida did not play on television and had nearly 30 fewer scholarships than the 70 permitted in I-AA. UCF currently has 56 scholarship players, approximately 18 more than two years ago. Actually, the move to I-AA cost UCF one full-time recruiter. In Division II, the Knights were permitted to have seven recruiters, McDowell said. Now, they can have only six. However, UCF is permitted to have two additional full-time coaches in I-AA. Armed with a $20,000 recruiting budget, UCF coaches rarely venture outside Florida. If they sign a player from out-of-state, it's generally because the player contacted them first. In many cases, UCF recruits players passed over by Florida, Florida State and Miami. "But we can compete with the top 10-15 teams from outside the state," said McDowell. "And we don't get beat by any I-AA teams." Despite moving up to I-AA, the only way Central Florida will appear on national television will be to play in the national championship game. McDowell, however, chooses to look at the bright side _ his program's potential for growth _ and notes the success attained by Georgia Southern, a I-AA rival. In just eight years, Georgia Southern has become the model I-AA program. Located in remote Statesboro, Ga., the school didn't even have a football team prior to 1982. But Georgia Southern hired former Georgia assistant coach Erk Russell and since has won three national titles. In the last five years, Georgia Southern has appeared in five national championship games. Also, the school has been selected to play host to three straight national title games, ending with the 1991 season. According to the NCAA, Georgia Southern ranked 13th in attendance among I-AA teams last season, averaging 17,849 fans a game. Central Florida averaged 15,470 fans a game last season, third best in Division II. The Knights already have sold more than 5,200 season tickets this season. Two years ago, Central Florida averaged 22,000 fans a game. (A construction project at the Citrus Bowl and some bad weather games prompted last year's decline in attendance.) "TV money is not a factor. The big money will have to come from the gate," said McDowell. "If I didn't believe we could do it, I wouldn't be here. We've got a great stadium and a great area. "People in Florida are accustomed to big-time football. This is not big-time football. Not yet, anyway." The newly renovated Citrus Bowl has been expanded to 70,000 seats. The 1990 home schedule includes Georgia Southern, Southern Illinois, Liberty University and Texas Southern. UCF, however, is not swayed by the schedule. Because of location and a limited travel budget, the Knights have played mostly I-AA teams in the past. "There just aren't many Division II teams in the southeastern part of the United States," said McDowell. "We played people it made sense to play geographically (such as Florida A&M, Bethune Cookman and Georgia Southern), games we've pretty much had to play. The by-product is that we're now prepared for Division I-AA. "Actually, we're not doing anything different than when I first came here in 1985."