The University of Florida
Location: Gainesville, FL
Nickname: Gators
Type of School: Public Land Grant Research University
Mascot: “Albert And Alberta Gator”
Total student body: 54,814 (Fall of 2024)
University Established: 1853
Football Stadium: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Capacity: 88,548
Team Colors: Orange and Blue
South Carolina Gamecocks – The game between Florida and South Carolina began back in 1911. Since then, it has been played sparsely only happening 44 times in the next 113 years. This matchup has been largely significant for the coaches that have quit or been fired due, in no small part, to the result of this game. Urban Meyer resigned from Florida for a second time after losing to Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks and Will Muschamp was terminated the day after losing this game for the third time in four years. Florida had the better team then, but Spurrier just wouldn’t let his alma mater beat him on any regular basis.
As you might guess, Florida does hold the advantage in wins historically in this one. As of now, the Gators and the Gamecocks have played 44 times with Florida winning 31 times, South Carolina winning 10. and the dreaded tie has been achieved thrice.
Oddly enough, these two teams don’t play one another this year, so we’ll have to wait until next when they will play, at least, 4 years in a row.
Georgia Bulldogs – “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”, unsurprisingly, is one of the 3 permanent games assigned to the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs for the next four years. That was never going to be a question really, but where the game will be held in 2026 and 2027. The contract between the two schools and the city of Jacksonville ends after this years’ game on November 1st. EverBank Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, will be under renovation for the next two seasons so Florida and Georgia will have to find somewhere else to play. It’s worth noting that the schools and the city have announced the resumption of the game at EverBank Stadium from at least 2028 until 2031, however, a longer term deal is in the works and should be finalized without too much delay. Rather than play a 2 year home and home series, the teams have announced that they will keep the “neutral site” thing going no matter what. The game will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA (the home of the Atlanta Falcons) next year and at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL (the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) in 2027.
This game has been played 102 times since 1915 with Georgia taking 56 of the meetings and Florida taking 44, while they only “kissed their sister” twice (tied).
Kentucky Wildcats – The Gators and Wildcats have played 75 times to date with Florida leading the series 54-21.
The first meeting happened on November 29, 1917 in Lexington, KY with the home team winning 52-0. Man, how times have changed. From 1987 to 2017, Florida enjoyed a 31 game winning streak. Kentucky was finally able to slay their dragon in 2018 when they beat the Gators at “The Swamp”, 27-16.
It will take some doing to get this game first, to rivalry status, and then even more to get it to bitter rivalry status. In football at least. I feel like it probably is an elite, bitter rivalry in men’s basketball right now. But that’s not what we’re talking about today.
This year the game between the Gators and Wildcats will happen on November 11th in Lexington, KY.