Florida Permanent Rivals
Florida Rivalries: A Synopsis of South Carolina, Georgia, and Kentucky
When you talk about the University of Florida football program, you’re talking about one of the most successful programs in SEC history. The Gators have won three national championships, produced three Heisman Trophy winners, and dominated the conference for stretches under legendary coaches like Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer. But with that success comes rivalries that define what it means to be a Gator, and each one brings its own unique brand of intensity. Let me break down what makes each of these rivalries special, because if you’re a Florida fan, you know that these games can make or break your season.
South Carolina Gamecocks: The Spurrier Bowl
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 year when they will play, at least, for 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, is. 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.
Final Thoughts
Florida has many major rivals, but as far as the SEC is concerned, these three are the biggest. Each one of these conference foes does tell a different and unique story. South Carolina is the rivalry that’s defined by Steve Spurrier and doesn’t have much juice without him. Georgia is the historic rivalry that’s played in one of the most unique settings in college football and before expansion and realignment decided who won the SEC East. And Kentucky is the rivalry that was completely one-sided for decades but has recently become competitive and somewhat dangerous for the Gators.
For Florida fans, these three rivalries represent different challenges. Beating South Carolina should be the expectation, but Spurrier’s shadow still looms large over this series. Beating Georgia has become the measuring stick for whether Florida is truly back among the SEC elite. And beating Kentucky has gone from a given to something the Gators actually have to work for.
As Florida looks to rebuild under new head coach Jon Sumrall, these rivalries will continue to define the program. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many games you win if you can’t beat your rivals. And at Florida, the expectation is to dominate South Carolina, compete with Georgia, and never let Kentucky think they belong in this conversation.
After 35 yrs in the analytical chemistry field, I am now retired. I'm blogging & podcasting full time with my daughter and I'm 2/3 of the way through my first novel. It's safe to say, there is no moss growing on this rolling stone!
View All Articles