Predicting Gators Football’s Three Annual SEC Opponents
After a 1-3 start to the season, Florida Gators fans have already been speculating about next year, including which teams will be on the schedule for 2026. The SEC announced last week that it will host a show to unveil the new schedule for next season for each team.
New to the schedule will be three fixed rivals that teams will play each year. Also new is the nine-game conference schedule, meaning teams will only get three non-conference games per year. In those three matchups, SEC programs must play at least one Power Four team per year.
For Florida, Florida State will be non-conference Power Four team for the foreseeable future. But the main question fans have asked: Who are the fixed SEC going to be for the Gators?
If you ask a Gators fan who they would want to be the three rivals that Florida plays, most would give the same answers: Georgia, Tennessee and LSU.
Loading ...While Georgia and Tennessee should be locked in — although we don’t know anything definitively — some concern could be around the last foe. The SEC wants to take location into account, which could get rid of the annual Florida-LSU game.
The SEC has said it will consider the proximity of schools, which means Florida could have two options to keep a rivalry. One would bring back an SEC East matchup with South Carolina.
Florida has dominated its rivalry with the Gamecocks. In 44 games played in the series, the Gators have won 31, including the last two in 2022 and 2023. Most notably, the Gators hold the longest win streak in the rivalry, winning 14 straight from 1992 to 2004.
The most notable game from the series was their 2006 matchup after Florida’s streak broke in Columbia in 2005. The Gamecocks lined up to kick the game-winning field goal, and Florida defensive end Jarvis Moss blocked the attempt to seal the Gators’ 17-16 win.
#WereYouThereWhen: Jarvis. Moss.
Date: Nov. 11, 2006#TheSwamp
2018 Tickets: https://t.co/MnipP8bmhD pic.twitter.com/HnjrQPJzKB
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) June 30, 2018
The other option would be bringing back an old SEC rival, the Auburn Tigers. These two orange-and-blue teams used to play every year from 1966 to 2001. The Gators are currently losing the all-time series 39-43-2.
The last matchup came in 2019 for UF’s homecoming, marking the most recent College GameDay visit to Gainesville. After waiting eight years for another opportunity to play the Tigers, the Gators were ready and dominated No. 7 Auburn, 24-13. Running back La’Mical Perine was electric for the Gators in that one, igniting Ben Hill Griffin with an 88-yard touchdown run to put the game away.
(Week 6, 2019) La’Mical Perine electrifies The Swamp on an 88-yard touchdown run vs. #7 Auburn. ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/0ovc8o1VYp
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) July 14, 2023
Category: College Football, Football, Gators Football, SEC
