Florida football's 2026 schedule was officially released Dec. 11, featuring opponents who went a combined 84-60 in regular season action in 2025.
Not only are the Gators ushering a new coach in Jon Sumrall, but they also will face off against nine Southeastern Conference opponents in the first year of the SEC's schedule expansion.
Here's a deeper look at Florida's 2026 opponents:
Sept. 5: Florida Atlantic:
The Gators kick off their season against Florida Atlantic, an in-state opponent they have hosted four previous times. In all four of those games, UF was victorious over the Owls.
Most recently, the Gators beat the Owls 35-14 Sept. 4, 2021. In that season-opening contest, UF quarterback Anthony Richardson ran seven times for 160 yards and a touchdown, including a 73-yard score.
FAU went 4-8 in 2025, its first season under head coach Zach Kittley. A pass-heavy team, the Owls leaned on junior quarterback Caden Veltkamp throughout the season. He completed 346 of his 516 passing attempts for 3,648 yards and 24 touchdowns, but he also threw 17 interceptions.
Those interceptions showcased the major issue for FAU in 2025: turnover margin. Overall, FAU forced eight total turnovers while turning over the ball 29 times. The Owls -21 margin was by far the worst in the nation. The next lowest total was -13.
Sept. 12: Campbell:
Florida's lone FCS opponent in 2026, the Campbell Fighting Camels have had a rough go of things in its two seasons under head coach Braxton Harris. Over 2024 and 2025, Campbell had a 5-19 record, with only three conference wins.
UF has not lost to a FCS team since 2013, when it fell 26-20 to Georgia Southern in Gainesville Nov. 23
Sept. 19: at Auburn:
UF's first SEC matchup of nine straight in-conference battles is against Auburn, who, just like the Gators, are ushering in a new coach. However, he knows the Gators well: Alex Golesh.
The former South Florida head coach led his Bulls to a shocking 18-16 victory over the then-No. 13 Gators Sept. 6, setting the tone for both programs for the rest of the season. The Gators went 3-7 from that date, while the Bulls went 7-3.
Now, Golesh will lead the Tigers, who went 5-7 in 2025 under former head coach Hugh Freeze. The last time these two teams faced off, the Gators defeated the Tigers 24-13 in The Swamp Oct. 5, 2019. In that contest, UF quarterback Kyle Trask threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
Overall, Auburn leads the series 43-39-2, including a 26-8-1 record when hosting the Gators. The two teams faced off every year from 1945-2002.
Sept. 26: Ole Miss:
Florida's second SEC matchup is yet another battle against a team with a new head coach: Ole Miss. The Rebels went 11-1 in 2025, but that was under head coach Lane Kiffin, who uncerimoniously departed for LSU before Ole Miss was set to play in the College Football Playoff.
Ole Miss is now led by Pete Golding, its former defensive coordinator. He will lead the team in the College Football Playoff, where they will face Sumrall and Tulane Dec. 19.
Florida and Ole Miss are tied in their series at 13-13-1. Most recently, the Rebels dispatched the Gators 34-24 in Oxford Nov. 15. In that contest, Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy was dominant, rushing 31 times for 224 yards and three touchdowns.
How much roster turnover Ole Miss will face is yet to be seen, but this game will be a unique one for Florida's SEC home opener.
Oct. 3: at Missouri:
For 12 straight seasons from 2012-2023, Florida faced off with Missouri in SEC conference bouts. The record in those games? 6-6.
While the Tigers hold a 7-6 all-time record over UF with a 1965 victory, these two teams have played in some tight games over the past decade and change.
Most recently, Missouri bested Florida 33-31 Nov. 11, 2023, when Harrison Mevis kicked a game winning 30 yard field goal with just five seconds remaining on the clock.
The Tigers are led by head coach Eliah Drinkwitz, who was a reported candidate for Florida's head coaching vacancy this past season. Missouri has a 29-9 record over the past three seasons, including an 8-4 mark in 2025.
Oct. 10: South Carolina:
South Carolina, one of Florida's new protected rivals, had a dissapointing 2025 after a strong 2024, just like the Gators.
The Gamecocks went 4-8 in head coach Shane Beamer's fifth season at the helm, just one year after nearly missing out on the College Football Playoff with a 9-3 record.
Florida holds a 31-10-3 all-time record against South Carolina, including two consecutive wins over the Gamecocks.
Most recently, UF defeated South Carolina in a 41-39 nail-biter Oct. 14, 2023. In that contest, Florida's Graham Mertz threw a go-ahead 21-yard touchdown to Ricky Pearsall with just 47 seconds left on the clock.
Oct. 17: at Texas:
While the Gators and the Longhorns have only faced off five times, there have been some entertaining matchups between the two sides.
That was no exception Oct. 4, when Florida defeated Texas 29-21 in The Swamp, marking a landmark victory for the Gators in a rough 2025 season.
That win might have singlehandedly knocked the Longhorns out of College Football Playoff contention, as Steve Sarkisian's team finished 9-3. That includes losses to Georgia and Ohio State, two of the top teams in the country.
Overall, Texas leads the series 3-1-1 and will look to exact their revenge against Florida in front of their home crowd.
Oct. 31: vs. Georgia (Atlanta):
For the first time in the 103 matchups between these bitter rivals, the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will take place in Atlanta.
Georgia leads the rivalry series 57-44-2, including five straight victories over Florida. Most recently, the Bulldogs beat the Gators 24-20 Nov. 1. In that game, UGA running back Chauncey Bowens scored a go-ahead 36 yard touchdown with just under five minutes to go in the contest.
Under head coach Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs have become one of the powerhouses of college football. They went 11-1 in the 2025 regular season and went on to defeat Alabama 28-7 in the SEC Championship Game Dec. 6.
In 2027, this game will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, before it returns to Jacksonville in 2028.
Nov. 7: Oklahoma:
For the second-straight game, the Gators will face a team that made the 2025 College Football Playoff. This time, its against Brent Venables and the Sooners, who went 10-2 in 2025 after a 6-7 2024 season.
Florida and Oklahoma have only faced off two times. In 2020, the Sooners crushed the Gators 55-20 in the Cotton Bowl.
However, in 2008, Florida beat Oklahoma 24-14 in the BCS National Championship Game to claim its second national title in three years.
The two sides have never faced off in Gainesville, let alone in a SEC conference game. Who will take the series lead between the two sides will be determined in this contest.
Nov. 14: at Kentucky:
One of Florida's most bitter rivals, Kentucky is another protected matchup in the Gators' schedule over the next four seasons. Like UF, Kentucky is also ushering in a new era, as they fired Mark Stoops and hired former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein after a 5-7 2025 season.
From 1987-2017, Florida won 31 consecutive games against Kentucky, but since then, the tides in this rivalry have shifted.
The Wildcats have won five of their past eight games over the Gators, including a blowout 38-7 win over UF Nov. 8. Kentucky combined for 233 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground in that contest.
Overall, Florida holds a 54-22 record against Kentucky, including a 30-6 home record.
Nov. 21: Vanderbilt:
Florida's final SEC matchup of the 2026 season will be against Clark Lea's Vanderbilt, a team who blossomed with a 10-2 record in 2025.
Overall, however, the Gators have dominated the Commodores, holding a 44-11-2 all-time record in the series. That includes a staggering 24-2-1 record at home.
The two teams faced off every season from 1992-2023, and Florida has won nine of its last 10 against Vanderbilt.
Most recently, the Gators bested the Commodores 38-14 Oct. 7, 2023. Mertz dominated that contest, completing 30-36 passes and tossing three touchdowns.
Nov. 28: at Florida State:
As has become tradition, the Gators will cap off their season against the Seminoles. After FSU won five-straight games over UF from 2013-2017, the Gators have won five of the last seven games against the Seminoles, including two consecutive victories.
UF beat FSU 40-21 Nov. 29, keeping the Seminoles out of bowl game contention. Running back Jadan Baugh ran all over the 'Noles in that game, rushing 38 times for 266 yards and two touchdowns.
Florida holds a 39-28-2 all-time record against Florida State, including a 15-14-1 away record.
This game also features Florida's mandatory Power 4 opponent. Each SEC team is now required to face one such opponent annually.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is in his sixth semester at The Alligator and now serves as The Alligator's Football Reporter and is a junior sports journalism student. He previously served as The Alligator's Sports Editor, and served as reporter for women's tennis, volleyball and lacrosse. He also has made multiple appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. He wants to shoutout his cats, Scooter and Zoe, and niche former Florida Panthers players (shoutout Tomas Kopecky).
