2 - The Independent Florida Alligator

NEWS

Mini crossword for Oct. 28, 2025

By Rohit Paranjape | Oct. 28

Play The Alligator's original mini crossword.

Florida Gators Head Coach Todd Golden during a post-game team huddle after a basketball game against South Carolina at the Exactech Arena in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

From rivals to teammates: Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram join UF with established connection

By Jeffrey Serber | Oct. 27

While sophomore Boogie Fland and senior Xavian Lee are set to lead a revamped backcourt, freshmen Alex Lloyd and CJ Ingram come into the program as long-term projects to preserve Florida basketball’s success.

Florida head coach Billy Napier during pre-game warmups at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Billy Napier’s next steps following his UF dismissal

By Max Bernstein | Oct. 27

Billy Napier has about $21 million and a lot of options.

Florida Gators fans during a football game between the Texas Longhorns and the Florida Gators on Saturday, Oct. 4th, 2025, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Jaden Rashada’s career from Gator to Bulldog to benchwarmer

By Max Bernstein | Oct. 27

As Florida and Georgia face off again in one of the ugliest rivalries in college football, their teams have one thing in common: Jaden Rashada transferred out of them.

TIAA Bank Field, the home stadium of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, also serves as host for the annual Florida-Georgia game. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Next year, Jacksonville won’t host the rivalry game. What does that mean for the city?

By Curan Ahern | Oct. 27

Barking Bulldog fans, slow-roasted gators, painted faces, liquor-filled solo cups and orange-and-blue pinstriped overalls are all staples at Florida and Georgia’s annual rivalry game, hosted in Jacksonville.

Gainesville has many concerts with a variety of genres every week across the city.

THE AVENUE | MUSIC

Celebrate Halloween with this week’s spooky Gainesville music events

By Christopher Rodriguez | Oct. 27

Check out a roundup of some of the concerts and music events happening in Gainesville.

Florida Gators libero/defensive specialist Emily Canaan (7) celebrates a point during a volleyball match against the Norfolk State Spartans on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, at the O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Florida and Georgia volleyball trade wins after years of Gators’ dominance

By Ava DiCecca | Oct. 27

The Gators and the Bulldogs have met 79 times since their first match in 1985, playing one another every season as many as three times. Florida has taken all but 10 of the matches.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Is there hope for Florida’s rivalry games? 1986 says yes.

By Ava DiCecca | Oct. 27

The 1986 team finished stronger than it started, coming back from a 1-4 start to take down UF’s two biggest rivals, Florida State and Georgia, and defeating conference rival Auburn to finish the season 6-5. This year’s team will have the same opportunity in Jacksonville, and again at home against Florida State.

Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) gets handed the national championship trophy after winning the National Championship against the Houston Cougars in the NCAA Tournament on Monday, April 7, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas.

SPORTS | BASKETBALL

How Florida’s loss against UGA powered them to the national championship

By Jeffrey Serber | Oct. 27

The Gators men’s basketball team, riding a six-game win streak with playoff seeding on the line, seemed to have a walk in the park taking on the Georgia Bulldogs in February.

Florida Gators outfielder Kendra Falby (27) celebrates as she arrives to home plate after her second home run of the season during a softball game against UCF in Gainesville, Fla., on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

SPORTS | SOFTBALL

Florida softball flipped the Super Regional script in win against Georgia

By Riley Orovitz | Oct. 27

The Florida-Georgia rivalry extended from the gridiron to the diamond and from Jacksonville to Gainesville last spring as the Gator softball team squared off against the Bulldogs in a Super Regional showdown.

Former Florida head coach Dan Mullen during warmups at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville on Oct. 30, 2021.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Notable Florida head coach records against the Georgia Bulldogs

By Adrian Carmona | Oct. 27

Since the reign of Bulldogs coach Vince Dooley from the ’60s to the ’80s, Florida head coaches have seen varying degrees of success in what is known as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.”

The Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs have a baseball rivalry stretching back for nearly a century.

SPORTS | BASEBALL

A history of the baseball rivalry that never sleeps

By Hunter DeLauder | Oct. 27

A rivalry that began in 1931, Georgia and Florida have been battling it out each year since 1949. It’s a series largely controlled by the Gators, who lead the all-time series 195-119-2.

University of Florida soccer player Lena Bailey (29) chases down the ball from University of Central Florida’s Taylor Jacobson (2) in Gainesville, Florida, on Aug. 24, 2024.

SPORTS | SOCCER

Gators soccer falls in regular-season finale against LSU

By Adrian Carmona | Oct. 26

Florida soccer failed to generate consistent offense in its regular-season finale loss to LSU Sunday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Gators hockey winger Nicholas Ho sets up a shot against the South Carolina Gamecocks

SPORTS | HOCKEY

UF hockey splits weekend series against defending national champions

By Daniela Ortiz | Oct. 26

Florida went toe-to-toe with the defending national champions, earning a win Friday and forcing overtime Saturday.

Florida Gators libero/defensive specialist Emily Canaan (7) and middle blocker Alec Rothe (25) support each other during a volleyball match against the Norfolk State Spartans on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, at the O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Gators volleyball earns its first SEC sweep against the Razorbacks

By Isis Snow | Oct. 26

The Gators utilized their strong middle blockers to take their first conference sweep against the Razorbacks on the road.

Gators guard Damieon George Jr. (70) blocks a defender against the Long Island Sharks at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

Family over football: Damieon George Jr.'s personal life plays pivotal role in his journey

By Riley Orovitz | Oct. 26

George lost his father, Damieon George Sr. in 2016. His sister also passed away earlier this year. Damieon George Jr.'s personal life plays a pivotal role in journey as a Gators athlete.

Florida Gators Volleyball head coach Ryan Theis discusses a play with outside hitter Aniya Madkin (9) during a volleyball match against PVK Olymp Praha of the Czech Republic, on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, at the O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Florida has three must-win road matches still on its schedule

By Ava DiCecca | Oct. 26

The Gators are in the tail end stretch of its schedule and will face a must-win sequence of road matchups to end its season.

Florida Gators outside hitter Aniya Madkin (9) hits a serve in a volleyball match against PVK Olymp Praha of the Czech Republic, on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, at the O'Connell Center in Gainesville, Fla.

SPORTS | VOLLEYBALL

Aniya Madkin returns to Arkansas to face her former team

By Ava DiCecca | Oct. 24

After a standout first season in action at Arkansas, redshirt sophomore outside hitter Aniya Madkin took her talents to Gainesville. Since then, she has been a staple of Florida's offensive attack

A UF women’s golf athlete swings her club at Mark Bostick Golf Course during the Women’s Golf Invitational in March 2024.

SPORTS | OTHER SPORTS GOLF

No. 14 Florida women's golf wins second tournament in a row

By Brooke Bastedo | Oct. 24

The Florida women’s golf earned their second win of the season at its fall finale. The Gators have won at The Ally three consecutive years.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates with his team after the Capital One Orange Bowl on Thursday, January 9, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla.

SPORTS | FOOTBALL

How much would Florida have to pay for other top coaches?

By Riley Orovitz | Oct. 24

The University of Florida already owes former head coach Billy Napier more than $20 million. We took a look at how much more UF would have to spend to buyout its potential future head coach.

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