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The Florida Gators football program represents the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
(UF) in American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
(FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...
(NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
(SEC). They play their home games on Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (in full Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium),Gainesville campus.
Florida's football program was established along with the university in 1906. It took on the "Gators" nickname in 1911, began playing in newly constructed Florida Field in 1930, and joined the Southeastern Conference as a founding member in 1932. On the field, the Gators found intermittent success during the first half of the 20th century, with a highlight being the 1928 squad that went 8–1 and led the nation in scoring. Florida football enjoyed its first sustained success in the 1960s under head coach
The
Ray Graves
Samuel Ray Graves (December 31, 1918 – April 10, 2015) was an American professional football player and college football coach. He was a native of Tennessee and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, where he was the starting center and ...
. After having appeared in only two sanctioned bowl game
In North America, a bowl game, or simply bowl, is one of a number of postseason college football games primarily played by NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams. For most of its history, the FBS did not use a playoff tourname ...
s up to that time, Grave's Gators won four during the decade, and quarterback Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
became the school's first Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
winner in 1966
Events January
* January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko.
* January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo i ...
.
Spurrier returned to his alma mater as the Gators' "head ball coach" in 1990
Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...
, and the program has been among the top in college football since then. Since 1990, Florida has won three national championships
A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
(in 1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
under Spurrier and in 2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
and 2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
under Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is an American Sports commentator, sportscaster and former college football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green F ...
), eight conference titles, fifteen SEC East division titles, and seventeen bowl games, and Florida squads have finished the season ranked in the top-10 fifteen times. In addition, quarterbacks Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
and Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for t ...
won the Heisman in 1996 and 2007, respectively.
History
The University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
was established in Gainesville in 1906 and fielded its first official varsity football team that fall. Since then, Florida Gator football squads have played in over 40 bowl game
In North America, a bowl game, or simply bowl, is one of a number of postseason college football games primarily played by NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams. For most of its history, the FBS did not use a playoff tourname ...
s; won three national championships (1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, 2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
and 2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
) and eight Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
championships (1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, 1993
The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as:
* International Year for the World's Indigenous People
The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, 1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
, 1995
1995 was designated as:
* United Nations Year for Tolerance
* World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War
This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, 1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, 2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
, 2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
and 2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
) and have produced three Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
winners, over 90 first-team All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
s and 50 National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) first-round draft
Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...
choices.
Discounting interim coaches, there have been twenty-five head coaches in program history, including three who were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
for their coaching success. Florida's first head coach was Pee Wee Forsythe, and the current coach is Billy Napier
William Hall Napier (born July 21, 1979) is an American football coach currently serving as head coach at the University of Florida. From 2017 until 2021, he was head coach at the University of Louisiana, amassing a 40–12 record in four season ...
.
Conference affiliations
Florida competed for its first several seasons as anindependent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
before joining the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) football programs were members of this conferen ...
in 1912. They moved to the Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I. Southern Conference College football, football teams c ...
in 1922, then joined with a dozen other schools to establish the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 1932, where it has remained ever since.
Yearly schedule
The SEC allowed considerable leeway with regard to conference schedules for several decades after its founded in 1932. Like most members, Florida played a few conference foes every season but would not play other schools for several years at a time until the conference attempted to balance schedules by establishing a rotation of sorts in the late 1960s. Schedules were further standardized in 1992 when the SEC expanded to twelve teams, established two divisions, and set eight team conference schedule plus achampionship game
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional/provincial/state, national, continental and world championships, and ...
between the two division winners. Florida was placed in the SEC Eastern Division and played every division foe every season. From 2012 until 2023, the Gators' annual conference slate consisted of Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
, South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
, Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, Kentucky
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
, Missouri
Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
and Vanderbilt along with permanent Western Division opponent LSU
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
plus another Western Division team on a rotating schedule.
In 2024, the SEC expanded to 16 schools and abolished divisions, though it kept the eight game conference slate and retained most annual rivalries for at least one season as member schools worked to establish a new scheduling system.
Historically, Florida's key conference rivals include Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
(played in Jacksonville
Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
usually around Halloween), Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
(historically played in mid-September), and LSU
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
, though other conference rivalries have resulted in memorable games over the years.
Florida has played in-state rival Florida State
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
every year since 1958 except for the pandemic-altered 2020 season. The Gators and Seminoles have faced off around Thankgiving since the 1970s, and their emergence as perennial football powers during the 1990s helped build the Florida–Florida State rivalry into a game that often had national-title implications. In-state rival Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
was once another annual opponent. However, the rivalry was dropped when the SEC expanded its yearly schedule in the late 1980s, and the Florida–Miami rivalry has been renewed on an infrequent basis since then. The remaining dates on Florida's regular schedule are filled by non-conference opponents which vary from year to year.
Home fields
The University of Florida's campus did not include sports facilities when it opened in 1906, so UF's first several football and baseball squads played their home games at The Ballpark, a primitive municipal facility near downtown Gainesville. In 1911, the school purchased the bleachers from the city and moved them to University Athletic Field, a newly cleared patch of land on the west side of campus along University Avenue. Larger bleachers were installed in 1915, when the facility was renamed Fleming Field. The football program first gained national recognition in the late 1920s, prompting UF president John J. Tigert to initiate plans for a modern stadium. A shallow ravine just south of Fleming Field was the chosen site, and 20,000 seatFlorida Field
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (in full Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium),Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field
. Retrieved May 22, 2023. Its name was extended to "Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium" in 1989 to honor UF benefactor Ben Hill Griffin, and the field was rechristened "Steve Spurrier-Florida Field" in 2016 to honor Gator player and coach
‡
Florida vs. Auburn
. Retrieved March 11, 2012. In the overall series won-lost record, Auburn is Florida's most evenly matched SEC opponent. Beginning in the 1980s, one team was usually highly ranked coming into the game and it had conference- and national-title implications. The series has had several notable upsets. Auburn defeated previously-unbeaten Florida teams in 1993, 1994, 2001, 2006 and 2007, although the Gators won SEC championships in 1993, 1994 and 2006. The annual series ended in 2002, when the SEC adjusted its football schedules so each team played one permanent and two rotating opponents from the opposite SEC division every year (instead of one rotating and two permanent teams). When Texas A&M and Missouri joined the conference in 2012, the schedule was changed again; each team played one permanent and one rotating opponent from the opposite division every year. LSU was designated as Florida's annual SEC Western Division opponent, and Florida and Auburn play two regular-season games every 12 years. Auburn leads the series 43–39–2 through the 2023 season.
The University of Florida and the Florida State College for Women became
Historically, Florida's most hated and fierce rival has been the
Florida vs Georgia
. Retrieved March 11, 2012. Georgia lead the series overall 56–44–2 through the 2024 season.
Florida vs. Louisiana St
. Retrieved March 11, 2012. Since 1992, LSU has been Florida's permanent inter-divisional rival from the SEC Western Division. The winner of the Florida–LSU game went on to win the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national championship game in the 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2019 seasons. This rivalry has been known recently for close games, with both teams highly ranked. Florida leads the all-time series 34–31–3 through the 2024 season. Three LSU wins were vacated in 2023.
Florida vs. Miami
. Retrieved March 11, 2012. Since then, the schools have played intermittently during the regular season, with home and home series split across several years. Miami leads the series 30–27 through the 2024 season. The next scheduled matchup between the schools will be in Miami Gardens on September 20, 2025.
Although Florida and
Florida vs. Tennessee
. Retrieved March 11, 2012. In 1969, Florida hired Tennessee head coach (and former Florida quarterback)
1966 – 32nd Award: Steve Spurrier
. Retrieved November 16, 2012. :
Award Winners
National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 7–12, 14 (2012). Retrieved January 16, 2013. The first Florida first-team All-American was end
Forest Ferguson
, ''Military Times''. Retrieved August 23, 2009. Ferguson helped clear the way for his troops to advance on the Axis position, and was severely wounded leading his men in the assault. A recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions, he died from war-related injuries in 1954. The award, a trophy, is given to the senior football player who most displays "leadership, character, and courage."
QB – Rammy Ramsdell
HB – Dummy Taylor
HB – Ed Jones
FB –
E – Ferdinand H. Duncan
T –
G – Goldy Goldstein
C – Bo Gator Storter
G –
T – Jim Coarsy
E – Joe Swanson
Second team
QB – Bob Shackleford
HB – Ark Newton
HB – Harvey Hester
FB – Ray Dickson
E – G. P. Wood
T – Pus Hancock
G – Arthur Doty
C – Lamar Sarra
G – Ed Meisch
T – Robbie Robinson
E – Frank Oosterhoudt
Another University of Florida all-time team was chosen by the ''
QB –
RB – Larry Smith
RB –
WR –
WR –
TE – Jim Yarbrough
OT –
OT – Mike Williams
OG – Burton Lawless
OG – Guy Dennis
C – Bill Carr
PK – David Posey First Team Defense
DL –
DL – Scott Hutchinson
DL – David Galloway
DL – Charlie LaPradd
LB – Ralph Ortega
LB –
LB – Wilber Marshall
LB – Glenn Cameron
DB –
DB – Jackie Simpson
DB – Bernie Parrish
P – Bobby Joe Green
Second Team Offense
QB –
RB –
RB – James Jones
WR – Carlos Alvarez
WR – Charles Casey
TE – Chris Faulkner
OT – Mac Steen
OT – Charlie Mitchell
OG – Larry Beckman
OG – John Barrow
C – Steve DeLaTorre
PK – Brian Clark Second Team Defense
DL – Robin Fisher
DL – Joe D'Agostino
DL – Lynn Matthews
DL – Vel Heckman
LB – David Little
LB – Fred Abbott
LB – Sammy Green
DB –
DB – Tony Lilly
DB – Hagood Clarke
P –
QB –
RB –
RB –
WR – Carlos Alvarez (1969–71)
WR –
TE – Jim Yarbrough (1966–68)
OT – Lomas Brown (1981–84)
OT – David Williams (1985–88)
OG – Burton Lawless (1972–74)
OG – Donnie Young (1993–96)
OC – Jeff Mitchell (1993–96)
PK – Judd Davis (1992–94)
KR – Jacquez Green (1995–97)
First Team Defense
DE –
DE –
DT –
DT – Ellis Johnson (1991–94)
LB – Wilber Marshall (1980–83)
LB –
LB – David Little (1977–80)
CB –
CB – Jarvis Williams (1984–87)
S –
S –
P – Bobby Joe Green (1958–59)
Second Team Offense
QB –
RB –
RB – James Jones (1979–82)
WR – Reidel Anthony (1994–96)
WR – Ike Hilliard (1994–96)
TE – Kirk Kirkpatrick (1987–90)
OT – Jason Odom (1992–95)
OT – Mike Williams (1973–75)
OG – Larry Gagner (1963–65)
OG –
OC – Phil Bromley (1981–84)
PK – David Posey (1973–76)
KR – Jack Jackson (1992–94)
Second Team Defense
DE – David Ghesquiere (1967–69)
DE – Lynn Matthews (1963–65)
DT – David Galloway (1979–81)
DT – Charlie LaPradd (1950–52)
LB – Sammy Green (1972–75)
LB –
LB – Ralph Ortega (1972–74)
CB – Fred Weary (1994–97)
CB – Richard Fain (1987–90)
S – Tony Lilly (1980–83)
S – Wayne Fields (1972–75)
P – Ray Criswell (1982–85)
QB –
RB –
RB –
RB – Fred Taylor (1994–1997)
WR – Carlos Alvarez (1969–1971)
WR –
WR – Chris Doering (1992–1995)
WR – Ike Hilliard (1994–1996)
OL – Lomas Brown (1981–1984)
OL – Mike Degory (2002–2005)
OL – Jeff Mitchell (1993–1996)
OL – Jason Odom (1992–1995)
PK –
Defense
DL –
DL – Alex Brown (1998–2001)
DL –
DL –
DL –
LB –
LB –
LB –
LB – Wilber Marshall (1980–1983)
DB –
DB –
DB – Fred Weary (1994–1997)
P – Shayne Edge (1991–1994)
The Florida football team has worn a home uniform of blue jerseys (usually a variation of
Photos of 2009 Florida Gators White SEC Championship Uniform
Retrieved July 19, 2013. Florida introduced a different white alternative helmet in 2015 which featured the script "Gators" logo on one side and the slant-F logo on the other, and in 2018 replaced the slant-F with script "Gators" on both sides. In 2017, the Gators wore "swamp green" helmets for one game. These dark green helmets featured a color-altered Gator head logo on one side and the player's number in orange on the other. For the 2019 homecoming game versus Auburn, Florida wore the same mid-1960s throwback uniforms, including the white helmets with the blue "F" logo within an orange circular outline. The Gators wore the blue helmets for two games in 2020: the tweaked 1960s version with the orange "F" logo within an orange circular outline for their home game against Missouri, and the traditional version with the "Gators" script in orange font for their road game at Tennessee. The team wore the 1960s throwback uniforms again for their 2021 homecoming game versus Vanderbilt, but with orange helmets including the interlocking "UF" logo. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the
File:UF logo (1966-1967).png, Gator helmet logo during the mid-1960s
File:Florida Gators script logo.svg, Primary helmet logo since 1979
File:Florida Gators alternate logo.svg, Alternate Florida Athletics logo since the early 2000s
2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide
', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2015). * * * * * * * * * Nash, Noel, ed., ''The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football'', Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). . * * Proctor, Samuel, & Wright Langley, ''Gator History: A Pictorial History of the University of Florida'', South Star Publishing Company, Gainesville, Florida (1986). .
. Retrieved May 22, 2023. Its name was extended to "Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium" in 1989 to honor UF benefactor Ben Hill Griffin, and the field was rechristened "Steve Spurrier-Florida Field" in 2016 to honor Gator player and coach
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
. Spurrier also coined the stadium's nickname of "The Swamp" in 1992, early in his tenure as head football coach.
Conference affiliations
Florida's football program is a charter member of theSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
, which began play in 1933. Before that, the Gators were affiliated with two different conferences after having founded the program without a conference affiliation.
* Independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States
* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
(1906–1911)
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) football programs were members of this conferen ...
(1912–1921)
* Southern Conference
The Southern Conference (SoCon) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I. Southern Conference College football, football teams c ...
(1922–1932)
* Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
(1933–present)
Championships
National championships
The Florida Gators have been namednational champions
National champions are corporations which are technically private businesses but due to governmental policy are ceded a dominant position in a national economy. In this system, these large organizations are expected not only to seek profit but als ...
five times by NCAA-designated major selectors.
Claimed national championships
Florida claims three national championships, for the1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, 2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
and 2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
seasons. At the end of each season the Gators were ranked No. 1 in both the final AP and Coaches polls and were recognized as consensus national champions after winning a designated national championship bowl game.
Unclaimed national championships
Florida has been named national champion by NCAA-designated "major selectors" in two additional years,1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
and 1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
. Partially because the football program was on NCAA probation in the mid-1980s, the university has never claimed a share of the national championship for either season.
Conference championships
Florida has won eight officially recognized SEC football championships. The Gators won their first championship with a conference record of 5–0–1 in 1984, but the title was vacated several months after the season by the SEC university presidents because of NCAA infractions by the Florida coaching staff under Charley Pell. The 1985 and 1990 teams also finished atop the standings with conference records of 5–1 and 6–1, respectively, but Florida was ineligible for the championship due to its NCAA probation for rule violations by previous coaching staffs. The Gators won their first official SEC football championship in 1991.Division championships
With the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina to the Southeastern Conference in 1992, the conference split into eastern and western divisions and a game between the division winners determined the SEC champion. Florida has made thirteen appearances in theSEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. For its first 32 seasons, the championship game pitted the Eastern Division regular season champion again ...
, most recently in 2020
The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
. The Gators have a 7–6 record all-time in SEC Championship Games as of 2020. With the additions of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in 2024, the conference eliminated divisions that year.
†Florida tied with Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States
Georgia may also refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
atop the SEC east during the 1992 season and played in the 1992 SEC Championship Game
The 1992 SEC Championship Game was played on December 5, 1992, at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) was the first conference in NCAA Division I college football to host a post-season conference championship g ...
by virtue of its head-to-head victory.
Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
ended the regular season in a 3-way tie in 2003, but Georgia advanced to the 2003 SEC Championship Game due to its higher BCS ranking.
Florida and Georgia again tied atop the SEC East in 2012 but Georgia advanced to the 2012 SEC Championship Game
The 2012 SEC Championship Game was played on December 1, 2012, in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, and determined both the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season, 2012 college football, football champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The g ...
by virtue of its head-to-head victory.
Coaching staff
Head coaches
Bowl games
Florida has appeared in 49 NCAA-sanctioned bowl games, garnering a 25-24 record. This includes a streak of 22 consecutive bowl-game appearances from 1991 through 2012, the fifth-longest in college football history. Four of their bowl games were for a National Championship, with two under theBowl Alliance
The Bowl Alliance was an agreement among college football bowl games (specifically the Sugar, Orange, and Fiesta Bowls) for the purpose of trying to match the top two teams in a national championship game and to provide quality bowl game match ...
and two in the Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a college football post-season selection system that created four or five bowl game match-ups involving eight or ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of America ...
. Florida is 3–1 in national championship games.
† The 1912 Bacardi Bowl held in Havana, Cuba
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.University of Florida Athletic Association
The University Athletic Association, Inc. (UAA) is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The UAA is run by a board o ...
does not include the contest in the Gators' official bowl record.‡
Coalition
A coalition is formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political, military, or economic spaces.
Formation
According to ''A G ...
, Alliance
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or sovereign state, states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an a ...
, BCS or New Year's Six
The New Year's Six, sometimes abbreviated as NY6, are the following NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) bowl games: the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Fiesta Bowl. These games are traditionally play ...
Bowl game.
Records against SEC and in-state opponents
All-time record against current SEC teams
The Southeastern Conference was established in 1932. For the next several decades, member schools arranged their own football schedules, resulting in situations in which some played yearly while others seldom met on the gridiron. In Florida's case, the Gators began an annual rivalry with Georgia in the early 1930s, and LSU, Auburn, and Kentucky became regular opponents after World War 2. However, due to various factors including issues with train travel, Florida's schedule rarely included SEC foes Tennessee, Alabama, or Mississippi over the first 50 years of league play. In 1992, the SEC expanded to 12 teams, split into two divisions, and established a standardized eight game league schedule. Florida was placed in the East Division along with Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. For the next twenty seasons, Florida's schedule included games against all five division opponents, annual match-ups with cross-division rivals Auburn and LSU, and a game against another West Division opponent on a multi-year rotation. When the conference expanded to 14 teams in 2012, new East Division member Missouri was added to Florida's annual slate and Auburn was dropped as a yearly opponent. In 2024, the SEC expanded to 16 teams, eliminated divisions, and announced an eight game football slate which attempted to preserve most traditional conference rivalries. The 2025 conference schedule kept the same matchups, with the sites reversed to create home-and-home competitions over the course of two seasons. As of June 2025, future SEC schedules are uncertain, with league officials still deciding on whether to play an eight or a nine game conference slate while weighing changes to the conference championship format. The table below includes non-conference meetings played either before the founding of the SEC or before Florida's opponent joined the conference. ''Records as of the end of the 2024 season''.All-time record against former SEC teams
The Southeastern Conference was founded in 1932 by thirteen member institutions. Three original members had left by 1966 and six were added from 1992 onwards. The following table includes some games played before, during, and after the opponents' SEC tenure. ''Records as of the end of the 2024 season''.All-time record against in-state opponents
Early Florida football teams played limited slates of games, mostly against squads from nearby schools This led to rivalries with several in-state private colleges, most notablyStetson
Stetson is an American brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company. "Stetson" is also used as a generic trademark to refer to any campaign hat, particularly in Scouting.
John B. Stetson gained inspiration for his most famous ...
, Southern College, Tampa U, and Rollins. Of those early opponents, Southern College, Tampa, and Rollins no longer sponsor intercollegiate football programs, and after dropping the sport for half a century, Stetson competes in a lower division. Florida also scheduled occasional games against teams organized by amateur athletic clubs or military bases during the first half of the 20th century, but the Gators have not faced off against a non-collegiate opponent since 1945.
Florida began an annual rivalry with the University of Miami Hurricanes in 1938 that continued uninterrupted until 1987. The teams have met on an occasional basis since then and are still considered rivals. Florida State (FSU) established a football program in 1947 and first faced Florida in 1958, beginning an annual series that has been uninterrupted except for the COVID-19-affected season of 2020.
''Records as of the end of the 2024 season''.
Rivalries
Alabama
Although the series started in 1916, many consider the rivalry between Florida andAlabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
to have started in 1992, with the advent of the SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. For its first 32 seasons, the championship game pitted the Eastern Division regular season champion again ...
. Florida has appeared in 13 of the 30 conference championship games with Alabama appearing in 14. 10 of those matches were against each other, the most common matchup so far. Alabama leads the conference championship match-up 6–4, following the most recent match-up between both programs, the 2020 SEC Championship Game
The 2020 SEC Championship Game presented by Dr. Pepper was a college football game played on Saturday, December 19, 2020, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game determined the 2020 champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game, t ...
, which saw Alabama beat Florida 52–46.
Alabama leads the series 28–14 since the end of the 2021 season.
Auburn
Auburn and Florida played annually from 1945 to 2002.College Football Data WarehouseFlorida vs. Auburn
. Retrieved March 11, 2012. In the overall series won-lost record, Auburn is Florida's most evenly matched SEC opponent. Beginning in the 1980s, one team was usually highly ranked coming into the game and it had conference- and national-title implications. The series has had several notable upsets. Auburn defeated previously-unbeaten Florida teams in 1993, 1994, 2001, 2006 and 2007, although the Gators won SEC championships in 1993, 1994 and 2006. The annual series ended in 2002, when the SEC adjusted its football schedules so each team played one permanent and two rotating opponents from the opposite SEC division every year (instead of one rotating and two permanent teams). When Texas A&M and Missouri joined the conference in 2012, the schedule was changed again; each team played one permanent and one rotating opponent from the opposite division every year. LSU was designated as Florida's annual SEC Western Division opponent, and Florida and Auburn play two regular-season games every 12 years. Auburn leads the series 43–39–2 through the 2023 season.
Florida State
The University of Florida and the Florida State College for Women became co-educational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
in 1947. The new Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University (variously Florida State or FSU) in the sport of American football. The Florida State Seminoles, Seminoles compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FB ...
team began playing small colleges, moving up to the major-college ranks in 1955. Almost immediately, Florida State students and supporters called for the teams of Florida's two largest universities to play each other annually.
Contrary to popular belief, Florida's state legislature did not decree that Florida and Florida State should meet on the field; a bill mandating the game was rejected by the Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...
. Prodding by Florida governor LeRoy Collins
Thomas LeRoy Collins (March 10, 1909 – March 12, 1991) was an American politician who served as the 33rd governor of Florida from 1955 to 1961. Collins began his governorship after winning a special election in 1954, and was elected to a fo ...
facilitated an agreement between the two universities to begin an annual series in 1958. Due to Florida State's smaller stadium, the first six games were played at Florida Field. The series has alternated between the campuses since 1964, when Doak Campbell Stadium
Doak S. Campbell Stadium (in full Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium), popularly known as "Doak", is a football stadium on the campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is the home field of the Flo ...
in Tallahassee
Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2024, the est ...
was expanded. The Florida–Florida State game has had national-championship implications since 1990, and both teams have entered the game with top-10 rankings thirteen times. Among these was the Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed only ...
rematch at the end of the 1996 season, when Florida avenged its only regular-season loss and won its first national championship 52–20.
Florida dominated the early series with a 16–2–1 record through 1976. Both teams have produced significant winning streaks, and the series is nearly tied over the past four decades; Florida State holds a 21–20–1 advantage since 1980. Since 2000, the teams share 10-10 records against one another. Florida leads the all-time series 37–28–2 through the 2023 season.
Georgia
Historically, Florida's most hated and fierce rival has been the Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The offic ...
. Previously known as "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," and now most commonly called the "Florida–Georgia game" by Gator fans, this rivalry often decides the SEC East and has national implications. The game is held at EverBank Stadium
EverBank Stadium is an American football stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It is the home facility of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL), and the headquarters of the professional wrestling promotions Al ...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
, usually on the last Saturday in October or the first Saturday in November. The designated "home" team alternates, with ticket distribution split evenly between the schools. Since 2009, the Okefenokee Oar has been awarded to the winner of the Florida-Georgia game.
In the rivalry's early years, games rotated among locations in Savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
, Tampa
Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...
, Jacksonville and, occasionally, Gainesville and Athens
Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
. Since 1933 the game has been played in Jacksonville, except for 1994 and 1995 (when the teams played a pair of home-and-home games at their respective stadiums). Georgia had early success in the rivalry, winning the first six games and holding a 21–5–1 series lead before 1950. After the 2018 game Florida has won 21 out of the most-recent 29 games, and holds a 38–30–1 advantage in the series since 1950.College Football Data WarehouseFlorida vs Georgia
. Retrieved March 11, 2012. Georgia lead the series overall 56–44–2 through the 2024 season.
Kentucky
When the Southeastern Conference split into geographical divisions in 1992, Florida andKentucky
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
were both placed in the SEC East. This guarantees that both teams play each other every season, which they have done consecutively since 1967. The Gators and Wildcats will meet in 2024 despite the end of SEC divisions after the 2023 season. The two teams have played 74 times, with Florida holding a 53–21 lead in the series. From 1987 to 2017, Florida won every single game between the two schools. This 31-year streak was the third longest in FBS history, and the longest in the Southeastern Conference's history. Since 2017, the series has become incredibly competitive with a 4–3 split between the two teams with the winning margin being 11.4 points on average. Because of these factors, this rivalry is relatively new even though the series dates back to 1917.
Former Florida head coach Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
was notable for having a particular disdain for Kentucky. During his tenure at Florida, he was known for running up the score in non-competitive games. In his 12 years coaching the Gators, Spurrier never lost to Kentucky, winning by an average score of 32.7 points. Spurrier was famous for the comments he made about his opponents (often referred to as "Spurrierisms") but he poked fun at Kentucky the most. Even after leaving Florida, Steve Spurrier would go out of his way to make comments at Kentucky's expense. In November 2004, Steve Spurrier accepted the head coaching job at the University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...
. In 2006, the South Carolina Gamecocks upset their rival, the Clemson Tigers. In the following week, Clemson would go on to lose to Kentucky in the 2006 Music City Bowl. Following the bowl game, Steve Spurrier said" ''"We thought we had done something good beating Clemson. And then Kentucky beat 'em."''
LSU
Florida andLSU
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
first met on the football field in 1937, and have been annual opponents since 1971.College Football Data WarehouseFlorida vs. Louisiana St
. Retrieved March 11, 2012. Since 1992, LSU has been Florida's permanent inter-divisional rival from the SEC Western Division. The winner of the Florida–LSU game went on to win the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national championship game in the 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2019 seasons. This rivalry has been known recently for close games, with both teams highly ranked. Florida leads the all-time series 34–31–3 through the 2024 season. Three LSU wins were vacated in 2023.
Miami
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
is Florida's only pre-World War II in-state rival that still plays major college football. The schools first met on the gridiron in 1938 and again every season until 1987, when the SEC's expansion of its conference schedule to seven games precluded the annual matchup. A contract to renew the annual rivalry in the 1990s fell through when the SEC expanded its schedule again to eight games, and the Florida and Miami did not play again until the 2001 Sugar Bowl
The 2001 Sugar Bowl was a 2000–01 BCS game played on January 2, 2001. This 67th edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the Florida Gators, and the Miami Hurricanes, in an in-state rivalry game. Miami came into the game ranked 3rd in the BCS, 2nd i ...
. The home and home series briefly resumed in 2002 and 2003, and they played again in the 2004 Peach Bowl.College Football Data WarehouseFlorida vs. Miami
. Retrieved March 11, 2012. Since then, the schools have played intermittently during the regular season, with home and home series split across several years. Miami leads the series 30–27 through the 2024 season. The next scheduled matchup between the schools will be in Miami Gardens on September 20, 2025.
Tennessee
Although Florida and Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
are charter members of the SEC, irregular conference scheduling resulted in the teams meeting infrequently for many years. Tennessee won the first ten games between 1916 and 1954, when Florida finally defeated the Volunteers.College Football Data WarehouseFlorida vs. Tennessee
. Retrieved March 11, 2012. In 1969, Florida hired Tennessee head coach (and former Florida quarterback)
Doug Dickey
Douglas Adair Dickey (born June 24, 1932) is an American former college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where ...
to replace the retiring Ray Graves
Samuel Ray Graves (December 31, 1918 – April 10, 2015) was an American professional football player and college football coach. He was a native of Tennessee and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, where he was the starting center and ...
immediately after their teams met in the Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, usually contested on or around New Year's Day. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first televise ...
.
The rivalry reached a peak during the 1990s. In 1992, the SEC expanded to twelve schools and split into two divisions. Florida and Tennessee (in the Eastern Division) have met every year since, usually in mid-September for both teams' first conference game of the season. Led by coaches Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
and Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Edward Fulmer Sr. (born September 1, 1950) is a former American football player, coach, and athletic director at the University of Tennessee. He served as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team from 1992 to 2008, compiling ...
and featuring players such as Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
and Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the In ...
, both teams were regularly ranked in the top 10 when they met, giving the rivalry conference and national title implications. Florida and Tennessee combined to win six SEC titles and two national championships during the 1990s.
Since becoming annual opponents in 1992, the Gators and Volunteers have combined to represent the Eastern Division in the SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. For its first 32 seasons, the championship game pitted the Eastern Division regular season champion again ...
16 times. Florida had an 11-game winning streak against Tennessee (2005–2015) and leads the series 33–21 following the 2024 season.Future opponents
Conference opponents
For 2025, conference match-ups are the same as in 2024 with the home team reversed for all non-neutral site games. The SEC schedule beyond 2025 is uncertain, with the league weighing several possible changes, including moving to a nine game conference slate.2025 Conference Schedule
Non-conference opponents
Florida has played a continuous series against in-state rival Florida State (FSU) since 1958. While the eight game SEC slate plus the annual matchup with FSU are set years in advance, the schedule allows for two or three additional non-conference games against various opponents that are usually played in Gainesville for revenue purposes. In recent years, Florida has been also invited to participate in several season opening non-conference neutral-site games which do not count against the NCAA cap on regular season games. Announced opponents and dates are as of June 2, 2025.Individual award winners
*Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
:Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
(1966)Heisman.com, Heisman Winners1966 – 32nd Award: Steve Spurrier
. Retrieved November 16, 2012. :
Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
(1996)
:Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for t ...
(2007)
*Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best all ...
:Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
(1996)
:Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for t ...
(2007, 2008)
*Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football player of the year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS head coaches and sports information direc ...
:Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
(1996)
*Sammy Baugh Trophy
The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of state auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More ...
:John Reaves
Thomas Johnson "John" Reaves (March 2, 1950 – August 1, 2017) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and three seasons in the United States Football League (USFL) ...
(1971)
:Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
(1995)
*Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National C ...
:Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
(1995, 1996)
:Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for t ...
(2007)
*Rimington Trophy
The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979 to 1982.
A member of the National College Football Awards ...
: Maurkice Pouncey (2009)
*Ray Guy Award
The Ray Guy Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding punter as adjudged by the Augusta Sports Council. The award is named after punter Ray Guy, an All-American for Southern Mississippi and an All-Pro in the National Fo ...
: Chas Henry (2010)
*Jim Thorpe Award
The Jim Thorpe Award, named in memory of multi-sport athlete Jim Thorpe, has been awarded to the top defensive back in college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athle ...
:Lawrence Wright
Lawrence Wright (born August 2, 1947) is an American writer and journalist, who is a staff writer for ''The New Yorker'' magazine, and fellow at the Center for Law and Security at the New York University School of Law. Wright is best known as ...
(1996)
*Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's top upperclassman quarterback in college football. Candidates are judged on accomplishments on the field as well as on their character, scholastic achievem ...
:Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
(1996)
*Chic Harley Award
The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of state auditor James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1993. More ...
:Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
(1966)
:Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for t ...
(2007)
*Lou Groza Award
The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County, Florida, Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns ...
: Judd Davis (1993)
*John Mackey Award
The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end. Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given annually to the tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, ac ...
:Aaron Hernandez
Aaron Josef Hernandez (November 6, 1989 – April 19, 2017) was an American professional American football, football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played three seasons with the New England Patriots until h ...
(2009)
: Kyle Pitts (2020)
* Draddy Trophy
:Brad Culpepper
John Broward "Brad" Culpepper (born May 8, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) from 1992 to 2000. Culpepper was as an All-American when he played college foot ...
(1991)
:Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
(1996)
:Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for t ...
(2009)
*Wuerffel Trophy
The Wuerffel Trophy is an award given annually to the college football player "who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement." The trophy, designed by W. Stanley Proctor and named in honor of former Univers ...
:Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for t ...
(2008)
*Manning Award
The Manning Award has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States. It is the only quarterback award that inc ...
:Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for t ...
(2008)
*Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world.
Established in 1902, it is ...
: William McRae (1933)
: Bill Kynes (1977)
College Football Hall of Fame members
Thirteen people associated with Florida have been inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
, four as head coaches and ten as players.
*Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986 for his record as Florida's Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
-winning quarterback from 1964 to 1966 and again in 2017 for his head coaching achievements at Duke
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
, Florida, and South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. He is one of four members of the College Football Hall of Fame inducted as both a player and a coach.
*Doug Dickey
Douglas Adair Dickey (born June 24, 1932) is an American former college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where ...
, Florida's quarterback in 1951 and 1952, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 for his record as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in Division I of the National Colleg ...
from 1964 to 1969 and the Gators from 1970 to 1978.
* Marcelino Huerta, a standout Gator lineman from 1947 to 1949, was inducted in 2002 for his record as head coach of the Tampa Spartans
The Tampa Spartans are the athletic teams that represent the University of Tampa, located in Tampa, Florida, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. The Spartans compete as members of the Sunshine State Conference for all sports besides beach ...
, Wichita State Shockers
The Wichita State Shockers are the athletic teams that represent Wichita State University, located in Wichita, Kansas, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the American Athletic Conference (T ...
and Parson Wildcats.
All-Americans
Since Florida's first season in1906
Events
January–February
* January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...
, 89 players have received one or more selections as first-team All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
s. This includes 32 consensus All-Americans, of which six were unanimous.''2012 NCAA Football Records Book''Award Winners
National Collegiate Athletic Association, Indianapolis, Indiana, pp. 7–12, 14 (2012). Retrieved January 16, 2013. The first Florida first-team All-American was end
Dale Van Sickel
Dale Harris Van Sickel (November 29, 1907 – January 25, 1977) was an American college football, basketball and baseball player during the 1920s, who later became a Hollywood motion picture actor and stunt performer for over forty years. Van ...
, a member of the 1928 team. Florida's first consensus All-American was quarterback Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
, the winner of the Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
for the 1966 Gators.
SEC Legends
Since 1994, the Southeastern Conference has annually designated one former football player from each SEC member school as an "SEC Legend." Through 2023, the following Gators have been named SEC Legends: * Carlos Alvarez *Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson Youngblood III (born January 26, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He ...
* Kerwin Bell
* John Reaves
Thomas Johnson "John" Reaves (March 2, 1950 – August 1, 2017) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and three seasons in the United States Football League (USFL) ...
* Neal Anderson
Charles Neal Anderson (born August 14, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for eight seasons with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. Anderson played ...
* Nat Moore
Nathaniel Moore (born September 19, 1951) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Moore played college footb ...
* Glenn Cameron
* Huey Richardson
* Brad Culpepper
John Broward "Brad" Culpepper (born May 8, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) from 1992 to 2000. Culpepper was as an All-American when he played college foot ...
* Larry Smith
* Lomas Brown
* Trace Armstrong
Raymond Lester "Trace" Armstrong III (born October 5, 1965) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. He played c ...
* Louis Oliver
Louis Oliver, III (born March 9, 1966) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a safety (American football position), safety for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and 199 ...
* Ralph Ortega
* Reidel Anthony
* Errict Rhett
Errict Undra Rhett (born December 11, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Rhett played college football for the ...
* Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter (13 September 1960 – 27 July 1994) was a South African photojournalism, photojournalist and member of the Bang-Bang Club. He was the recipient in 1994 of a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography, Pulitzer Prize for the vulture a ...
* Ike Hilliard
* Steve Tannen
Steven J. "Steve" Tannen (born 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known for being in the folk-pop duo The Weepies.
Early life and career
Tannen was born in New York City, but grew up in Australia and Canada in addition to New ...
* Wes Chandler
Wesley Sandy Chandler (born August 22, 1956) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was selected to t ...
* Lito Sheppard
Lito Decorian Sheppard (born April 8, 1981) is an American football coach and former player. During his playing career as cornerback, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in ...
* Fred Taylor
* Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
* Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
* Lawrence Wright
Lawrence Wright (born August 2, 1947) is an American writer and journalist, who is a staff writer for ''The New Yorker'' magazine, and fellow at the Center for Law and Security at the New York University School of Law. Wright is best known as ...
* Jevon Kearse
Jevon Kearse (born September 3, 1976), nicknamed "the Freak", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the late 1990s and 2000s. Kearse played col ...
* Alex Brown
* Shane Matthews
Fergie Ferguson Award
The Fergie Ferguson Award is given in memory of one of the University of Florida's finest athletes, Forest K. Ferguson. Ferguson was an All-SEC end for Florida in 1941 and state boxing champion in 1942. Subsequently, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, he led an infantry platoon during the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944.Hall of ValorForest Ferguson
, ''Military Times''. Retrieved August 23, 2009. Ferguson helped clear the way for his troops to advance on the Axis position, and was severely wounded leading his men in the assault. A recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions, he died from war-related injuries in 1954. The award, a trophy, is given to the senior football player who most displays "leadership, character, and courage."
Ring of Honor
TheUniversity of Florida Athletic Association
The University Athletic Association, Inc. (UAA) is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for maintaining the Florida Gators intercollegiate sports program of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. The UAA is run by a board o ...
established the Florida Football Ring of Honor in 2006 to recognize the program's greatest players and coaches during the 100th year of Gator football. (The Gators do not have any retired jersey numbers. Although Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
's (11) and Scot Brantley
Scot Eugene Brantley (born February 24, 1958) is an American radio and television sports broadcaster and former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980 ...
's (55) numbers were retired in the 1970s, Spurrier reissued them when he was Florida's head coach, and numbers worn by all members of the Ring of Honor are available for use by current players.)
Originally, members of the Ring of Honor had their jersey painted on the endzone facade at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. When expanded video screens were installed in that location a few years later, inductees were each recognized with an 18-foot wide sign perched atop the north endzone grandstand. Five honorees were inducted in 2006 and 2007, with Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard Tebow (; born August 14, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. Tebow played college football for t ...
added in 2018. To date, the only person who meets the Ring of Honor criteria and has not yet been inducted is two-time national championship winning former head coach Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer III (born July 10, 1964) is an American Sports commentator, sportscaster and former college football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green F ...
.
To be considered for induction into the Ring of Honor, a former player or coach must be absent from the university for five seasons, be in good standing, and meet at least one of the following criteria:
* Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
winner (Spurrier, Wuerffel, Tebow)
* Former All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
s inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
as players (Smith, Youngblood)
* Former All-Americans who are NFL career category leaders (Smith)
* College-career category leaders (Tebow)
* Coaches with one or more national championship
A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
(Spurrier)
* Coaches with three or more SEC championships
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) sponsors nine men's sports and thirteen women's sports. This is a list of conference champions for each sport. Also see the list of SEC national champions.
Members
The SEC was established in December 1932, when ...
(Spurrier)
* Players with two or more consensus All-America honors who were also named national offensive or defensive player of the year (Marshall, Tebow)
All-Time teams
A Florida Football All-Time Team was compiled by the ''Florida Alumnus'', the official publication of the Florida alumni, in 1927. First teamQB – Rammy Ramsdell
HB – Dummy Taylor
HB – Ed Jones
FB –
Bill Middlekauff
Willis William Middlekauff (December 28, 1904 – September 1957) was an American college football player, attorney, boxer, and wrestler.
University of Florida
Middlekauff from 1922–25 and in 1927 was a member of the University of Florida sw ...
E – Ferdinand H. Duncan
T –
Cy Williams
Frederick "Cy" Williams (December 21, 1887 – April 23, 1974) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the Chicago Cubs (1912–17) and Philadelphia Phillies (1918–30). As Major Le ...
G – Goldy Goldstein
C – Bo Gator Storter
G –
Tootie Perry
Carl Esmond "Tootie" Perry (February 4, 1896 – August 9, 1946) was an American college football player. He played at the guard position and was the first All-Southern player for the Florida Gators football program of the University of Flori ...
T – Jim Coarsy
E – Joe Swanson
Second team
QB – Bob Shackleford
HB – Ark Newton
HB – Harvey Hester
FB – Ray Dickson
E – G. P. Wood
T – Pus Hancock
G – Arthur Doty
C – Lamar Sarra
G – Ed Meisch
T – Robbie Robinson
E – Frank Oosterhoudt
Another University of Florida all-time team was chosen by the ''
Miami Herald
The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by McClatchy, The McClatchy Company and headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1903, it is the fifth-largest newspaper in Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward County, Fl ...
'' according to a fan vote in August 1983.
First Team OffenseQB –
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
RB – Larry Smith
RB –
Nat Moore
Nathaniel Moore (born September 19, 1951) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Moore played college footb ...
WR –
Cris Collinsworth
Anthony Cris Collinsworth (born January 27, 1959) is an American former professional football player and sports broadcaster who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981–1988) with the Cincinnati Bengal ...
WR –
Wes Chandler
Wesley Sandy Chandler (born August 22, 1956) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was selected to t ...
TE – Jim Yarbrough
OT –
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive, television presenter and musician, best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013.
Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing b ...
OT – Mike Williams
OG – Burton Lawless
OG – Guy Dennis
C – Bill Carr
PK – David Posey First Team Defense
DL –
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson Youngblood III (born January 26, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He ...
DL – Scott Hutchinson
DL – David Galloway
DL – Charlie LaPradd
LB – Ralph Ortega
LB –
Scot Brantley
Scot Eugene Brantley (born February 24, 1958) is an American radio and television sports broadcaster and former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980 ...
LB – Wilber Marshall
LB – Glenn Cameron
DB –
Steve Tannen
Steven J. "Steve" Tannen (born 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known for being in the folk-pop duo The Weepies.
Early life and career
Tannen was born in New York City, but grew up in Australia and Canada in addition to New ...
DB – Jackie Simpson
DB – Bernie Parrish
P – Bobby Joe Green
Second Team Offense
QB –
John Reaves
Thomas Johnson "John" Reaves (March 2, 1950 – August 1, 2017) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) and three seasons in the United States Football League (USFL) ...
RB –
Rick Casares
Richard Jose Casares (July 4, 1931 – September 13, 2013) was an American professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for twelve seasons during the 1950s and 1960s. ...
RB – James Jones
WR – Carlos Alvarez
WR – Charles Casey
TE – Chris Faulkner
OT – Mac Steen
OT – Charlie Mitchell
OG – Larry Beckman
OG – John Barrow
C – Steve DeLaTorre
PK – Brian Clark Second Team Defense
DL – Robin Fisher
DL – Joe D'Agostino
DL – Lynn Matthews
DL – Vel Heckman
LB – David Little
LB – Fred Abbott
LB – Sammy Green
DB –
Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906 – February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who was a college athlete in football and in intercollegiate and international track-and-field co ...
DB – Tony Lilly
DB – Hagood Clarke
P –
Don Chandler
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
* Don, Benin, a town in Benin
* Don, Dang, a village and hill station in Dang district, Gu ...
All-Century Team
The Florida Football All-Century Team, chosen by Gator fans, was compiled by ''The Gainesville Sun
''The Gainesville Sun'' () is a newspaper published daily in Gainesville, Florida, United States, covering the North-Central portion of the state.
History
The paper was founded in July 1876 as the ''Gainesville Times'', by brothers E. M. and ...
'' in the fall of 1999.
First Team OffenseQB –
Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
(1993–96)RB –
Neal Anderson
Charles Neal Anderson (born August 14, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for eight seasons with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. Anderson played ...
(1982–85)RB –
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, 13 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys and 2 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals ...
(1987–89)WR – Carlos Alvarez (1969–71)
WR –
Wes Chandler
Wesley Sandy Chandler (born August 22, 1956) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was selected to t ...
(1974–77)TE – Jim Yarbrough (1966–68)
OT – Lomas Brown (1981–84)
OT – David Williams (1985–88)
OG – Burton Lawless (1972–74)
OG – Donnie Young (1993–96)
OC – Jeff Mitchell (1993–96)
PK – Judd Davis (1992–94)
KR – Jacquez Green (1995–97)
First Team Defense
DE –
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson Youngblood III (born January 26, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He ...
(1968–70)DE –
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter (13 September 1960 – 27 July 1994) was a South African photojournalism, photojournalist and member of the Bang-Bang Club. He was the recipient in 1994 of a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography, Pulitzer Prize for the vulture a ...
(1991–94)DT –
Brad Culpepper
John Broward "Brad" Culpepper (born May 8, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) from 1992 to 2000. Culpepper was as an All-American when he played college foot ...
(1988–91)DT – Ellis Johnson (1991–94)
LB – Wilber Marshall (1980–83)
LB –
Scot Brantley
Scot Eugene Brantley (born February 24, 1958) is an American radio and television sports broadcaster and former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980 ...
(1976–79)LB – David Little (1977–80)
CB –
Steve Tannen
Steven J. "Steve" Tannen (born 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known for being in the folk-pop duo The Weepies.
Early life and career
Tannen was born in New York City, but grew up in Australia and Canada in addition to New ...
(1967–69)CB – Jarvis Williams (1984–87)
S –
Louis Oliver
Louis Oliver, III (born March 9, 1966) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a safety (American football position), safety for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and 199 ...
(1985–88)S –
Bruce Bennett
Bruce Bennett (born Harold Herman Brix, also credited Herman Brix; May 19, 1906 – February 24, 2007) was an American film and television actor who was a college athlete in football and in intercollegiate and international track-and-field co ...
(1963–65)P – Bobby Joe Green (1958–59)
Second Team Offense
QB –
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier (born April 20, 1945) is an American former football player and coach. He played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before coaching for 38 years, primarily in college. He is often referred to by his nicknam ...
(1964–66)RB –
Rick Casares
Richard Jose Casares (July 4, 1931 – September 13, 2013) was an American professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for twelve seasons during the 1950s and 1960s. ...
(1951–53)RB – James Jones (1979–82)
WR – Reidel Anthony (1994–96)
WR – Ike Hilliard (1994–96)
TE – Kirk Kirkpatrick (1987–90)
OT – Jason Odom (1992–95)
OT – Mike Williams (1973–75)
OG – Larry Gagner (1963–65)
OG –
Jeff Zimmerman
Jeffrey Ross Zimmerman (born August 9, 1972) is a Canadian former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1999 to 2001 for the Texas Rangers.
Baseball career
Independent baseball
Zimmerman played baseball in th ...
(1983–86)OC – Phil Bromley (1981–84)
PK – David Posey (1973–76)
KR – Jack Jackson (1992–94)
Second Team Defense
DE – David Ghesquiere (1967–69)
DE – Lynn Matthews (1963–65)
DT – David Galloway (1979–81)
DT – Charlie LaPradd (1950–52)
LB – Sammy Green (1972–75)
LB –
Alonzo Johnson
Alonzo Al Johnson (April 4, 1963 – February 1, 2024) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s. Johnson played colleg ...
(1983–85)LB – Ralph Ortega (1972–74)
CB – Fred Weary (1994–97)
CB – Richard Fain (1987–90)
S – Tony Lilly (1980–83)
S – Wayne Fields (1972–75)
P – Ray Criswell (1982–85)
100th-Anniversary Team
The 100th-Anniversary Florida Team was selected in 2006 to celebrate a century of Florida football. Fans voted by mail and online. OffenseQB –
Danny Wuerffel
Daniel Carl Wuerffel (born May 27, 1974) is an American former American football, football quarterback who played college football for the Florida Gators football, Florida Gators and professional football in the National Football League (NFL). ...
(1993–1996)RB –
Errict Rhett
Errict Undra Rhett (born December 11, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Rhett played college football for the ...
(1990–1993)RB –
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, 13 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys and 2 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals ...
(1987–1989)RB – Fred Taylor (1994–1997)
WR – Carlos Alvarez (1969–1971)
WR –
Cris Collinsworth
Anthony Cris Collinsworth (born January 27, 1959) is an American former professional football player and sports broadcaster who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981–1988) with the Cincinnati Bengal ...
(1977–1980)WR – Chris Doering (1992–1995)
WR – Ike Hilliard (1994–1996)
OL – Lomas Brown (1981–1984)
OL – Mike Degory (2002–2005)
OL – Jeff Mitchell (1993–1996)
OL – Jason Odom (1992–1995)
PK –
Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler (born Ira Grossel; December 15, 1918 – June 17, 1961) was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Cochise in '' Broken Arrow'' (1950), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting ...
(1998–2001)Defense
DL –
Trace Armstrong
Raymond Lester "Trace" Armstrong III (born October 5, 1965) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. He played c ...
(1988)DL – Alex Brown (1998–2001)
DL –
Kevin Carter
Kevin Carter (13 September 1960 – 27 July 1994) was a South African photojournalism, photojournalist and member of the Bang-Bang Club. He was the recipient in 1994 of a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography, Pulitzer Prize for the vulture a ...
(1991–1994)DL –
Brad Culpepper
John Broward "Brad" Culpepper (born May 8, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) from 1992 to 2000. Culpepper was as an All-American when he played college foot ...
(1988–1991)DL –
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson Youngblood III (born January 26, 1950) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He ...
(1968–1970)LB –
Scot Brantley
Scot Eugene Brantley (born February 24, 1958) is an American radio and television sports broadcaster and former college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980 ...
(1976–1979)LB –
Channing Crowder
Randolph Channing Crowder Jr. (born December 2, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for six seasons with the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Flo ...
(2003–2004)LB –
Jevon Kearse
Jevon Kearse (born September 3, 1976), nicknamed "the Freak", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the late 1990s and 2000s. Kearse played col ...
(1996–1998)LB – Wilber Marshall (1980–1983)
DB –
Louis Oliver
Louis Oliver, III (born March 9, 1966) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a safety (American football position), safety for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and 199 ...
(1985–1988)DB –
Lito Sheppard
Lito Decorian Sheppard (born April 8, 1981) is an American football coach and former player. During his playing career as cornerback, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in ...
(1999–2001)DB – Fred Weary (1994–1997)
P – Shayne Edge (1991–1994)
Uniforms
The Florida football team has worn a home uniform of blue jerseys (usually a variation of royal blue
Royal blue is a deep and vivid shade of blue. It is said to have been created by a consortium of mills in Rode, Wiltshire (in Somerset as of 1937), which won a competition to make a robe for Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III. I ...
) with white pants for most of the program's history. The most notable exception was a decade-long period from 1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
until 1989, when at the suggestion of coach Charlie Pell, the Gators switched to orange home jerseys. For road games, Florida wears white jerseys with blue, orange, or white pants, depending on the colors of the opponent or the choice of the players that week.
Steve Spurrier restored the home blue jerseys when he became the Gators' head ball coach in 1990. From 1990 until 2014, Florida's primary home uniforms were blue jerseys with white pants, with blue pants an option for high-profile games, especially at night. Former coach Jim McElwain
James Frank McElwain (born March 1, 1962) is a former American football coach. He was the head football coach at Central Michigan University, a position he held from 2019 to 2024. He announced his retirement at the end of the 2024 season and rem ...
usually allowed his senior players to decide which uniform combination the team wore for each game. Since this practice began during the 2015 season, the Gators have worn many different combinations of blue or orange jerseys along with blue, orange, or white pants.
Florida has occasionally worn alternative uniforms, which are usually similar to current or former uniforms and used an orange and blue color scheme. One exception were the "swamp green" uniforms used at a home game against Texas A&M in October 2017. These used a dark green theme for the entire uniform from shoes to helmet that was inspired by the appearance of actual alligator
An alligator, or colloquially gator, is a large reptile in the genus ''Alligator'' of the Family (biology), family Alligatoridae in the Order (biology), order Crocodilia. The two Extant taxon, extant species are the American alligator (''A. mis ...
s. The uniform marked the 25th anniversary of former coach Steve Spurrier introducing the Swamp nickname for Florida Field.
For the first time in program history, Florida debuted an all black uniform on November 4, 2023 in its contest against the Arkansas Razorbacks to honor members of the armed forces, veterans and local first responders. In lieu of their names, each player's nameplate displayed one of five words that are "synonymous with the principles embodied by those who serve." The five words were Commitment, Courage, Excellence, Honor and Integrity.
Helmets
Florida has had a number of helmet designs, especially early in the program's history. Since the end of the leather helmet era, base colors have alternated between orange, white, and (occasionally) blue, and logos have included the “Gators” script font, an interlocking "UF", a simple "F", and the player number. From 1979 until 2006, Florida wore orange helmets with a script "Gators" logo in all contests. To commemorate the 100th year of the football program in 2006, the Gators played one game wearingthrowback uniform
Throwback may refer to:
* Atavism, or evolutionary throwback, a reversion to an ancestral type
* Throwback (drink), a 2009 brand of soft drink
Arts and entertainment
* Throwback uniform, a sports uniform which mimics an older uniform of th ...
s modeled after their mid-1960s uniforms which included white helmets with a simple "F" logo. In 2009 the Gators participated in Nike's Pro Combat uniform campaign, wearing specially designed blue uniforms and white helmets with a slant-F logo. These uniforms were worn for the last regular-season game against Florida State, and the white helmets were worn again the following week against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. For its first 32 seasons, the championship game pitted the Eastern Division regular season champion again ...
with white jerseys and pants.UniformCritics.comPhotos of 2009 Florida Gators White SEC Championship Uniform
Retrieved July 19, 2013. Florida introduced a different white alternative helmet in 2015 which featured the script "Gators" logo on one side and the slant-F logo on the other, and in 2018 replaced the slant-F with script "Gators" on both sides. In 2017, the Gators wore "swamp green" helmets for one game. These dark green helmets featured a color-altered Gator head logo on one side and the player's number in orange on the other. For the 2019 homecoming game versus Auburn, Florida wore the same mid-1960s throwback uniforms, including the white helmets with the blue "F" logo within an orange circular outline. The Gators wore the blue helmets for two games in 2020: the tweaked 1960s version with the orange "F" logo within an orange circular outline for their home game against Missouri, and the traditional version with the "Gators" script in orange font for their road game at Tennessee. The team wore the 1960s throwback uniforms again for their 2021 homecoming game versus Vanderbilt, but with orange helmets including the interlocking "UF" logo. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...
, the Gators wore white helmets with the red, white, and blue American flag styled "Gators" script for their 2021 road contest at the University of South Florida.
Team logos
See also
*List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
* University Athletic Association
The University Athletic Association (UAA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. Member schools are highly selective universities located in Georgia, Illino ...
* American football in the United States
American football is a form of gridiron football and the most popular sport in the United States. In the United States, the game is most often referred to as simply "football". Football is played in leagues of different size, age and quality, i ...
* College football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*2015 Florida Gators Football Media Guide
', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida (2015). * * * * * * * * * Nash, Noel, ed., ''The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football'', Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). . * * Proctor, Samuel, & Wright Langley, ''Gator History: A Pictorial History of the University of Florida'', South Star Publishing Company, Gainesville, Florida (1986). .
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Florida Gators Football American football teams established in 1906 1906 establishments in Florida