Florida College Football Powers Reunite in Rare Moment Not Seen Since 2006

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hugh Green | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 1:30 PM ET

College football in the state of Florida has a long, illustrious history. With 11 national championships combined between the Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes, the Sunshine State has housed some of the best teams in the history of the sport.

After positive years for Florida and Miami in 2024, and with a big opening win from Florida State on Saturday, these three schools are returning to their national glory.

On Tuesday, the AP released its top 25 rankings for Week 2, which revealed something that hasn't happened for almost two decades surrounding Florida, Florida State and Miami.

For the first time since the 2006 preseason AP Top 25, Florida, Florida State and Miami are all ranked in the top 15. The Hurricanes come in at No. 5, the Gators are No. 13 and the Seminoles are ranked No. 14.

Miami is coming off a statement victory against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Sunday. The Hurricanes won by a nail-biting score of 27-24 with the help of former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck, who threw for over 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Florida comes into Week 2 on the heels of a 55-0 beatdown of the Long Island Sharks this past weekend. With head coach Billy Napier in his fourth year at Florida and star quarterback DJ Lagway now in his sophomore season, Gators fans have a lot to look forward to.

Florida State, who went an abysmal 2-10 in 2024, pulled off a massive upset of the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday. Florida State won 31-17 in Tallahassee, Florida, bringing head coach Mike Norvell and his team back into College Football Playoff contention.

All three of these teams will play each other this season, with Florida heading to Miami on Sept. 13 and Florida State hosting Miami on Oct. 4.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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