Florida Gators' Next Four Annual SEC Schedules Announced

The conference slate for the Florida Gators is set for the upcoming four seasons. Along with the recently released annual opponents, the rest of the SEC opponents will rotate in the following order. 

2026 opponents: Georgia (Atlanta), South Carolina, at Kentucky, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, at Auburn, at Missouri, at Texas

2027 opponents: Georgia (Tampa), at South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, LSU, Texas A&M, at Alabama, at Mississippi State, at Tennessee

2028 opponents: Georgia (Jacksonville), South Carolina, at Kentucky, Auburn, Missouri, Texas, at Ole Miss, at Vanderbilt, at Oklahoma

2029 opponents: Georgia (Jacksonville), at South Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi State, Tennessee, at Arkansas, at LSU, at Texas A&M

Annual opponents: Gerogia, South Carolina, Kentucky

The Gators' annual opponents were initially reported by On3’s Chris Low on Monday, with the SEC confirming on Tuesday with the release of the conference schedule. 

This change comes as part of the conference's switch to a nine-team league schedule, beginning in 2026, and signifies the end of some annual rivalries across the league. 

There has been some disappointment from the Florida fanbase with whom the SEC gave the Gators. While they keep Georgia in the pod, both LSU and Tennessee lose their annual significance. These are two long-standing rivals of the Gators, and each fits the “traditional rivalries” factor that Low cited. 

However, it does not completely wipe out the rivalries from existence. The annual opponents will be reviewed every four years, and the other six are constantly rotating, leading to every SEC team facing each other every two years. 

Giving the Gators one of these two instead of either South Carolina or Kentucky would have made some sense. The competitive fairness would still be factored in while the traditional rivalry with the Tigers or Volunteers remains intact. Florida has scheduled LSU annually since 1971 and Tennessee since 1990. 

However, the rotation of the schedule every two years will still allow these games to be played. The Gators will host LSU in 2027 and visit Knoxville in 2027. 

Moreover, Florida has more intriguing matchups now over the next four years.

In the 2027 and 2029 seasons, the Gators have Alabama on the schedule. For the 2027 season, they will travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium and then host the Crimson Tide in 2029. Florida has not played in Tuscaloosa since 2014 and has not won there since 1998. 

Staying in Alabama, the Gators will make the trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium to take on the Auburn Tigers in 2026. This is a place they have not visited since 2011. Florida and Auburn had an annual rivalry from 1945 until 2002.

Another team the Gators will see sooner rather than later is Oklahoma. They have yet to play the Sooners since they joined the SEC, but that changes in 2026, as the Sooners travel to Gainesville next year.

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