Florida enters The Athletic’s 2026-27 preseason men’s college basketball Top 25 at No. 3, sitting behind only Duke and Illinois as the Gators keep stacking national respect before the season even tips off.
That ranking lines up with the wider preseason picture around Gainesville. ESPN also placed Florida, Duke and Illinois in its top tier of title favorites, while the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 have the Gators at the top.
The reason for the buzz is easy to see. Florida brings back four starters from last season’s roster, headlined by national player of the year candidate Thomas Haugh and reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Rueben Chinyelu. Alex Condon, a key piece in Florida’s 2025 national championship run, rounds out what looks like one of the strongest frontcourts in the country.
That size and production made life miserable for opponents all year. Florida finished 27-8 and rode its interior dominance to the top of the NCAA in total rebounds while ranking No. 15 in blocks per game.
The Gators are one of five SEC teams included in The Athletic’s top 25, alongside Texas, Arkansas, Alabama and Vanderbilt. And with expectations in Gainesville now firmly tied to championship talk, Golden’s next job is turning all that upside into another Final Four run.
The Athletic’s preseason top 25 has Duke at No. 1, Illinois at No. 2 and Florida at No. 3, followed by Arizona, UConn, Texas, Michigan State, Arkansas, Houston and Louisville in the top 10.
The rest of the list includes Kansas, St. John’s, Michigan, Texas Tech, Virginia, Alabama, Miami, Vanderbilt, UCLA, Iowa, Saint Louis, Iowa State, Gonzaga, Purdue and Baylor.
In Other News...
Florida Still Has A Guard Question Heading Into Miami
Boogie Flands absence for Floridas exhibition against Stetson gave the Gators an early look at how the backcourt might have to adapt if the starting point guard is unavailable. Denzel Aberdeen slid over to point guard, Urban Klavar moved into the starting lineup at shooting guard, and Florida still handled business in an 85-68 win, with Klavar and Aberdeen carrying much of the scoring load.
Even with the result in hand, the setup left the bigger question hanging as the Gators shift their attention to the regular-season opener against Miami. Todd Golden praised the way his team performed, but the illness that sidelined Fland added another layer to Floridas guard rotation picture, and the staff now has a short window to sort out how it wants the backcourt arranged when the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Florida-Georgia Just Lost The Rivalry Feeling Fans Loved Most
For the first time in 31 years, the Georgia-Florida game is leaving Jacksonville, with this years meeting set for Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta because of construction at EverBank Stadium. The setup changes more than the location on the schedule. It strips away the strange, enduring charm that made this rivalry weekend feel like its own holiday, from the old tailgating scenes to the beach gatherings that have long defined the trip for fans on both sides.
The move also comes with a 50-50 ticket split between the schools, and the matchup is already mapped out to land in Tampa in 2027 before returning to Jacksonville through 2031. Even with a path back to the river city, the rotation underscores how much is lost when Florida and Georgia are not meeting in the place that gave the rivalry its distinct personality, and it has plenty of fans and former players thinking about what used to make the weekend feel bigger than just another SEC game. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas Best Shot Vs Georgia Comes Down To One Brutal Test
With Florida and Georgia heading into another rivalry meeting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the spotlight is on a familiar kind of uncertainty for the Gators: quarterback play. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy expects No. 3 Georgia to bounce back from its recent loss, while Florida is still sorting out its own answer under center, with Jon Sumrall yet to name a starter between Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr. It is the kind of week where every practice rep matters and every hint from the coaches gets parsed for more than it probably should.
Georgias quarterback situation adds another layer, even if the Bulldogs appear to be in better shape overall. Kirby Smart said Gunner Stockton dealt with a shoulder stinger after the last game but did not show concussion symptoms, which at least eases one concern for a team trying to steady itself after a loss. For Florida, though, the bigger issue is simpler and more pressing: finding the quarterback who can handle the moment in a game where one rough stretch can quickly tilt the whole afternoon. [Read more 🡒]