Florida is pulling Notre Dame off its future football slate, canceling the home-and-home series that had been set for 2031 and 2032.
The Gators used a contract clause to exit the agreement without paying a financial penalty, according to the Associated Press. Notre Dame quickly filled part of that opening by announcing a new home-and-home series with Washington for 2031 and 2034 on Tuesday.
The move fits a broader shift in Gainesville. With the SEC moving to nine conference games this season and Florida’s annual rivalry with Florida State already on the schedule, the Gators would have been looking at 10 games against Power Four opponents in a 12-game regular season. Keeping Notre Dame as an 11th Power Four matchup became a tough sell for Florida decision-makers, even with the College Football Playoff expanding to 24 teams.
Florida’s strength of schedule also gives some context to the decision. The Gators tied for 29th in schedule ranking, while teams outside the SEC such as Miami and Indiana reached the national title game with schedules ranked 54th and 100th nationally entering the 2025 season.
Notre Dame had been added to Florida’s schedule in 2021 by athletic director Scott Stricklin, part of an effort to beef up the program’s non-conference lineup. Some of those games have gone forward as planned, including home-and-home series with Utah in 2022-23 and Miami in 2024-25.
But Florida has also backed out of several others, canceling series with N.C. State for 2026 and 2032, Cal for 2026-27 and Arizona State for 2028 and 2031.
That leaves Colorado’s 2028-29 series as the only remaining non-conference home-and-home still on Florida’s future schedule.
Florida and Notre Dame have met only once before, in the 1992 Sugar Bowl. Jerome Bettis powered Notre Dame to a 39-28 win, rushing for 150 yards and three touchdowns to earn MVP honors. Florida quarterback Shane Matthews threw for 370 yards, a Sugar Bowl record.
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