Florida is reshaping its future schedule, and Notre Dame is no longer part of the plan.
The Gators have reportedly canceled the home-and-home series that was set for 2031 and 2032 against the Fighting Irish. With nine SEC games on the slate each year, Florida appears to be backing away from loading up on another major nonconference challenge.
It’s a notable change, even if it fits the current reality of college football. Big matchups still draw attention, but they also come with real scheduling consequences, especially for a team already dealing with the grind of the SEC.
Florida had been looking at a chance to add another marquee win to its résumé if the series had gone forward. The new 24-team College Football Playoff also would have given the Gators some room to absorb a loss in a game like that.
Instead, the program is moving on and looking for other ways to handle future scheduling.
The timing comes as Florida tries to steady itself in the present. Jon Sumrall’s first season has brought plenty of optimism, even with the Gators having dropped two straight and sitting at 5-4. They’ve already picked up wins over Ole Miss and Texas, signs that the rebuild is moving in the right direction.
Florida still has three games left this season, with Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Florida State on deck. If the Gators can win at least two of them, it would help reinforce the idea that the program is heading somewhere under Sumrall.
For now, though, the bigger story is what Florida won’t be playing down the road. The Notre Dame series is off, and that says plenty about where scheduling is headed.
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Kentucky has won four of the last five meetings, which only adds to the pressure on a Florida offense looking for answers on the road. The Wildcats are coming off a loss to Tennessee, and the betting market has moved only slightly ahead of kickoff, but the bigger question for Florida is whether it can find enough rhythm to keep this one from turning into another frustrating afternoon. [Read more 🡒]