Florida’s trip to South Carolina this Saturday is supposed to offer a chance to shake off the Missouri loss, but the Gators may have weather to worry about before kickoff.
The issue is the developing threat of Hurricane Isaias, which is not yet formed but is expected to move toward the Florida panhandle on Saturday. Florida and SEC officials have not announced much in the way of contingency planning, but the storm could create a real problem depending on how its track develops.
Current forecasts show a tropical rainstorm building in the Gulf and expected to become Tropical Storm Isaias, with a chance to strengthen into a hurricane. As it stands, the storm is projected to reach the Florida Panhandle sometime Saturday evening. Gainesville is currently forecast to get a half inch of rain on Saturday, though that number could change quickly if the track shifts even slightly.
Tropical Storm #Isaias is likely to form in the Gulf over the next few days. There is a window for it to become a hurricane before making landfall somewhere from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle on Saturday. However, strong wind shear will cause weakening prior to landfall. 🌀 pic.twitter.com/Z6ZJvlw0fc
- Dylan Federico (@DylanFedericoWX) October 6, 2026
There are also practical reasons both Florida and the SEC would prefer to keep this game on schedule. Neither Florida nor South Carolina has reached its bye week yet, and the two teams do not share the same off week. With the SEC now playing a nine-game schedule, finding a later date would require major reshuffling.
Florida last had to push a game back in 2022, when it played Eastern Washington on a Sunday because of Hurricane Ian.
Even if the game goes on as planned, the conditions could still be rough. That kind of weather often helps the underdog and can take some of the edge off home-field advantage.
Florida is not the only team keeping an eye on the forecast this weekend. The entire Southeast is facing the threat of heavy rain, and right now the Alabama-Georgia game in Tuscaloosa looks even more vulnerable than Florida-South Carolina.
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