Georgia Tech’s first season under Scott Cross is already taking shape with a heavyweight test on the non-conference schedule.
The Yellow Jackets will face Florida in the inaugural Hall of Fame Series Orlando on Dec. 12, part of a doubleheader that also includes VCU against Florida Atlantic. The matchup had been previously reported, and Georgia Tech made it official today.
For Cross, it’s a brutal early measuring stick. Florida is expected to open the season as the preseason No. 1 team in the country and is being picked as the favorite to win its second national championship in three seasons. The Gators won it all in 2025 before being upset by Iowa in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Florida also brings back a loaded core, including Thomas Haugh, who is projected as a lottery pick, Alex Condon, a projected first-round pick, and Rueben Chinyelu, described as one of the best defensive players in the country. On paper, this looks like one of the top teams in the nation.
Cross welcomed the challenge after the announcement, saying:
"The Hall of Fame Series is a premier event and we are excited to have the opportunity to participate this season to showcase not only Georgia Tech, but the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. It will be a great opportunity for Georgia Tech to compete against a high-level Florida team during non-conference play and be an exciting game for our fans."
The game also carries a bit of history. Georgia Tech and Florida have not played since 1987, even though the schools have met 47 times overall. The Yellow Jackets hold the edge in the series, 27-20.
Georgia Tech is essentially starting fresh with its roster, and several transfers are expected to play major roles: Colby Garland, Nasir Whitlock, Jackson Fields, Victor Valdes, Tylis Jordan, and Jackson McVey. The incoming freshman class includes Moustapha Diop, Kayden Allen, and Kaiden Bailey.
Florida is the third SEC opponent on Georgia Tech’s non-conference slate. The Yellow Jackets also have their annual rivalry game with Georgia on Nov. 20, a meeting with Mississippi State in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 2, and a game against Butler on Dec. 19.
The rest of Georgia Tech’s schedule will be announced later.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Suddenly Faces A Realignment Question Fans Can't Ignore
The ACCs settlement with Clemson and Florida State did more than quiet a pair of ugly legal fights. It also reset the leagues long-term map, lowering the exit fee to $75 million after the 2029-30 academic year and putting schools back in control of their media rights, which means the realignment chatter that never really dies now has a more concrete timeline attached to it. No one has announced a move, but the market is already sorting through which ACC programs would matter most if the SEC or Big Ten decides to raid the league.
For Georgia Tech, the conversation is less about whether it belongs in these discussions than where it might land if they get serious. The Yellow Jackets check enough boxes to stay in the mix alongside schools such as Florida State, Clemson, North Carolina and Virginia, and they remain part of the larger group of ACC programs being studied for future fits. The problem is that the next move may depend less on familiarity or geography than on which leagues decide television value matters most, leaving Tech in the kind of holding pattern every fan base in this business knows too well. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Still Has One Big O-Line Question Before Colorado
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The encouraging part for Tech is that the competition has produced real depth, even if it has not yet produced final answers. With multiple new starters expected in the lineup to begin the season, the last decisions along the line will shape not just the first game, but how stable the Jackets can feel in front of their quarterback once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Techs New O-Line Setup Carries Early Pressure Up Front
Georgia Techs offseason work up front has taken on a fresh feel with Allen Mogridge in place as the new offensive line coach, and the early reviews from inside the building point to a unit trying to sort itself out quickly. The Yellow Jackets have three new starters on the interior line in Malachi Carney, Kevin Peay and Alabama transfer Joe Ionata, while Will Reed gives the group depth at center, giving the staff plenty to shape before the real pressure arrives.
Mogridge has brought energy that the players have already noticed, and his message has centered on the group fitting the ideals Brent Key wants from the program. He has described the line as hungry and competitive, which is encouraging for a position group that has to gel fast, but the real question is how soon that new mix can turn promise into dependable play when the season starts putting it under fire. [Read more 🡒]