2026 Gators schedule drops, and it’s another SEC gauntlet from start to finish

The 2026 Florida Gators football season schedule was released by Florida on Thursday and the first under guidance of new head coach, Jon Sumrall and his regime kicks off in the Swamp in a similar way the 2025 season began, against an in-state foe, except this matchup occurs on week one instead of week two. On September 5, 2026 the Gators will welcome the Owls of Florida Atlantic to Gainesville to open their 2026 season. 

This will mark the fourth time the Owls and Gators have faced off. UF holds a 4-0 record against Florida Atlantic, with the Gators winning the latest 2021 matchup 35-14. Many expect the Gators should make it 5-0, but after losing to South Florida in the Swamp in 2025, Coach Sumrall and the Gators will need to prove to Gators fans that they have what it takes to kick off the season differently next year.

The Gators will remain at home for their week two matchup against Campbell University out of North Carolina for the first ever game between the two schools.

After two weeks at home, the Gators will hit the road for week three to open their SEC play with their first of seven SEC matchups, this one being at Auburn.

Following their matchup against Auburn they will face Ole Miss (home on September 26), Missouri (Away, October 3), South Carolina (home, October 10), and Texas (away, October 17). The Gators will have their bye week in week eight.

The annual Florida vs Georgia game takes place on Halloween next season and due to the stadium construction at Everbank Stadium, the 2026 matchup will be played in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, marking the first time the game has been played in Atlanta since it’s inception in 1915. In 2027 the matchup will come back to Florida, but it will take place at Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) before returning to the “Stadium of the Future,” aka Everbank Stadium’s newest renovated facility in 2028.

After the Florida vs Georgia game the Gators will head back home to take on Oklahoma in week 10; they’ll be on the road against Kentucky on November 14, home to face Vanderbilt on November 21, and they will end the season per usual with rivalry week. This year’s sunshine state cup between the Gators and Seminoles will be played in Tallahassee at Florida State University on November 28.

The one matchup that is not on the schedule for 2026 is a matchup against LSU, meaning their will be no battle against Lane Kiffin next season. However, you can bet in years to come, the matchup will be there and the emotions will remain just as high.

But Gator fans have become hopeful of Coach Sumrall and come September, it will be his time to shine and to prove that he can turn the program around. It won’t be an easy task as this is another brutal schedule for the Gators with nine straight SEC games in the middle of the season.

All eyes for now will be on what Coach Sumrall continues to do this offseason and then come September 5, it’s a must win season for the Gators.