The SEC schedule for men's basketball has been released, and the Florida Gators are probably big fans of the way their slate of games are going to shake out in 2026 as Todd Golden and crew look to defend its national title.
In addition to restoring one of its key rivalries, the home and away slate for the Gators sets up well.
Florida Gators get ideal schedule for 2026
As was the case in 2025, Florida will play everyone in the SEC once, with three set opponents getting a home-and-away. Last year, the Gators played South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee twice, but this meant that Florida didn't get a home game against Kentucky in 2025.
That has been fixed for 2026, as Florida will play Kentucky twice. To accommodate that, the home-and-away with Tennessee has been taken away.
However, while Florida will play Tennessee just once in 2026, that one game will be a home contest in Gainesville. Every other opponent Florida played just once in 2025 will remain the same, with the home sites swapped.
This works out well for the Gators as, in addition to Tennessee, the Gators will welcome Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, and Mississippi State to Gainesville.
The road trips, in addition to the home-and-away games, comprise a manageable slate of games against Ole Miss, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt.
Florida went 14-4 in SEC play and finished as regular season runner-ups. The Gators would go on to win the SEC Tournament before ripping off six more wins in the NCAA Tournament to win the national title.
The SEC slate adds to a challenging non-conference slate the Gators have built for themselves as they look to defend their title. Florida is scheduled to play Arizona, Duke, UConn, and Michigan in addition to a potential matchup with Miami.