Florida is going to open the 2026 season on September 5 against FAU in The Swamp. Barring something colossal, it should be a relatively positive introduction to the Jon Sumrall Era. Gator fans will no doubt be excited to see how Florida looks under Sumrall, but the real test for Florida won’t be for a couple of more weeks.
And so it’s with that in mind that there is one matchup set to take place during opening weekend that Gator fans are bound to have circled and might keep an even closer eye on than Florida’s own matchup that day.
Florida fans will keep an eye on Auburn vs. Baylor
Kickoff times for the opening weekend have started to be released. Florida’s opener is still to be determined, but the matchup between Baylor and Auburn in Atlanta has been set for 3:30 PM on September 5.
There are massive storylines for Florida fans to follow with both squads, the obvious one being DJ Lagway’s debut with Baylor. After two years in Gainesville, Lagway left for Waco, TX via the transfer portal, looking for a fresh start. While Lagway left Florida on mostly positive terms with the fanbase, it’s been clear in exit interviews that he and Sumrall weren’t going to be a match, and there have been question marks raised as to whether or not Lagway did everything he could to help himself in Gainesville.
With his change of scenery, are we going to see the free and easy version of Lagway that we saw glimpses of in 2024 or the broken prodigy that defined the 2025 season?
Auburn matters too
But this opener won’t just be about Lagway for Florida fans, as Auburn carries massive implications for the Gators. In a lot of ways, the week three meeting between Florida and Auburn is going to do a lot to define the tone of how we view Jon Sumrall. Auburn is also breaking in a new coach, one who was an option for Florida to go after. And while it’s understandable if the Gators can’t catch up to teams like Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma just yet, there won’t be much excuse if Florida gets smacked by Auburn.
The inverse is also true, where Florida can go on the road and put a beating on the Tigers to give Gator Nation faith that Sumrall will right the ship in time.
There are other marquee games that weekend, such as Clemson vs LSU, but the Baylor vs Auburn game is going to be the one that has the most storylines connecting back to Florida.
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