Florida football cancels home-and-home series with Big 12 power in expected move

The move makes sense, but there is a feeling that maybe it was the wrong team to cancel on. With the SEC getting ready to move to a nine-game league schedule, the Gators had to cancel some non-conference games in the future, and one of the series they chose was a home-and-away series against the reigning Big 12 Champion, the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Now, this does not come as a surprise to anyone that the Gators had to cancel a non-conference series, but there is something about it that could hurt the Gators as well. Obviously, with the majority of the games the Gators will play against SEC opponents, that will help their strength of schedule, but the non-conference schedule is looked at as well, and taking away power conference opponents could hurt them in the long run.

This is not the only non-conference future series that the Gators had to cancel, and not even the only power conference opponent that they canceled on. Florida also cancelled future home-and-away series against NC State and California.

The Gators were set to play the Sun Devils in 2028 and 2031 due to an agreement back in 2019. They also had agreements with NC State to play the Wolfpack in 2026 and 2032 and California in 2026 and 2027, with both of those agreed upon in 2020.

Luckily, the Gators won't have to pay a penalty for cancelling these series due to a clause in the contract stating that if the SEC were to expand it's conference games schedule, no penalty would be given.

There is still a possibility of other non-conference matchups to be cancelled against other power conference teams, but it seems like the matchups against Colorado and Notre Dame are safe, as well as the matchups against UCF, according to athletic director Scott Stricklin.