The state of Florida football’s non-conference scheduling

A closer look at Florida football’s non-conference scheduling

Florida football’s 2018 non-conference slate featured two FCS schools, a 3-9 Mountain West team, and a downtrodden Florida State team that missed out on a bowl for the first time in over three decades.

Outside of beating FSU, these games were not fun for the fans and did nothing to improve Florida’s standing in the college football world.

Since the beginning of the playoff era in 2014, Florida has played one Power Five opponent not named Florida State – 2017 against Michigan at a neutral site in Dallas. This marked the Gators’ first trip outside of Florida for a non-conference game since playing at Syracuse in 1991. Going back to 1980, the Gators have played a staggering 96.1 percent  (122 out of 127) of their non-conference games within the safe confines of the Florida border, playing games in only five other states during that stretch.

While you’re letting that information sink in, were you able to name the Power Five teams that the Gators have scheduled a home-and-home series with since 1998?

You only had to come up with one.

Miami (FL) is the only BCS/Power Five school that Florida has scheduled a home-and-home with since the dawn of the BCS in 1998. Two series, 2002 in Gainesville and 2003 in Miami followed by 2008 in Gainesville and 2013 in Miami.

Florida’s non-conference scheduling numbers since 1980 border on embarrassing. Some highlights include:

• 17 FCS games, including ten match-ups against FCS teams since 2006. The 2013 Georgia Southern game is the one FCS game that Florida football fans would like to forget, but its likely the only FCS game they remember. Florida has used the FCS game since 2006 (in most cases) as a way to get healthy the week before the Florida State game at the end of season. When it paid off in national titles in 2006 and 2008, it was easy to sell these awful games to a deliriously happy Gator Nation as a necessary relief in the buildup toward FSU and the SEC Championship Game, but this custom has not aged well. Whether it’s a ninth SEC game or a better non-conference opponent, this is a game that Florida must improve upon in the future
• Five total combined games against the Big Ten, Pac 12, and Big 12 schools. Prior to 2017 Michigan, the last regular season matchup with one of these Power Five conferences was a 1990 home game vs Oklahoma State.
• A discontinuation of their annual rivalry game against Miami (FL) after 1987. On top of forfeiting a biannual trip to the recruiting rich territory of South Florida, Florida walked away from a series that started in 1938. The Canes served as the Gators’ primary in-state rival until Florida first met Florida State in 1958. If leaving the Sunshine State does not interest the Gators, then renewing the Miami (FL) series should be a priority. Florida opens the 2019 season with a neutral site against the Hurricanes in Orlando, but there are currently no other games scheduled between the two schools.
• The last home-and-home with a current Power Five school other than Florida State or Miami (FL) – 1982-83 against Southern Cal. The Gators beat the Trojans 17-9 in 1982 at Florida Field and tied USC 19-19 in 1983 at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

Florida’s non-conference schedule, more often than not, leaves a lot to be desired.

The formula is stale and the Gators can do better.

For those that are quick to point out that Florida is no different than any other major power, click “NEXT” to see how Florida football’s non-conference numbers stack up.