The Gators have an array of nonconference home games against Power 5 programs over the next decade. (Photo: Jay Metz/UAA Communications)
Carter's Corner: Dawn of a New Decade for Gators' Schedule
Monday, February 10, 2020 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In December 2013 when it was announced the Gators would face Michigan to open the 2017 season at the home of the Dallas Cowboys, it was big news.
At the time, Florida had not played a nonconference game outside of its home state since a 1991 road trip to Syracuse that made Gators fans wish they had never heard of Kirby Dar Dar.
Times have changed.
In the wake of Friday's announcement of a home-and-home series with Cal, the Gators now have a decade's worth of nonconference opponents aside from Florida State on future schedules, with five of those games west of the Mississippi River.
Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin has been aggressive in trying to schedule at least 10 Power 5 games per season, even using Twitter in soliciting fellow ADs to schedule future games.
Stricklin's reasoning is pretty straightforward.
"By scheduling more of these high-caliber opponents, obviously I think it's what's best for the players and I think it's something the fans want," Stricklin said recently on the Paul Finebaum Show. "On top of that, I think it's what's best for college football. You look at the games that we've had this year that have generated a ton of interest, whether it was the Florida-Miami game in Week 0, Auburn and Oregon that you referenced, LSU-Texas — those games, people are still talking about those games weeks later."
Florida's scheduling philosophy of past years paid off in big ways, most notably with three national championships. However, fans demand more than ever before with so much competition for their disposable income and attention spans.
College football administrators have learned over the past decade that one cupcake a season is enough. Fans want to see games that get them excited enough to show up to the stadium on Saturday. Plus, with the birth of the College Football Playoff and its future evolution, a good loss -- or maybe even two if the playoff expands in coming years as most expect -- doesn't necessarily spoil a chance at a national championship.
Times have changed as they always do. The Gators' schedule is a clear reflection.
Check out the clip below for more from Stricklin:
At the time, Florida had not played a nonconference game outside of its home state since a 1991 road trip to Syracuse that made Gators fans wish they had never heard of Kirby Dar Dar.
Times have changed.
In the wake of Friday's announcement of a home-and-home series with Cal, the Gators now have a decade's worth of nonconference opponents aside from Florida State on future schedules, with five of those games west of the Mississippi River.
| SEASON | OPPONENT(S) | NOTABLE |
| 2022 | Utah, USF | Gators have played Utah (1977) and USF (2010) once each |
| 2023 | at Utah, at USF | A rarity as Gators road trip to two nonconference opponents |
| 2024 | Miami | First of back-to-back years for this once-heated rivalry |
| 2025 | at Miami, USF | Gators to face hometown Hurricanes in Miami for first time since 2013 |
| 2026 | Cal | Bears visit Gainesville for only second time and first time in 52 years |
| 2027 | at Cal | Gators have not played a game in state of California since 1989 Freedom Bowl |
| 2028 | Colorado, at Arizona State | Florida has never played either program but played in Tempe in '95 NC game |
| 2029 | at Colorado | Gators pack up for first trip to Boulder and hopefully a Ralphie sighting |
| 2030 | Texas | Two of college football's most storied programs meet for first time since 1940 |
| 2031 | at Texas, Arizona State | By time this one rolls around, first game at Texas for UF in 92 years |
Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin has been aggressive in trying to schedule at least 10 Power 5 games per season, even using Twitter in soliciting fellow ADs to schedule future games.
Stricklin's reasoning is pretty straightforward.
"By scheduling more of these high-caliber opponents, obviously I think it's what's best for the players and I think it's something the fans want," Stricklin said recently on the Paul Finebaum Show. "On top of that, I think it's what's best for college football. You look at the games that we've had this year that have generated a ton of interest, whether it was the Florida-Miami game in Week 0, Auburn and Oregon that you referenced, LSU-Texas — those games, people are still talking about those games weeks later."
Florida's scheduling philosophy of past years paid off in big ways, most notably with three national championships. However, fans demand more than ever before with so much competition for their disposable income and attention spans.
College football administrators have learned over the past decade that one cupcake a season is enough. Fans want to see games that get them excited enough to show up to the stadium on Saturday. Plus, with the birth of the College Football Playoff and its future evolution, a good loss -- or maybe even two if the playoff expands in coming years as most expect -- doesn't necessarily spoil a chance at a national championship.
Times have changed as they always do. The Gators' schedule is a clear reflection.
Check out the clip below for more from Stricklin:
Good for Fans? ✅
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) October 23, 2019
Good for Players? ✅
Good for College Football?✅@ScottStricklin explains why he tweeted an invite to other P5 ADs for a future home-and-home: pic.twitter.com/3wvs4T7k7N
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