GAINESVILLE, Fla. _ The Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes' home-and-home series for the 2024 and 2025 seasons is official, the schools announced Tuesday.
The Orlando Sentinel reported last week the two schools were in discussions to schedule their first series in more than 20 years. The Gators will host the Hurricanes on Aug. 31, 2024, in The Swamp before heading to South Florida for a game on Sept. 20, 2025.
The last time the two longtime rivals met during consecutive regular seasons was 2002 and 2003, meetings both won by the Hurricanes _ winners of seven of eight against the Gators.
UF will look for its first win against Miami since 2008 when the Gators and Hurricanes square off Saturday night in Orlando's Camping World Stadium. The rivals have not met since 2013, a 21-16 win by Miami.
The Gators' non-conference schedules have been lagging of late, with UF facing two FCS schools in 2018 and also this upcoming season. The 2020 schedule features visits from Eastern Washington, South Alabama and New Mexico State.
But recently UF athletics director Scott Stricklin aggressively upgraded future matchups. UF's 2025 non-SEC slate will include Miami, USF and Florida State. The Gators have future home-and-home series with Colorado (2028, 2029) and Texas (2030, 2031).
A source said UF also is working on scheduling a high-profile, neutral-site game with an opponent from out West to be staged in the not-too-distant future.
The Hurricanes, however, are more natural rivals with a shared history with the Gators. The schools played every season from 1938 to 1987 other than during World War II.
But next weekend's game will be just the third regular-season meeting since 2003. Miami holds a 29-26 edge in the series.
Ranked No. 8 in both preseason polls and coming off a 10-3 season, the Gators are seven-point favorites.
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