Florida Gators 2026 Schedule Revealed: Jon Sumrall’s first season loaded with challenges, and one SEC rival is off the schedule

The Florida Gators have a difficult schedule in Jon Sumrall’s first season, with the Tennessee Volunteers off the schedule for the first time since 1989.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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New UF head football coach Jon Sumrall speaks during a press conference at the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center in Gainesville, FL on Monday, December 1, 2025.
New UF head football coach Jon Sumrall speaks during a press conference at the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center in Gainesville, FL on Monday, December 1, 2025. Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun

The Florida Gators leave the 2025 season with an era ending and a new one beginning.

Billy Napier was fired back in October and was just announced as the head coach of the James Madison Dukes. That move allowed the Gators to hire head coach Jon Sumrall, who has already made waves in his short time as the head coach in Gainesville. The number one thing Sumrall did that had the fanbase excited was hire a legitimate offensive coordinator in Buster Faulkner.

Needless to say, there is a lot of excitement for the 2026 season, and rightfully so.

Florida Gators 2026 schedule has been released

On the same night as the College Football Awards, the SEC has announced their schedule for the 2026 season. Here is the Gators’ schedule with the times and networks to be determined.

  • Sept. 5th: vs. Florida Atlantic Owls
  • Sept. 12th: vs. Campbell Fighting Camels
  • Sept. 19th: @ Auburn Tigers
  • Sept 26th: vs. Ole Miss Rebels
  • Oct. 3rd: @ Missouri Tigers
  • Oct 10th: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
  • Oct. 17th: @ Texas Longhorns
  • Oct. 24th: OPEN
  • Oct. 31st: vs. Georgia Bulldogs (in Atlanta)
  • Nov. 7th: vs. Oklahoma Sooners
  • Nov. 14th: @ Kentucky Wildcats
  • Nov. 21st: vs. Vanderbilt Commodores
  • Nov. 28th: @ Florida State Seminoles

It’s a loaded schedule for the Gators, as college football is now back to having just one bye week if you don’t play in Week 0. This is also the first year of nine conference games for the SEC and having a guaranteed 10th game against a Power Four opponent. Each team will have three guaranteed opponents each season, which are Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina for the Gators.

It also means that this is the first season since 1989 in which the Gators don’t face off against the Tennessee Volunteers. It’s going to be weird for the Gators to not face the Volunteers every year, but they will get to see them every other season at minimum, with the chance they get to face off in the SEC Championship Game.

Because the Gators have Florida State on the schedule, don’t be surprised if they end up not having another Power Four opponent on the schedule in those other two spots.

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