Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes Renew Football Rivalry

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

Back in early October of 2015, college football fans hoping to renew a bloodthirsty rivalry with a new added SEC vs. ACC kick finally got their wish. Reports were leaked in October of a possible Florida Gators verses Miami Hurricanes regular season game and on Tuesday that possibility became a reality.

When the news started to spread about the Gators and Hurricanes meeting on the field, Miami athletic director Blake James told the Miami Herald then stating, “I have an interest in seeing if we can have our football program play Florida. I think it’s good for college football and good for our fans. We’re interested in that. And if it works out that we can play them in Orlando in ’19, I think that’s great.”

Florida evidently has been the school dragging their feet over the possible reunion on the field only wanting to play on a neutral site which has left few ideal spots that would be a win-win for both Miami and Florida fans. The neutral site stipulation also essentially rules out a home-and-home long-term series. As luck would have it, or as the financials have worked out, the two bitter rivals will meet to open the 2019 picking Camping World Stadium in Orlando as the agreed upon location.

Florida and Florida State have played one another in a non-conference game every year since 1958 with the Seminoles owning the series 34-24-2. Florida State has played Miami 58 times having continued their rivalry as Atlantic Coast Conference foes with that series tied even at 29-29. Florida first played Miami in 1938 with the two teams meeting annually until 1987. The bitter rivals have met a total of 55 times with the Canes holding a slight 29-26 edge. Since 1987, Miami and Florida have met six times with the Canes owning that stretch five games to one.

Most of the more recent contests between Florida and Miami have been lopsided one way or the other except the last meeting. In 2013, Miami pulled out a 21-16 thriller giving hope for college football fans across the country that the next meeting will be just as exciting.

No word if the series will be renewed for years to come but for at least one year, a winner of the unofficial Florida College Bowl Tournament could have a clear-cut victor.

Photo credit: campusriot.com; The Florida vs. Miami rivalry gets a one game extension in 2019.