Once upon a time, Florida football had a more fierce rival that shared its state boundaries than any of those that exist currently. Of course, the heated hate triangle between the Gators, Florida State Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes has been reduced to a simmer in recent years as all three of the once-proud programs have fallen on hard times, but if you turn the pages far back enough, it was the UF vs. UM matchup that ruled the state.
The two schools first met on the grassy gridiron in 1938, playing annually until 1987 when the ‘Canes were at the peak of their golden era, with many fans on both sides airing their grievances over the end of the rivalry. Florida and Miami have faced off seven times since the cessation of the series, with two of them coming in bowl games, giving the Gators a 2-7 record against the U since.
However, none of those games truly had the feel of the vintage matchups that ended in the 1980s. 247Sports’ Will Backus recently published his list of college football rivalries that should be renewed which included the two Sunshine State schools. Here is what he had to say.
Florida State and Florida play each year, as do Florida State and Miami, so why not bridge the gap and have the Gators and Hurricanes complete the trifecta of top Florida programs battling it out to decide who is on top? Florida and Miami were heated rivals in the 1970s and ’80s and played five times between 2000-2010, but they have played just twice since then. Outside of a home-and-home from 2024-25, these natural rivals have nothing on the docket.
While the Gators and ‘Canes series never quite peaked like the 1996 national championship season for Florida against FSU, memorable moments such as the Gator flop or even Miami’s 2003 comeback are good enough reasons to make this matchup an annual event once again.
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